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Famous Like Me > Actor > P > River Phoenix

Profile of River Phoenix on Famous Like Me

 
Name: River Phoenix  
   
Also Know As:
   
Date of Birth: 23rd August 1970
   
Place of Birth: Madras, Oregon, USA
   
Profession: Actor
 
 
From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia
Phoenix in My Own Private Idaho (1991).

River Jude Phoenix, (August 23, 1970 – October 31, 1993; legally changed name from River Jude Bottom) was an American movie actor. He was listed on John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 38 as one of twelve "Promising new actors of 1986."

Phoenix's Irish-Spanish father, John Bottom, and Bronx-born Jewish mother, Arlyn Dunitz, joined the Children of God cult in the late 60's and became missionaries, traveling throughout South America and adopting the surname "Phoenix". River Phoenix was born in Madras, Oregon and grew up in poverty. He and his sister often had to busk to make money for the family. It was only after his starring role in the movie Stand By Me that River's family was able to buy a car that was not secondhand.

He and his family were all vegetarians. He believed that eating animals was wrong and was the one who, as a child, convinced his family to become vegans. His opinions on the issue were so strong that when his actress girlfriend, Martha Plimpton, ordered soft-shell crab at a restaurant, he was reported to have begun to cry in disappointment.

Phoenix was one of five siblings who pursued careers in show business, encouraged by their parents. He had significant juvenile roles in Stand by Me, The Mosquito Coast, A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, and Little Nikita, and was nominated in 1988, at the age of 17, for an Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in Running on Empty. He also portrayed a teenage Indiana Jones. He met Keanu Reeves while filming I Love You to Death and later went on to star opposite Reeves in Gus van Sant's My Own Private Idaho. His friendship with both Reeves and van Sant continued beyond the movie. River was also a friend of John Frusciante (guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers) and appeared on his debut album on the song Soul Removal. He had a band called Aleka's Attic before he died.

Phoenix disliked being seen as just a sex symbol and usually refused to smile for photographs.

Phoenix died at age 23 from a drug overdose of heroin and cocaine (speedball) outside the Viper Room, a Hollywood night club partly owned by actor Johnny Depp. At the time of his death, Phoenix was acting in the starring role of the movie Dark Blood, which was never completed. He was cremated in Gainesville, Florida a few days later.

Phoenix has four siblings, a brother, Joaquin (who is also an actor), and 3 sisters, Rain, Summer (who are actresses) and Liberty.

In 1996, Australian alternative rock band TISM released a song named "(He'll Never Be an) Ol' Man River", the main lyrics of the chorus being "I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix." It came in at #2 in the Triple J Hottest 100 for that year.

Filmography

  • Silent Tongue (1994)
  • Dark Blood (1993)
  • Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) (uncredited)
  • Thing Called Love (1993)
  • Sneakers (1992)
  • Dogfight (1991)
  • My Own Private Idaho (1991)
  • I Love You to Death (1990)
  • Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
  • Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, A aka Aren't You Even Gonna Kiss Me Goodbye? (1988)
  • Running on Empty (1988)
  • Little Nikita (1988)
  • The Mosquito Coast (1986)
  • Circle of Violence: A Family Drama (1986) (TV)
  • Stand by Me (1986)
  • Explorers (1985)
  • Surviving (1985) (TV)

Biographies

  • "River Phoenix: a short life" by Brian J. Robb. ISBN 006095132X
  • "Lost in Hollywood : The Fast Times and Short Life of River Phoenix" by John Glatt. ISBN 1556114400

This content from Wikipedia is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article River Phoenix