In 2023 he starred in Ari Aster’s Beau Is Afraid as an anxious loner navigating his chaotic past and present. He then starred as the titular comic-book villain in the psychological thriller Joker (2019). It was later revealed that the film was scripted and intended as a mockumentary, and it engendered some ill will toward Phoenix. His performances in the crime drama We Own the Night (2007) and in Two Lovers (2008) were also well received.
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Although known for his intensity and darkness on-screen, director James Gray who worked with Phoenix in four feature films, says that Phoenix is very different off-screen saying “He’s actually very tender and sweet and sensitive. It’s almost as if he channels his intensity into the characters. Like the work is an outlet for his darker side.” Phoenix reunited with Ari Aster in the A24 contemporary Western film Eddington (2025) which received positive reviews. The project was cancelled when Phoenix abruptly exited five days before filming began. Phoenix had co-written it with Haynes, advising him to “go further” with the explicit material, which Haynes said would have likely made it an NC-17 rated film. Phoenix was originally set to star alongside Danny Ramirez in a film by Todd Haynes, a sexually explicit “love story between two men” set in 1930s Los Angeles. The film grossed over $200 million and received mixed reviews (though mostly negative reviews in France), mostly criticized for its pacing and historical inaccuracies.
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These include actor and producer Joaquin Phoenix, actor Reese Witherspoon, politician Bernie Sanders, actor Daniel Radcliffe, and DJ Peter Bowers. Through his public disclosure of FAS, Peter Bowers has helped raise awareness of the disorder and the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure. Despite the challenges he has faced, he does not hold a grudge against his mother and understands that she did not have the support she needed. Despite the challenges he faced, Bowers has built a successful career as a DJ and has performed at international festivals. Despite these challenges, Witherspoon has achieved immense success in her career, showcasing her talent and dedication to her craft.
- Phoenix made his acting debut alongside his brother in the television series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in the 1982 episode “Christmas Song”.
- His party and himself have been supporting people living with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome for a very long time.
- These include actor and producer Joaquin Phoenix, actor Reese Witherspoon, politician Bernie Sanders, actor Daniel Radcliffe, and DJ Peter Bowers.
- Phoenix was born at the Hospital Metropolitano San Francisco in the Río Piedras district of San Juan, Puerto Rico, to John Lee Bottom, the founder of a landscape gardening company, and Arlyn “Heart” Bottom (née Dunetz), an executive secretary at NBC and whose connection to an agent provided her children with acting work.
- It has been noted Jackson’s own bout against alcoholism had much to do with his upbringing.
Although Anthony Hopkins has been clean and sober for over forty years, the earliest days of his acting career saw a very different person. It wasn’t until 2014 Eminem took it upon himself to acknowledge his mother’s alcohol addiction and forgive her for it. Although the mother and son were very close with each other as she rescued them out of her abusive relationship with his father, there was a time where Eminem blamed his personal problems on his mother’s alcoholism.
Neurobehavioral Disorder Associated with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (ND-PAE)
Tomris Laffly of TheWrap called his performance as Beau “one of his best performances”, praising his ability to act with “a startling level of vulnerability…both enigmatic and translucently bare”. In it, he portrays a mild-mannered but paranoia-ridden man who embarks on a surreal odyssey to get home to his mother, confronting his greatest fears along the way. Phoenix starred as Beau Wassermann, the title character in Ari Aster’s surrealist black tragicomedy Beau Is Afraid (2023), which was released on April 14, 2023, before a wide release the following week.
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Although, it’s definitely more difficult since it shares symptoms with other conditions like ADHD and cerebral palsy. Keep in mind that doctors don’t need confirmation from the mother to diagnose FASD. They usually have trouble concentrating, issues with math, memory, and abstract thinking, as well as poor impulse control. People with FASD can display a variety of symptoms based on how mild or severe their condition is. This prompted fans to educate the host, Wendy Williams, about the condition.
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British turntablist Peter Bowers—famous as DJ Pete B—went public with his fetal joaquin phoenix fas alcohol syndrome diagnosis during a candid BBC interview. Health authorities advise complete abstinence while trying to conceive and throughout pregnancy to avoid fetal alcohol syndrome. One wouldn’t know it if it was never publicly revealed, but Reese Witherspoon’s mother endured an alcoholic addiction while carrying the award-winning actress as an unborn fetus.
While common sense would suggest a woman expecting shouldn’t consume alcohol of any kind during the term of her pregnancy, most of the time a woman wouldn’t even know she’s pregnant until she’s already about three months in. Witherspoon admitted in interviews that she had difficulty learning while in school, which is a common condition shared among children who are victims of FAS. Canadian comedian and actor, Jim Carrey, has proven to be every bit as erratic as the characters he’s played in most of his feature films. Despite becoming a highly successful actor, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur, Justin Timberlake has contended with attention deficit hyper disorder (ADHD), which is a condition directly linked to FAS. Before becoming the legendary film director, Steven Spielberg endured a childhood where he was made to feel inadequate as his learning disability made him a target by school administrators and fellow students.
You can guess that his comedic persona resulted from his pain and the issues he faced. According to interviews with him, his mother was addicted to prescription painkillers, which affected his health as an infant. The first and arguably most famous person who openly spoke about suffering from FASD is Jim Carrey. Celebrities are notoriously private people who don’t enjoy anyone making assumptions about their private lives. While some were public about their struggles, others left it to fan speculation whether or not they battle the condition.
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Phoenix is identified as one of the most active celebrities in the animal rights movement. He maintains that the director creates the character’s arc and that the best directors adjust to what is happening with the actor in the moment. Phoenix contends there’s no real methodology to the roles he chooses, but has said that he is drawn to complex characters. Phoenix has credited the making of I’m Still Here for allowing him to make bolder choices in acting. Although widely suspected to be a mockumentary, the fact that the events of the film had been deliberately staged was not disclosed until after the film had been released. Confusion from the media turned to concern as the seemingly drug-addled Phoenix continued his attempts to convince crowds he was serious about a rap career.
- While some sources claim that Radcliffe has disclosed his struggles with FAS side effects, there is no direct confirmation from the actor himself.
- Although, it’s definitely more difficult since it shares symptoms with other conditions like ADHD and cerebral palsy.
- While it’s not fair to judge anybody by appearances alone, it is fair enough to conclude before more information came out about fetal alcohol syndrome that most people didn’t understand the full scope of what alcohol can do to an unborn child.
Phoenix and Gray’s fourth collaboration came with The Immigrant (2013), a drama film in which he played the supporting role of a pimp who prostitutes Polish immigrant Ewa (Marion Cotillard) and ends up falling for her. Fellow actor Daniel Day-Lewis publicly lauded the “remarkable” Phoenix while accepting the Screen Actors Guild Award, apologizing for the fact that Phoenix hadn’t been nominated for the same award. The arthouse film only grossed $28 million but was received with critical acclaim, with Phoenix’s performance receiving high praise. Directed by Phoenix’s then brother-in-law Casey Affleck and co-written by Affleck and Phoenix, the little-seen film premiered at the 67th Venice International Film Festival to mixed reviews; critics were divided on whether to interpret the film as documentary or performance art.
Famous People Living With Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
While FAS is a serious condition that can cause lifelong challenges, it is important to avoid sensationalized reporting or irrational speculation about celebrities with FAS. Other famous people speculated to have FAS include politician Bernie Sanders and DJ Peter Bowers. Daniel Radcliffe, the renowned actor known for his role as Harry Potter, has been vocal about his struggles with FAS side effects, including dyspraxia, a coordination disorder. Celebrity advocacy can play a crucial role in educating the public about FAS, destigmatizing the condition, and offering support and prevention strategies to those affected by it. In addition to his advocacy work, Radcliffe has supported literacy programs for children with learning difficulties and funded small theaters that cast neurodiverse actors.
Famous People With Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
These issues are grouped under Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) and can vary in symptoms depending on how severely affected the child is. ِAlcohol consumption during pregnancy has been proven to cause severe developmental issues for the growing fetus. If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol abuse during pregnancy, there are resources and treatment programs available to help, such as the Oasis Recovery Center and the Mallard Lake Detox Center. The broader category of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) affects 1 in 20 Americans. These celebrities help educate the public about the risks of drinking alcohol while pregnant and the impact of FAS on individuals’ lives.
He has won numerous awards and nominations throughout his career. Daniel Jacob Radcliffe is an English actor who was born on 23rd July 1989. Jim Carrey told a Hollywood reporter in 2018 that his mother was addicted to pain medication and was an alcoholic.
Celebrities with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Her production company, Hello Sunshine, hires neurodivergent creatives and advocates for family‑friendly filming schedules, creating a ripple effect of inclusivity that benefits people living with FAS‑related learning differences. The faint line running from his lip to his nose is a microform cleft—one facial difference frequently tied to fetal alcohol exposure. Alcohol moves swiftly through the mother’s bloodstream, crosses the placenta, and enters the fetus, which cannot break down alcohol like an adult can.

