Joaquin Phoenix Thought He Was a Boring Loner Until He Found Love With Rooney Mara and Became a Dad

The love story of Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara is not typical for Hollywood. Many fans of the actors had no idea they were a couple until they had a son. The movie stars are very protective of their private lives, and they prefer to spend their time quietly at home rather than keeping up with active social lives. Maybe this is the secret to their strong, successful relationship.

At first, Joaquin thought Rooney didn’t like him.

Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara met in 2012 on the set of Her. They were going to play former spouses. They would never have met because Carey Mulligan was supposed to be in this film. But she had to turn the role down and Rooney was invited to take over the role. Joaquin really liked her, but he was convinced that Rooney despised him. She was in fact interested in him, but she was very shy and couldn’t show it.

For several years, they had a long-distance friendship.

After the end of filming, Joaquin and Rooney still kept in touch. They exchanged e-mails and at some point, Phoenix was so into Mara that he even started looking for information about her online. Later, he said it was a unique situation because he had never done anything like this before.

Working together helped them start their romance.

In 2016, they met again on the set of Mary Magdalene. Phoenix said he wanted to take part in an important project and try himself in a new role. Besides, Rooney was already cast for the main role, and he dreamed of working with her again. But soon, their friendship turned into something bigger, and people who knew them said they were madly in love with each other.

Rooney was the first woman Joaquin proposed to.

Very soon, Joaquin and Rooney moved in together. Some time later, there were rumors about their engagement. The actors wouldn’t talk about it and their representatives wouldn’t confirm or deny this information. Rooney was the first woman Joaquin proposed to.

The actor had been in relationships before, but they never got this far. During a show, Joaquin said he was engaged to his yoga coach, but later he admitted he had made it up. He just wanted to please the public because people love stories about love and marriages. He never even did yoga.

They love staying at home instead of attending parties.

Joaquin and Rooney rarely appear in public, and they visit only the most important events. They feel so comfortable together that they usually just stay at home, talk about anything, meditate, or watch movies together. Mara convinced Joaquin to watch the documentary The Staircase.

As Phoenix said, he prefers spending free time reading scripts or with his dogs. He has 2 dogs, Oskar and Soda. The latter has an allergy to direct sunlight, which means she must be kept out of the sun from nine to five.

Both Joaquin and Rooney feel uncomfortable in public.

Such a reclusive lifestyle is not a demonstration of disregard for other people. It’s just that Phoenix and Mara are both very shy, and big crowds of people embarrass them. It’s not easy for Joaquin to open up to people, and even the actors he works with on the set can’t always say that they know him well.

Interviews are hard for Joaquin. For him, it’s easier to play a role than be himself, because he thinks he is boring.

They don’t only love each other, but also have common interests.

Both of them are outspoken vegans. They don’t eat milk, meat, and other animal products, but they also try to make the world a better place for animals. While they are reluctant to discuss their private lives, they are always eager to talk when it comes to animal rights protection.

Phoenix and Rooney take part in different environmental events. For example, they urge people to adopt turkeys from shelters and take care of them instead of serving them for Thanksgiving.

The spouses’ acquaintance announced they had their first child.

Mara and Phoenix didn’t make any announcements about expecting a baby. The information about the actress’ pregnancy came from a source close to the couple.

Even the news about the official birth of the child came from a different person instead of the couple. Director Viktor Kossakovsky needed to explain why Joaquin, who was the producer of his film Gunda, wasn’t present at the Zurich Film Festival. So, he announced onstage that Joaquin and Rooney had just had a baby named River.

The boy was named after Joaquin’s brother.

The couple chose such an unusual name as a tribute to Joaquin’s older brother, River. He was the person who introduced Joaquin to the world of cinema. Joaquin literally worshiped River, so his death was a serious blow for him. If it hadn’t been for this tragedy, Joaquin might have chosen a different profession, for example, a vet or a musician. He still can’t talk openly about his brother, and his shyness might be due to his reaction to River’s untimely death.

The parents are not going to make the boy do as they do.

Joaquin and Rooney don’t talk much about their child. They are planning to raise him far from the spotlight and give him a calm childhood. Phoenix is not going to insist that River be a vegan, but he’s not going to hide how meat and other foods end up on people’s tables. Rooney was truly happy to have a child, and she dreams of making this world a better and safer place for other mothers and children.

They are thinking about making their family bigger.

Having a son only made them closer, and they quickly learned what it means to be parents. This is why Joaquin and Rooney are considering having another child. Mara wants to keep the age difference between the kids small because she has always felt close to her sister Kate.

Many details of the couple’s life are still unknown.

People who know Joaquin and Rooney have said several times that they were planning a wedding, but the details were not very clear. In one interview, Joaquin referred to Mara as his wife, so people jumped to the conclusion that at some point they must have married in secret. Neither of them confirmed it officially, so we don’t know if they had a ceremony, or where or when it could have happened.

But what we do know is that Joaquin and Rooney love each other. Joaquin says that for a long time he was an unhappy person, and he was going through very difficult times. But right now, he’s not worried about success or failure with work. He finds purpose and support in other aspects of his life. During his speech at the Toronto International Film Festival, Joaquin said, “Somewhere here, I don’t know where, is a filthy dragon, and I want to rip its wings off and fasten a blanket and sleep with it forever. I love you. Thank you.”

Do you think that having such a non-public lifestyle helps this couple have a healthier family life, or does it only make people even more interested in the couple?