Phoenix is from a family of performers, including his older brother, the late River Phoenix. Phoenix was born Joaquín Rafael Bottom in Río Piedras, located in the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, to American parents. Joaquin’s call to 911 to save his brother was recorded and repeatedly played over the airwaves and on television. in 1985, he appeared with JoBeth Williams in the CBS television movie Kids Don’t Tell. His first starring role was in Russkies (1987). All of Cash and Carter’s vocal tracks in the movie and on the accompanying soundtrack are played and sung by Phoenix and Witherspoon.
