Look up peta in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Peta can refer to:

• peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 10¹⁵
• Peta, Greece, a town in Greece
• Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism
• Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model
• Peta Todd, English glamour model
• Peta (MÄR), a fictional character in the manga and anime series MÄR
• Peta (cat), former resident Downing Street cat and holder of the post of Chief mouser to the cabinet office 1964-78
• Peta, the Egyptian derivative for the word Triangle

PETA is an acronym that can refer to:

• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization
• Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943
• Pulse Ejector Thrust Augmentor, a type of pulsed jet engine

See also[link]

• Pita (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Mike Rowe
Born	(1962-03-18) March 18, 1962 (age 50) Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Residence	San Francisco, California
Occupation	Television host Narrator, actor, voice over actor, opera singer, activist
Website
http://www.mikeroweWORKS.com

Michael Gregory "Mike" Rowe ( /ˈroʊ/; born March 18, 1962)^[1] is an American media personality best known as the host of the Discovery Channel series Dirty Jobs. He can also be heard as narrator on a variety of series and has appeared in recurring commercials for Ford Motor Company.

Early life[link]

Rowe was born in Baltimore, Maryland to parents John and Peggy Rowe. Rowe has said in commercials for Dirty Jobs that the show is a tribute to his father and grandfather. Rowe became an Eagle Scout on January 2, 1979 in Troop 16 in Baltimore.^[2] During his service project for Eagle Scout at the Maryland School for the Blind, he read aloud to students, and he cites this as one of the reasons he became interested in narrating and writing.^[2][3] On being an Eagle Scout he said "The Eagle Award is not really meant for people who need to be dragged across the finish line. It's meant for a select few... ."'^[2]

Rowe attended Kenwood Presbyterian Church in Baltimore when he was younger; his parents still regularly attend. Rowe attended Overlea High School, where he excelled in both theater and singing under the tutelage of choir director Freddie King, whom Rowe credits for first interesting him in performing.^[4] An early stutterer, Rowe was able to overcome the handicap while in school.^[5] After graduation from high school, he attended Essex Community College,^[4] and briefly sang with the Chorus of the Chesapeake, which at the time was directed by King. He later graduated from Towson University^[6] with a degree in Communication Studies.^[7]

Rowe sang professionally with the Baltimore Opera.^[8][9] He says about this job:

I joined the opera to get my union card and meet girls. I was a saloon singer, so I went down to the Baltimore Opera and learned an aria and auditioned. I figured I'd do one show and quit. But the girls were everywhere and the truth is, the music was really decent.^[10]

Television career[link]

As host[link]

In the early 1990s Rowe was an on-air host for the shop-at-home TV channel QVC. When interviewed, Rowe relates how he got the job at QVC:

I was in the opera at the time. I walked across the street with a buddy of mine (during a performance) - we're dressed as Vikings and we have a drink. The TV is turned to QVC. ... My buddy bets me $100 I can't get a call back. So ... I crashed the audition and got a job on the spot. I basically turned the whole thing into my own stupid David Letterman show - I made fun of the callers and made fun of the products.^[10]

Rowe claims that QVC fired him three times.^[10] When told in a 2008 episode of Dirty Jobs that the gourds he was working on would be sold via QVC, he stated he was familiar with the corporation and proceeded to ad-lib a sales pitch for them.^[11]

Rowe has hosted Your New Home for WJZ in Baltimore, Worst Case Scenarios for TBS, On-Air TV for American Airlines, The Most for The History Channel, No Relation for FX,^[12] New York Expeditions for PBS, Channel 999 instructional guide for the now defunct PrimeStar satellite television service, and the CD-ROM music trivia game Radio Active (as "Bobby Arpeggio") for now-defunct Sanctuary Woods.

From 2001 to 2005 Rowe hosted Evening Magazine on KPIX-TV in San Francisco. During this time, he appeared in a news segment called "Somebody's Gotta Do It", profiling a number of unpleasant professions; this concept later grew into Dirty Jobs. Rowe's first work with Discovery included a trip to the Valley of the Golden Mummies to host Egypt Week Live!, where he explored ancient tombs live on air with Dr. Zahi Hawass, an Egyptian archaeologist.

As narrator[link]

In addition to hosting programs, Rowe has an extensive background as a narrator. His work with Discovery Channel includes narrating American Chopper, American Hot Rod, Deadliest Catch, Wild Pacific, and Ghost Lab, as well as other Discovery specials and series such as How the Universe Works, and Syfy's Ghost Hunters. Rowe has hosted the Discovery Channel's annual "Shark Week" in 2006 and 2008, along with hosting the special You Spoof Discovery, an amateur parody video special which poked fun at some of the popular series on the Discovery Channel's lineup.^[13]

On Dirty Jobs, Rowe frequently mocks his seeming omnipresence on Discovery Channel; when a segment on firefighting and salvage was unable to be completed in a single day, he assured his firefighter host that he would "send over the MythBusters ... maybe the American Chopper boys ... [to finish the job]".

Mike Rowe poses for a photo during filming at Skulls Unlimited International.

Rowe was originally tapped to be the on-screen host of the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch, a show about crab fishing in the Bering Sea, and shot footage aboard several crab boats in addition to narrating the series. When Dirty Jobs was picked up by Discovery, he was told to choose which show he wanted to appear in on-screen. Rowe claims he was told by Discovery that the shows would air back-to-back on the same night: "We can't have you telling us stories about six dead fishermen on camera and making a fart joke with your arm in a cow's ass".^[14] Rowe chose to host Dirty Jobs and narrate Deadliest Catch; the footage of him on the boats was not used in the series, although he did appear in a season finale of Deadliest Catch, interviewing the boat captains. Rowe hosted a related show about life on the Bering Sea, a 2007 miniseries, After the Catch.

Other narration work by Rowe includes Mystery Diagnosis, Drydock: A Cruise Ship Reborn, Southern Steel, Powertool Drag Racing, Scavengers Rock (Animal Planet), and the opening of Ghost Hunters, a Syfy series from the producers of American Chopper. Additionally, Rowe has done voiceover work for the reality television show The Ultimate Fighter and the NASCAR pre-race show for The 2009 Chase on ESPN.^[15]

On December 21, 2009, Rowe became the announcer on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer.^[16]

Additional appearances[link]

On October 7, 2007 Rowe appeared on Fox's American Dad! as the voice of a meter maid.^[17]

Rowe appeared on an episode of Sesame Street (Season 39) in a segment called "Dirtiest Jobs With Mike Rowe", which aired on October 13, 2008. Rowe visits Sesame Street to find the dirtiest job, which happens to belong to Oscar. Rowe must do all the things Oscar does. His tasks include finding and counting stinky cheese, sorting trash, and giving his pet pig, Spot, a mud bath. To Oscar's chagrin, Rowe does not want to stop, as he is having too much fun.^[18]

Mike Rowe spoke to over 70,000 scouts, leaders, and visitors at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree in Fort AP Hill, Virginia. Rowe, an Eagle Scout, spoke to the crowd about the importance of being physically and mentally clean, but emphasized the need for all scouts to get dirty.^[19]

In 2012, Rowe appeared in an episode of the ABC sitcom Last Man Standing playing the role of Jim Baxter, the brother of Tim Allen's character.

As pitchman[link]

In 1998, Rowe was the television spokesperson for Epic Pharmacy, a Baltimore-area association of independent pharmacies.

Beginning in March 2007, he was featured in several Ford Motor Company F-Series truck commercials, presented in a style similar to Dirty Jobs, including one for Ford Sync.^[20][21] In the summer of 2009, he appeared in advertisements for Ford and Lincoln-Mercury vehicles that used the tagline: "Why Ford. Why Now."^[22]

In 2008, Rowe partnered with W. W. Grainger, a Chicago-based Fortune 500 industrial supply company.

In 2010, Rowe appeared in internet spots for Motorola iDEN combined radios/mobile phones, explaining that the phones were used "by real people, for real work" as they were used for Dirty Jobs-type applications.

In 2010, Rowe partnered with Lee Premium Select Jeans and appeared in television spots wearing jeans that "make my butt look good".

On July 26, 2010, Rowe became the spokesperson for Caterpillar. Rowe will work with dealers and customers "to get a real world perspective on their jobs".^[23] These interactions will be featured at Cat dealers as well as on the Caterpillar website and mikeroweWORKS website.

In 2011, Rowe appeared with his parents in television spots for Viva paper towels.^[24]

Trade activism[link]

On Labor Day 2008, Rowe launched a website, MikeRoweWorks.com, which is focused on the decline in the blue collar trades and the crumbling state of the infrastructure. A trade resource center has been launched and provides information, resources, and forums for people interested in learning about, or pursuing a career in, the trades,^[2] as well as a new blog aggregator for the trades and construction industry called the "Trades Hub", which launched in April 2011.

On September 19, 2010, Mike Rowe and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers started a grassroots campaign called “I Make America”. The campaign aims to create jobs in the manufacturing sector by encouraging infrastructure investment and export agreements. The group argues that this will improve the economy and global competitiveness of the United States.^[25]

Mike Rowe has contributed video content to The Alabama Construction Recruitment Institute's trade-worker recruiting campaign GoBuildAlabama.com, culminating in an Iron Bowl-themed commercial broadcast on local CBS affiliates during Thanksgiving weekend 2010.^[26]

In May 2011, Rowe testified on the issue before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.^[27][28]

Personal life[link]

Rowe currently resides in San Francisco, California.^[29]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mike Rowe

• Mike Rowe's official website
• Mike Rowe at the Internet Movie Database
• Mike Rowe #4 on Maxim.com's 2007 list of Top Dudeliest Dudes
• Mike Rowe presenting at the 2008 EG conference
• Discovery, Realization and Lamb Castration at The Entertainment Gathering, December 2008

Michael Clarke Duncan
Duncan in January 2009
Born	(1957-12-10) December 10, 1957 (age 54) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1995–present

Michael Clarke Duncan (born December 10, 1957) is an American actor, best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in The Green Mile, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. He currently stars as Leo Knox on the Fox television series The Finder.

Early life[link]

Duncan was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in a single-parent household with his sister, Judy, and mother, Jean Duncan (a house cleaner), after his father left.^[1][2] He always wanted to act, but had to drop out of the Communications program at Alcorn State University to support his family when his mother became ill. Duncan's large frame—6 feet 5 inches (196 cm)^[3] and 315 pounds (142 kg)—helped him in his jobs digging ditches for the People's Gas Company and being a bouncer at different Chicago clubs. Duncan has stated that one of his many jobs had been a stripper and that his stage name was Black Caesar.^[4]

In 1979, he participated in the Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park, home of the Chicago White Sox: he was among the first 100 people to run onto the field and he slid into third base. During the ensuing riot his silver belt buckle was stolen^[5] while he was stealing a baseball bat from the dugout.^[6] Clarke would later provide the narration for the 2005 World Series film.

Career[link]

Duncan took other security jobs while in Los Angeles while trying to get some acting work in commercials. During this time, he worked as a bodyguard for celebrities like Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx, LL Cool J, and The Notorious B.I.G. all the while doing bit parts in television and films. When the Notorious B.I.G. was killed in 1997, a friend was covering for Duncan. This was the reason for Duncan to quit this line of work.^[3] In 1998, Duncan was cast as Bear in the film Armageddon, where he struck up a friendship with castmate Bruce Willis. It was Bruce Willis' influence that helped him to get his breakout role as John Coffey in the Frank Darabont-directed The Green Mile, a role which netted him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture.^[7][8]

Duncan then was cast in a string of films that helped to establish him as a star: The Whole Nine Yards, Planet of the Apes, The Scorpion King (where he starred alongside his friend, The Rock), The Island and Daredevil as Wilson Fisk, aka The Kingpin. At first glance, Wilson Fisk appears to be an overweight corporate head nicknamed Kingpin, while in fact he is the sole person running organized crime. Duncan signed on for the role in January 2002, though he had been attached far earlier.^[9] When Duncan was cast, he weighed 290 pounds. He was asked to gain 40 pounds for the role in order to fit the physique of Kingpin. In order to do this, he would lift weights for 30 minutes a day, and power-lifted with one or two reps a day, as well as eating whatever he wanted. Despite this, Duncan's biggest concern was that he is black, whilst Kingpin has always been portrayed as white.^[10] He spoke on the fan's loyalty to the source material by saying "they watch movies to say, 'Hey, that's not like the comic book.' But I want them to get past that and just see the movie for what it is and see me for what I am—an actor."^[11] In July 2006, Duncan showed interest in returning for the role of the Kingpin, but stated that he would not be willing to gain weight as he felt "comfortable" being down to 270 pounds. However, he jokingly showed willingness to change his mind if he was offered $20 million. Duncan suggested that the character be portrayed as having been training a lot in jail in order to become faster in combat against Daredevil, also working as a way to fit his weight loss into the story.^[12] In 2009, he stopped eating meat and later appeared in a PETA ad campaign, touting the health benefits and his increased strength from a vegetarian diet.^[13]

Duncan has also provided his voice for a number of roles including Brother Bear and its sequel, Brother Bear 2, The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses, Quiznos commercials, and the video games Demon Stone, SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs, The Suffering: Ties That Bind, Saints Row, and Soldier of Fortune, with his most recent role being God of War II, where he provides the voice of Atlas, the Titan condemned by Zeus to stand at the western edge of the earth and hold up the sky on his shoulders. He reprised his role as the Kingpin in Spider-Man: The New Animated Series.

In 2005, he starred in the film Sin City (again alongside Bruce Willis) as Manute, a powerful mobster. Duncan appeared in a minor role in the 2006 movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby as Lucius Washington, and he voiced the role of the villain Massive in the Loonatics Unleashed. In 2006, he voiced the role of Numbuh 26 in the animated movie Codename: Kids Next Door: Operation ZERO. He played Balrog in Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li and voiced the prison commander in Kung Fu Panda.

He has also guest starred in numerous television shows. He appeared in an episode of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody "Benchwarmers" as Zack's basketball coach, Coach Little (Which Zack poked fun at, since the "Little" was somewhat ironic due to his large build). In 2005, Duncan guest-starred in a first-season episode of CSI: NY.^[14] He appeared as "Colt" in the second-season premiere of Chuck, "Chuck Versus The First Date".^[15] In November he appeared as a guest star on the CBS show Two and a Half Men. In April 2011 Duncan guest starred on an episode of TV series Bones as Leo Knox. In 2012, Duncan got his first starring role as the same character in the spinoff series The Finder. In the same year, he appeared in a public service announcement advertising the importance of knowing early onset symptoms of strokes.

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Michael Clarke Duncan at the Internet Movie Database
• Centerstage article on Michael Clarke Duncan
• 2011 radio interview with Michael Clarke Duncan

Joanna Krupa
Hosting the Benchwarmer Holiday Party, Hollywood, CA, December 9, 2008.
Born	(1979-04-23) April 23, 1979 (age 33) Warsaw, Poland
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Hair color	Blonde
Eye color	Blue/Green
Manager	Elite Model Management
Website
http://www.joannakrupa.com/

Joanna Krupa (born April 23, 1979) is a Polish-American model and actress. Krupa was born in Warsaw, Poland. She has a younger sister, Marta Krupa, also a model.^[1] Joanna Krupa moved to Illinois, United States, with her family at the age of five. She was raised Roman Catholic.^[2]

Career[link]

Krupa has appeared on magazine covers including ENVY, FHM, Personal, Inside Sport, Stuff, Steppin' Out, Teeze, Shape and Maxim, in which she was named the Sexiest Swimsuit Model in the World. Maxim named her #55 in its 2011 Hot 100 ranking of the world's hottest women, ahead of Christina Aguilera (58).^[3] She was voted German Maxim's Model of the Year 2004-2005. Krupa has also appeared twice on the cover of Playboy. Krupa has also been a lingerie model for Frederick's of Hollywood. She was a Miss Howard TV model for the month of December 2007.

Krupa was featured on the television show Superstars in June 2009. She and her partner Terrell Owens were eliminated on the first episode. However, because of another team's injury and disqualification, she and her partner were asked to step in and continue competing and did well in their comeback episode.

Krupa, who took ballet lessons as a child,^[4] competed in season 9 of Dancing with the Stars^[5][6] with one-time champion Derek Hough. They were eliminated on November 17, 2009.^[7] She is featured on Manon's new dance music single "I'll Be Around" released November 19, 2009 on Dauman Music.^[8]

On December 2, 2009, PETA released a controversial ad of the model.^[9][10][11] The ad shows Krupa posing nude holding a cross that covers her breasts and genitalia. Krupa is depicted as an angel floating in a Catholic church filled with young puppies. The message of the ad is to, "be an angel for animals, always adopt dogs, never buy".^[12] This is not the only ad that Krupa has done for PETA. The model has also appeared nude on three previous ads for PETA, all speaking out against wearing fur.^[13][14][15] In an April, 2009, cover story with Aventura Business Monthly, Krupa said she was first motivated to promote PETA when she saw video of animals being skinned alive in China for their fur.^[16]

From Autumn 2010 Krupa hosts and judges in a Tyra Banks-inspired role on Poland's Next Top Model.

[edit] Dancing with the Stars

Krupa was partnered with professional dancer and choreographer Derek Hough. She was voted off in the ninth week, finishing in 4th place.

^* Due to Len Goodman's absence in week 2 the 7 was awarded by stand-in guest judge Baz Luhrmann.
^** Due to illness Derek Hough was unable to perform, Joanna Krupa performed this dance with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

Filmography[link]

• The Underground Comedy Movie (1999) (2010 re-issue)
• Planet of the Apes (2001), Friend at Leo's Party
• No Shoes, No Mercy (2003), Nurse
• Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon (2004), as Jane
• The Dog Problem (2006), Taffy
• " Scarymovie 4" (2006)
• Ripple Effect (2007), Victoria
• Skinner Box (2007), Samantha

Television[link]

• The Man Show (2002–2003), Juggy Dancer
• Las Vegas episode Degas Away with It (2004), Nicole
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode "Kiss-Kiss, Bye-Bye" (2006), Waitress
• Superstars (2009), Herself
• Dancing with the Stars (2009), Herself
• Million Dollar Challenge (2009), Herself
• Poland's Next Top Model (2010-present), Host & Judge
• Szymon Majewski Show (Polish Talk-Show) (2010), Herself, Guest Star

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Joanna Krupa

• Official website
• Joanna Krupa on Facebook
• Joanna Krupa on Twitter
• Joanna Krupa at the Fashion Model Directory
• Joanna Krupa at the Internet Movie Database
• Joanna Krupa on Myspace
• Joanna Krupa on Maxim (magazine)

Joaquin Phoenix
Phoenix at the Toronto International Film Festival, September 2005
Born	Joaquín Rafael Bottom (1974-10-28) October 28, 1974 (age 37) San Juan, Puerto Rico
Other names	Leaf Phoenix
Occupation	Actor, activist
Years active	1982–present

Joaquin Rafael Phoenix ( /hwɑːˈkiːn ˈfiːnɪks/; born October 28, 1974), formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix,^[1] is an American film actor. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and his family returned to the continental United States four years later. Phoenix is from a family of performers, including his older brother, the late River Phoenix.

Phoenix has ventured behind the camera, directing music videos as well as producing movies and television shows, and has recorded an album, the soundtrack to Walk the Line. He is also known for his work as a social activist, particularly as an advocate for animal rights.

Family background and early life[link]

Phoenix was born Joaquín Rafael Bottom in Río Piedras, located in the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, to American parents. He is the third of five children, including River (1970–1993), Rain (1972), Liberty (1976), and Summer (1978). He also has a half-sister named Jodean (1964) from a previous relationship of his father's.^[2]

His father, John Lee Bottom, was a lapsed Catholic^[3] from Fontana, California.^[4] His mother, Arlyn (née Dunetz), was born in The Bronx, New York to Jewish parents whose families emigrated from Russia and Hungary.^[3] In 1968, Arlyn left her family and moved to California, later meeting Phoenix's father while hitch-hiking. They married in 1969, then later joined the religious cult the Children of God. They began travelling throughout South America.^[4]

His parents eventually became disenchanted with the Children of God; they made the decision to leave the cult and returned to the U.S. in 1978. They changed their last name to "Phoenix" to symbolize a new beginning. This was also around the time Joaquin had begun calling himself "Leaf", desiring to have a similar nature-related name like his siblings and inspired by spending time outdoors raking leaves with his father. (In a Jay Leno interview, Joaquin said he had originally called himself Antleaf as a child; it's unclear if he was being serious.^[5]) Leaf became the name he would use as a child actor; at fifteen, he changed it back to "Joaquin".^[6]

In order to provide food and financial support for the family, the children performed on the streets and at various talent contests, singing and playing instruments.^{[citation needed]} In Los Angeles his mother started working as a secretary for NBC, and his father worked as a landscaper. Phoenix and his siblings were eventually discovered by one of Hollywood's leading children's agents, Iris Burton, who got the five children acting work, mainly doing commercials and television show appearances.^[7] Joaquin went on to establish himself a child actor before deciding to withdraw from acting for a while and travel to Mexico and South America with his father.^{[citation needed]}

Phoenix came back into public view under tragic circumstances: on October 31, 1993, his brother, River Phoenix, suffered a drug overdose and died, outside the Hollywood nightclub The Viper Room, which was co-owned by Johnny Depp at the time. Joaquin's call to 911 to save his brother was recorded and repeatedly played over the airwaves and on television.^{[citation needed]} The sudden media intrusion into his life proved to be overwhelming; once again, he retreated from the public eye. A year later, at the insistence of his friends, Phoenix reluctantly re-entered the world of acting.^[8]

Film career[link]

Acting[link]

Phoenix's first acting jobs were guest appearances on two television shows with his brother River in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1982), and Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia (1984) as well as an episode in the first season of Murder, She Wrote (We're Off to Kill the Wizard) with his sister Summer Phoenix. In 1985, he appeared with JoBeth Williams in the CBS television movie Kids Don't Tell. He made his big-screen debut in Space Camp (1986), playing the role of Max, after starring in an Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode "A very happy ending" the same year. His first starring role was in Russkies (1987). He later co-starred in Ron Howard's Parenthood (1989), in which he was credited as Leaf Phoenix.

Phoenix in 2002

During the comeback portion of his career, Phoenix went back to his birth-given name "Joaquin", and was often cast in supporting roles as conflicted, insecure characters with a dark side. He has earned positive reviews for his portrayals of various individuals: a troubled teen in Gus Van Sant's To Die For (1995) co-starring with Nicole Kidman, a small-town troublemaker in Oliver Stone's U Turn, Inventing the Abbotts (1997), the cruel Roman emperor Commodus in Ridley Scott's Gladiator (2000) (for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), a conflicted priest in Quills (2000), a washed-up baseball player in M. Night Shyamalan's Signs (2002), the irresolute husband of a superstar-skater in the widely panned It's All About Love in 2003, a lovestruck farmer in Shyamalan's The Village (2004), a disillusioned cameraman in Terry George's Hotel Rwanda (2004), and heroic firefighter in Ladder 49 (2004).^[9]

Upon being cast as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line after Cash himself approved, Phoenix responded by buying a guitar and learning how to play. Reese Witherspoon, who portrayed June Carter Cash in the film and won a Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance,^[10] stated during an interview that when they first performed in-character before a live audience, she was so impressed with his impersonation that she knew she "had to step it up a notch". All of Cash and Carter's vocal tracks in the movie and on the accompanying soundtrack are played and sung by Phoenix and Witherspoon. In 2005, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor,^[10] and won a Golden Globe in the same category.

In 2006, Phoenix was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.^[11]

Phoenix's film, I'm Still Here, debuted at the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival in 2010.

Phoenix will make his return to acting in the upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson film The Master.^[12]

Directing[link]

He has directed music videos for the following bands: Ringside,^[13] She Wants Revenge,^[14] People in Planes,^[15] Arckid,^[16] Albert Hammond Jr.,^[17] and Silversun Pickups.^[18]

Producing[link]

Phoenix served as one of the executive producers of a television show called 4Real, a half-hour series which showcase celebrity guests on global adventures "in order to connect with young leaders who are creating social and economic change."^[19] He is also listed as a producer on the movie We Own the Night.

Social initiatives[link]

Phoenix has long been a social activist, lending his support to a number of charities and humanitarian organizations, notably Amnesty International,^[20] The Art of Elysium, HEART, The Peace Alliance (an organization which campaigns for a United States Department of Peace),^[21]. Phoenix is also on the board of directors for The Lunchbox Fund, a non-profit organization which provides daily meals to students of township schools in Soweto of South Africa.

He is a member of P.E.T.A. and the organization In Defense of Animals, and has actively campaigned on their behalf.^[21] He narrated the film Earthlings for Nation Earth, a video about the investigation of animal abuse in factory farms, pet mills, in industry and research. In 2005, he was awarded the "Humanitarian Award" at the San Diego Film Festival for his work and contribution to Earthlings.^[22]

Personal life[link]

Phoenix dated actress Liv Tyler for three years in 1990s.^[23]

In early April 2005, Phoenix checked into rehab to be treated for alcoholism.^[24]

On January 26, 2006, while driving down a winding canyon road in Hollywood, Phoenix ran off the road and rolled his car. The crash reportedly was caused by brake failure. Shaken and confused, Phoenix heard a tapping on his window and a voice say, "Just relax." Unable to see the man, Phoenix replied, "I'm fine. I am relaxed." The man replied, "No, you're not," and stopped Phoenix from lighting a cigarette while gas was leaking into the car cabin. Phoenix then realized that the man was famed German film director Werner Herzog. While Herzog helped Phoenix out of the wreckage by breaking the back window of the car, bystanders phoned in an ambulance. Phoenix approached Herzog to express gratitude, but Herzog downplayed his heroism and returned to his home nearby.^[25][26]

Music career hoax[link]

Phoenix unexpectedly announced in late 2008 that he had retired from acting to pursue a rapping career, and that the forthcoming Two Lovers would be his last film. On February 11, 2009, Phoenix appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman to promote Two Lovers. He seemed incoherent and was largely unresponsive towards David Letterman's questions about the film and his career plans.^[27][28][29] Phoenix appeared on Late Show again on September 22, 2010 and revealed that his "retirement" and eccentric behavior were for a mockumentary, I'm Still Here (2010), that he and Casey Affleck were filming.

Filmography[link]