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http://entertainment.tv.yahoo.com/entnews/eo/20050412/111336432000.html
Joaquin Phoenix saw the signs and has decided to get some help for his alcohol problem.
The Oscar-nominated actor announced Tuesday that he had voluntarily checked himself into an undisclosed rehab facility two weeks ago to kick his booze habit.
Phoenix was "uncomfortable with the way that he was living his life and found the courage to deal with his disease," said his publicist Susan Patricola in a brief statement.
"He has welcomed the opportunity to change his life in a positive and profound way, in the hopes that coming forward will encourage others with the same disease to get help as well."
No further details were disclosed. The 29-year-old Signs star knows first-hand the tragedy of substance abuse. His older brother, River, died of a drug overdose in 1993 after a night of partying in Hollywood.
Despite starring in blockbusters like last summer's The Village, 2002's Signs and 2000's Gladiator, which earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination, Joaquin Phoenix has managed to maintain a lower profile than his Hollywood peers.
"The less someone knows about me, the better, because my intention is to play a variety of characters," Phoenix once told E! Online.
Aside from The Village, Phoenix starred in four films last year: the firefighter flick Ladder 49 with John Travolta, the Oscar-nominated Hotel Rwanda with Don Cheadle and the little-seen indie It's All About Love, which costarred Sean Penn and Claire Danes.
Phoenix recently completed narration for the documentary Earthlings, which tackles the subject of animal abuse and features appearances by Pamela Anderson, James Cromwell, Bill Maher and Charlize Theron. The film debuts later this month at the Hollywood Film Festival. Phoenix is also earning early Oscar buzz for his role as late music legend Johnny Cash opposite Reese Witherspoon in the anticipated biopic Walk the Line. Phoenix learned to play guitar and does his own singing in the film, which is due in November.
