Long before he was a critically-lauded and Oscar-nominated leading man, Joaquin Phoenix was a precocious child star who began working professionally when he was just 7 years old.

As a youngster, Phoenix went by the first name of Leaf before switching back to his given name Joaquin for To Die For. The Gus Van Sant drama saw Phoenix hold his own against Nicole Kidman, and he hasn't looked back since.

Digital Spy dives into the archives to pick out 5 early roles for Joaquin back when he was known as Leaf...

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1982)

Joaquin's older brother River Phoenix was a cast member on the short-lived '80s TV series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and he made his acting debut on the episode 'Christmas Song'.

Unfortunately, it was a less-than-auspicious start for Leaf who, if you watch the above video closely, gets clocked by a wayward fist (at 01:...

Joaquin Phoenix's life is as unique as the characters he plays onscreen.

The actor has been working on and off since the early '80s, though it wasn't until his star turn opposite Russell Crowe in "Gladiator" (2000) that Phoenix became a household name. Since then, Phoenix has turned in a string of unforgettable performances, most notably his incredible portrayal of Johnny Cash in "Walk the Line" (2005).

Whether or not you've had a chance to see Phoenix fall in love with a computer in this year's Oscar-nominated "Her," there's still much to know about the established star. From his unusual upbringing to his music videos, here are 17 things you probably don't know about Joaquin Phoenix.

1. The actor was born in 1974 and is the third of five children: River (b. 1970), Rain (b. 1972), Liberty (b. 1976), and Summer (b. 1978).

2. His parents were members of the religious group the Children of God, leading to...

Today we are kicking off the 2012 InDepth InterView Tony Awards Series with the directorchoreographer of the hottest hit of the 2011-2012 theatrical season, Newsies, that was recently awarded with a boatload of Tony Award nominations, in addition to a short-running show that has a very vocal group of advocates and supporters that also received a handful of Tony noms, Bonnie amp Clyde - the passionate and visionary Jeff Calhoun. Discussing all aspects of his mega-hit with Disneys Newsies and his success destime with Frank Wildhorns Bonnie amp Clyde, as well as all about his years spent developing both, Calhoun illustrates his process and sheds some light on many aspects of the creation of the wildly different vehicles, as well as his opinions on the theatrical environment of today. Additionally, Calhoun outlines his experiences working with Newies and Bonnie amp Clyde breakout stars Jeremy Jordan and Laura Osnes - both Tony...

Today we are kicking off the 2012 InDepth InterView Tony Awards Series with the directorchoreographer of the hottest hit of the 2011-2012 theatrical season, Newsies, that was recently awarded with a boatload of Tony Award nominations, in addition to a short-running show that has a very vocal group of advocates and supporters that also received a handful of Tony noms, Bonnie amp Clyde - the passionate and visionary Jeff Calhoun. Discussing all aspects of his mega-hit with Disneys Newsies and his success destime with Frank Wildhorns Bonnie amp Clyde, as well as all about his years spent developing both, Calhoun illustrates his process and sheds some light on many aspects of the creation of the wildly different vehicles, as well as his opinions on the theatrical environment of today. Additionally, Calhoun outlines his experiences working with Newies and Bonnie amp Clyde breakout stars Jeremy Jordan and Laura Osnes - both Tony...

After Glee‘s tremendous success, many may have predicted a wave of musical TV series entering production as various networks tried to capitalize on Fox’s good fortune. None came. This week, Smash premiered on NBC to strong ratings, bringing the tally of network musicals up to two. Given the tremendous potential for gain, both in terms of ratings and music sales, isn’t it unusual for the networks to be so hesitant? After some investigation, it appears not- as much as Americans love a good musical, they rarely commit to those on TV. Below is a brief chronology of musical TV series from the 1960s on.

>1960: CBS and the DuMont network each take a crack at a musical series with original songs in the pop/Broadway style, but neither series, Inside U.S.A. with Chevrolet (1949-50) or Once Upon a Tune (1951), takes off.

1960s: The popularization of...

Watching the best of the studio's output – Singin' in the Rain, Meet Me in St Louis – is to indulge in pure joyous artifice

Fred Astaire strolls into a toyshop with a walking stick and spats, whistling. He snatches an oversized Easter bunny from a small boy and proceeds to do a tap dance using a series of conveniently positioned props that happen to be lying around on the shop floor. "I'm plumb crazy for drums," he sings, for no obvious reason. Then he takes his bunny – without paying – and nonchalantly strolls out again.

This – a scene from Easter Parade (1948) – is the sort of thing that could only happen in the fantastical Technicolor world of the MGM musical. Such trifles as logical plot development and plausible human motivation have no place here. What matters is getting as quickly as possible to the next song and the next dance and letting the stars do their thing.

A brilliant young talent whose life was tragically cut short, River Phoenix's final film will finally be seen by public eyes.

The Oscar-nominated Phoenix was filming "Dark Blood" when he died of a heart attack after an apparent drug overdose, ending an already prolific career at age 23. The film, in which he was starring as a hermit living at a nuclear test site, waiting for the end of the world, was kept hidden by its director, George Sluizer, for fear that the footage would be confiscated and destroyed.

Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Sluizer is plans on finishing the film by recutting that footage and asking River's brother, Joaquin Phoenix, to provide missing voice work.

The young actor was a talent on the rise; he had already earned an Oscar nod for his work in "Running on Empty," playing for Sidney Lumet the son of parents on the run.

Richard Dean Anderson will bring laughs to Fox’s Raising Hope this season — and he’ll do it by combining a wad of chewing gum with some pipe cleaners, a teaspoon of drain cleaner, and a transistor radio.

Raising Hope Exclusive: Who’s Playing Sabrina’s Daddy?

TVLine has learned exclusively that the erstwhile MacGyver and Stargateverse alum will guest star on the sophomore comedy as Keith, an imposing patriarch who finds Jimmy (played by Lucas Neff) talking to his daughter at Howdy’s. Based on when he steps into the conversation, Keith suspects that Jimmy is hitting on his...

"Romanian-born filmmaker Radu Mihaileanu offers up another certifiably crowd-pleasing slice of world cinema in The Source (La Source des Femmes), a modern-day fable exploring female empowerment in the Arab world," writes Jordan Mintzer in the Hollywood Reporter. "Never one for subtlety, the writer-director tosses everything he can into this two-hour-plus humanist couscous, stirring in a mix of songs, sentiments and socio-religious questions set beneath breathtaking North African landscapes, and carried by a strong central performance from actress Leila Bekhti."

I don't usually like to include the trades' potential sales assessments, but this one's too nice to let slip: "Like his previous films, The Source boasts an Arthouse for Beginners appeal that could reach broad audiences beyond Europe."

"In a scenic hamlet where the long-suffering women labor like beasts of burden and produce children like breeding machines, their hot-tempered men folk claim their patriarchal right to lounge around drinking tea and...

Award-winning TV producer David Gerber has died at the age of 86.

Gerber passed away at the University of Southern California Medical Centre on 2 January after suffering heart failure.

The star was responsible for a string of television hits in the 1970s, including Emmy Award-winning cop drama series Police Story, and Police Woman, starring Angie Dickinson.

He also produced a TV version of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, based on the hit 1954 musical film, as well as the small screen version of Oscar-winning movie In The Heat Of The Night.

More recently he worked on TV movie Flight 93, a drama based on the story of the United Airlines flight that was hijacked on 11 September, 2001 and crashed in Pennsylvania.

Gerber earned a string of notable awards throughout his long-running career, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He is survived by his wife of 39 years, actress Laraine Stephens.