Born Bottom, the family changed its name to Phoenix as it moved through Central and South America.

Surrounded by earthily named siblings -- brothers River and Rain, sisters Liberty and Summer -- young Joaquin chose the name Leaf for himself to fit in, a name he only gave up in the mid-1990s.

Following his brothers' footsteps, he stepped into acting, starring alongside River on some early television work. A couple of little-noticed film roles followed, after which he was cast in Ron Howard's Parenthood (left), which starred Steve Martin and Keanu Reeves.

At 15, despite fine reviews, he decided to withdraw from acting momentarily. His parents were separating, and he spent time with his father in Mexico.