Warner Bros.

Toronto Film Festival co-heads Joana Vicente and Cameron Bailey have set Joaquin Phoenix to receive a TIFF Tribute Actor Award on Monday, September 9 at Fairmont Royal York. Fest previously designated Meryl Streep for the honor. Phoenix will be there for the North American premiere of the Todd Phillips-directed Warner Bros film Joker, the formative story of the iconic villain played memorably in Batman films by Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger and Jared Leto. Streep will be in Toronto for the Steven Soderbergh-directed Netflix film The Laundromat.

Phoenix’ 35-year career has plenty of performances worth celebrating, including The Master, Inherent Vice, Walk the Line, Gladiator, To Die For, and Her. He has been nominated for three Oscars.

“Displaying both raw instinct and consummate technical skill, Joaquin Phoenix is the complete actor, and one of the finest in contemporary cinema,” said Bailey. “Over three decades, he has brought a piercing truth to each groundbreaking role. TIFF is thrilled to be celebrating an artist of his calibre with this inaugural award. We can’t wait for Festival audiences to experience his electric turn in Joker.”