Joaquin's first real acting gig was a guest appearance on River's sitcom, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1982). Commercials for meat, milk, and junk food were off-limits (the kids were all raised as strict vegans), but they managed to find plenty of work pushing other products. They eventually found an agent who was willing to represent all five children, and the younger generation dove into television work. Arlyn found work as a secretary at NBC, and John turned his talents to landscaping. The family moved often, traveling through Central and South America (and adopting the surname "Phoenix" to celebrate their new beginnings) but, by the time Joaquin was age 6, they had more or less settled in the Los Angeles area. Younger sisters Liberty Phoenix and Summer Phoenix rounded out the talented troupe. When the children were encouraged to develop their creative instincts, he followed their lead into acting. As a youngster, Joaquin took his cues from older siblings River Phoenix and Rain Phoenix, changing his name to Leaf to match their earthier monikers. His mother is from a Jewish family from New York, while his father, from California, is of mostly British Isles descent. His parents, from the continental United States, were then serving as Children of God missionaries. Joaquin Phoenix was born Joaquin Rafael Bottom in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Arlyn (Dunetz) and John Bottom, and is the middle child in a brood of five.
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