Chester Morris

He had been appearing in a stage production of The Caine Mutiny Court Martial at the Bucks County Playhouse at the time of his death. Phoenix is a strict vegan, and will not wear costumes made from animal products. Soon after appearing in that film, he was found dead in New Hope, Pennsylvania of a drug overdose. Night Shyamalan's Signs, and stoic Lucius Hunt in Shyamalan's The Village. Morris's career began to fade in the 1950s, and he only appeared in three films from 1948 until his final role in 1970's The Great White Hope. He portrayed a troubled teen in Gus Van Sant's To Die For, and has earned positive reviews for adult roles as Commodus in Gladiator (for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), a priest in Quills, washed-up baseball player Merrill Hess in M. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for 1929's Alibi, but perhaps his finest role is in the early prison film The Big House, which was a huge success and propelled his career. He changed his name from "Leaf" back to his birth name "Joaquin".

Born in New York City, the son of actor William Morris, Morris is most famous for his role in the Boston Blackie detective series of the 1940s, but his film career began in 1917 in An Amateur Orphan. Joaquin was reluctant to re-enter the world of acting again but, he did so at the insistence of his friends. John Chester Brooks Morris (February 16, 1901 - September 11, 1970) was an American actor. Joaquin came back to the public light under tragic circumstances—he was the person that dialled 9-1-1 when his brother River suffered a fatal drug overdose outside Hollywood nightclub The Viper Room. He made his big screen debut in the interstellar romp Space Camp (1986), and his first starring role in the drama Russkies (1987), and went on to establish himself as a child actor in Parenthood (1989), before deciding to withdraw from acting for a while and move to Mexico with his father. Joaquin's first acting stints were guest appearances on two television shows with his brother River, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1982) and Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia (1984).

His parents contracted an agent who eventually got the five children on commercial spots. His mother started working as a secretary for NBC and his father became a landscaper. The family moved to Los Angeles when Joaquin was 6 years old. Since his other siblings changed their names to match their earth monikers, "River"; "Rain" (or "Rainbow"); "Liberty" and "Summer", Joaquin followed and changed his name to "Leaf".

His parents were members of the Children of God missionaries, and encouraged their children (Joaquin was the third of five) to develop their creative instincts. He often plays supporting roles as conflicted characters plagued with self doubt. Joaquin Rafael Phoenix (born October 28, 1974 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is an actor in USA, also known as Leaf Phoenix. Space Camp (1986).

Russkies (1987). Parenthood (1989). To Die For (1995). U-Turn (1997).

Inventing the Abbotts (1997). 8 MM (1998). Clay Pigeons (1998). Return to Paradise (1998).

The Yards (2000). Quills (2000). Gladiator (2000). Signs (2002).

Brother Bear (voice) (2003). Buffalo Soldiers (2003). Ladder 49 (2004). The Village (2004).

Hotel Rwanda (2004).