He has had it from birth
Phoenix has instead claimed in interviews that his mother, during pregnancy, felt a sharp pain while carrying Joaquin. Sounds like a made up story to us.
Says Phoenix, the scar was already there at birth (though the claim may be best taken with a pinch of salt, considering how much the actor likes to screw with the media).
It adds a grizzly appearance
Other notable actors with a ‘lip scar’ that resulted from cleft palate surgery include Tom Burke, Jason Robards and Stacy Keach. Joaquin isn’t alone!