Joaquin Phoenix | Joaquin Rafael Bottom/Leaf Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix is one of Hollywood’s most admired actors. His acting career started in the early ‘80s, but he didn’t break out as a leading man until the early 2000s, after a succession of supporting solid investments.

Phoenix was born with an entirely different last name despite his well-known namesake. He was born Joaquin Rafael Bottom. Joaquin asked to be called Leaf when he was four years old. He wanted to be more like his elder brothers, River and Rain, who had nature-inspired names. His parents chose to take on a new surname as they moved on to the next stage of their lives. The Bottoms chose Phoenix as their last name because they wanted a nickname representing their rebirth. He went by the moniker Leaf Phoenix until 1991, when he changed his name to the one we all know and love today.