Joaquin Phoenix has been named recipient of one of the first two TIFF Tribute Actor Awards at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. The other will go to Meryl Streep, as was previously announced by TIFF.
Phoenix will be at the festival this year with “Joker,” Todd Phillips’ standalone “Batman” spinoff in which Phoenix plays the title role. The award will be presented on Monday, September 9 at the Fairmont Royal York, as part of the festival’s first-ever TIFF Tribute Gala.
Other honorees include Taika Waititi (the TIFF Ebert Director Award) and Participant Media (the TIFF Impact Award). The recipient of the Mary Pickford Award, which honors a female emerging talent in the industry, will be named at a later date.
In addition to “Joker,” Phoenix’s work includes “The Master,” “Gladiator,” “Walk the Line,” “To Die For,” “Her” and “You Were Never Really Here.”
“Displaying both raw instinct and consummate technical skill, Joaquin Phoenix is the complete actor, and one of the finest in contemporary cinema,” TIFF co-head Cameron Bailey said in a statement. “Over three decades, he has brought a piercing truth to each groundbreaking role.”
The 44th Toronto International Film Festival will run from Sept. 5-15.