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River Phoenix
River Phoenix at the 61st Academy Awards Governor's Ball, March 29, 1989
Birth name	River Jude Bottom
Born	August 23, 1970(1970-08-23) Metolius, Oregon, U.S.
Died	October 31, 1993 (aged 23) Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Awards Other Awards NBR Award for Best Supporting Actor 1988 Running on Empty NSFC Award for Best Actor 1991 My Own Private Idaho

River Jude Phoenix (August 23, 1970 – October 31, 1993) was an Academy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated American film actor. He was listed on John Willis's Screen World, Vol. 38 as one of twelve "promising new actors of 1986", and was hailed as highly talented by such critics as Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. His career was cut short, however, when he died of an overdose of heroin and cocaine on Halloween morning at age 23. He was the older brother of actor Joaquin Phoenix.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 Career 1.3 Music 1.4 Activism 1.5 Downfall 1.6 Death 1.7 Tributes and references in music and pop culture 2 Filmography 3 Television work 4 Further reading 5 References 6 External links

Both Phoenix and his mother have stated that he was named after the River of Life in Hermann Hesse's novel Siddhartha, and that his middle name comes from The Beatles song "Hey Jude". Phoenix was born River Jude Bottom in Metolius, Oregon, five miles south of Madras, Oregon. His mother, Arlyn Sharon (née Dunetz), was born in the Bronx, New York to Jewish parents from Hungary and Russia.^[1][2][3][4] His father, John Lee Bottom, was a lapsed Catholic from Fontana, California.^[1] In 1968, Phoenix's mother left her family and moved to California, meeting Phoenix's father while hitch-hiking. They married in 1969 and joined the religious cult the Children of God, working as missionaries and fruit pickers in South America. Phoenix had four younger siblings: one brother, Joaquin, and three sisters, Rain, Summer, and Liberty. He also had an older half sister from his father's previous relationship, Jodene (who later changed her name to 'Trust').

In an interview with Details magazine in November 1991, Phoenix stated that he lost his virginity at age four while in the Children of God. The magazine quotes him as saying "But I've blocked it out... I was completely celibate from 10 to 14".^[5] His representatives reportedly pressured him to later recant the comment, claiming it was "a joke". In March 1994, Esquire magazine quoted River as speaking angrily of the group: "They're disgusting... they're ruining people's lives".^[6] After the family left the group and returned to the United States in 1977, they officially adopted the surname "Phoenix" on April 2, 1979 to reflect their rebirth to a new life.

Phoenix grew up in abject poverty; he and his sister provided income for the family singing on the streets of Caracas, Venezuela whilst his parents were missionaries. Upon their return to the U.S.A in 1978, he and his family lived for a time with Phoenix's maternal grandparents in Florida before moving to California and eventually settling back in Florida in 1987.

Phoenix pursued a career in show business, encouraged by his parents. He had significant juvenile roles in Joe Dante's Explorers (1985); Rob Reiner's coming of age picture Stand By Me (1986) which first brought Phoenix to public prominence; Peter Weir's The Mosquito Coast (1986) where Phoenix played the son of Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren; A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (1988); and Little Nikita (1988) with Sidney Poitier; and was nominated in 1989, at the age of 18, for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (as well as for a Golden Globe) and received the Best Supporting Actor honor from the National Board of Review for his role in Sidney Lumet's Running on Empty (1988), considered by critics to be one of River Phoenix's finest films.

Appearing again with Harrison Ford, Phoenix portrayed the teenage Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) and was offered the role of the young Indiana Jones in the upcoming TV series, which he turned down. Phoenix met actor Keanu Reeves while Reeves was filming Parenthood with his brother, Joaquin. Phoenix later went on to star opposite Reeves in Gus Van Sant's avant-garde film My Own Private Idaho for which Phoenix won Best Actor honors at the Venice Film Festival and from the National Society of Film Critics. His friendship with both Reeves and Van Sant continued until his death. At the press screening of My Own Private Idaho at the New York Film Festival, River accurately predicted that a large number of gay-themed films were "on the horizon"^{[citation needed]}, stating also; "it might take a few of these films before there's a natural stride with the whole issue, and then one day it won't even be an issue, which is what I'm hoping".^{[citation needed]} Right after this, he made an acclaimed independent film called Dogfight co-starring Lili Taylor and directed by Nancy Savoca.

After losing out on the Brad Pitt role in Robert Redford's film A River Runs Through It, Phoenix teamed up with Redford and again with Sidney Poitier for the heist thriller Sneakers (1992). He then appeared in Peter Bogdanovich's country music-themed film, The Thing Called Love (1993); it was his last completed picture before his death. Phoenix's co-star in the film, Samantha Mathis, became his girlfriend in real life.

After his death in 1993, his last picture, Sam Shepard's art-house, ghost western Silent Tongue (1994), was released; it had been filmed prior to A Thing Called Love. Phoenix was still working on George Sluizer's post-apocalyptic Dark Blood which was three weeks from completion at the time of his death. 90% completed, the film was never released, as Phoenix's death made it impossible for the filmmakers to film several key scenes.

Phoenix was being considered for the role of Jim Carroll, the drug addicted teen in the 1995 drama the The Basketball Diaries. After his death, Leonardo DiCaprio was cast in the role. Anne Rice also wanted him to be cast in the role of Lestat in the film version of Interview with the Vampire and Phoenix became attached to the project; however, the producer wanted a more bankable actor for the part, and Tom Cruise was hired. Phoenix remained with the picture and was to appear as the interviewer, Daniel Malloy, a role that ultimately ended up going to Christian Slater following Phoenix's death. The film was dedicated to him and Slater donated his salary from the film to Phoenix's favorite charities.

Generally regarded by critics at the time as the most promising young actor on the cusp of the '80s and '90s, River and younger brother Joaquin would later go on to become the first brothers in Hollywood history to be nominated for an Oscar in the acting categories.

Although Phoenix's movie career was generating most of the income for his family, many believe that his true passion was music. Phoenix was a song writer and an accomplished guitarist. He formed his own band, Aleka's Attic, which included his sister Rain, and, on occasion, Michael "Flea" Balzary of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He appeared on Red Hot Chili Peppers' guitarist John Frusciante's second solo album Smile From the Streets You Hold on the songs "Height Down" and "Well, I've Been". Phoenix was also close friends with Michael Stipe of the band R.E.M..

Phoenix was a vegan from the age of 7 and a dedicated animal rights activist. He campaigned for PETA and won their humanitarian of the year award in 1990 for his fund-raising efforts. He also supported various environmental charities and bought up 800 acres of endangered rain forest in Costa Rica. Phoenix was well known for using his power within the media to voice his beliefs. For earth day 1990, Phoenix wrote an environmental awareness essay entitled 'we are the world' that was printed in 'seventeen' magazine. Phoenix also denounced the use of all animal by-products and refused to wear leather or fur in any of his films or television work throughout his career. He and his band often played environmental benefits for well known charities and also that of local ones around Gainesville, Florida. His brother Joaquin is now a prominent spokesperson for PETA and follows the Phoenix family tradition of boycotting all animal products in his film work.

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Phoenix once said in an interview, "I wish sometimes that I wasn't as conscious as I am".

Prone to spells of worsening depression and compulsivity, River hinted in interviews at having been abused by the members of the Children of God, an oft-investigated cult to which he had belonged as a small child. Although the details of the alleged mistreatment remain unclear, it has been strongly suggested that the experience played a key role in his descent into substance abuse towards the end of his life (statistically, a common problem among those who have undergone certain forms of childhood abuse trauma).

Prior to his death, River Phoenix's image — one he bemoaned in interviews — had been squeaky-clean, due in part to the public discussion of his various social, political, humanitarian and dietary interests not always popular in the '80s; as a result, his death was considered one of show-business's most shocking and tragic, and elicited a vast amount of coverage from the media at the time. Friends and family were silent for many years on the subject of their fallen loved-one, and most remain silent even to this day.

Near the end of his life, Phoenix has been quoted as once stating that "I don't want people to forget me". Yet because of the silence about him from his family and from co-workers within the industry, River Phoenix has been called "the forgotten man of late-20th century film acting", despite the fame and success of his brother, Joaquin.

Shortly before his Halloween 1993 demise, River, whose extra-curricular activities were not yet publicly known, stated that, "addiction is not just for bad people or scum-bags; it's a universal disease".

Fans and film critics alike have often noted the uncanny parallels to his highly unusual life story — and moments seemingly prophetic of his death — reflected in his motion pictures.

On October 31, 1993, Phoenix died at the age of 23 from a drug overdose of heroin and cocaine (known as a speedball) outside the Viper Room, a Hollywood night club partly owned by actor Johnny Depp until 2004. On the night of Phoenix's death, following a last minute refusal to perform music on stage, he was in the bathroom doing drugs with various friends and drug dealers.^[7] It is reported that an acquaintance offered him some Persian Brown (a powerful form of methamphetamine mixed with opiates, which is then insufflated) and soon after consuming the drug he became ill.^[7] Upon leaving The Viper Room, he collapsed on the sidewalk and began convulsing. His brother Joaquin was present at the scene, as was his sister Rain, and his girlfriend, Samantha Mathis. Joaquin dialed 911, during the call Joaquin was unable to determine whether River was breathing. River had in fact already stopped breathing. Rain began administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation but was advised by the 911 dispatcher via Joaquin to stop.^{[citation needed]} Paramedics arrived on the scene and found Phoenix in flat line, they administered drugs in an attempt to restart his heart. He was rushed to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, but attempts to resuscitate him (including the insertion of a pacemaker) were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 1:51 a.m. PST on the morning of October 31, 1993. Johnny Depp used to close The Viper Room every October 31 in memory of River's death. But since his relinquishment of his partial ownership in 2004, the club has abandoned this tradition.^{[citation needed]} Phoenix's fans, however, are less inclined to abolish tradition with a group forming every year outside the club on October 31st bringing flowers, candles and tributes.

River Phoenix first gained references in music with Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento writing the song "River Phoenix: Letter to a young actor" about him after having seen Phoenix in "The Mosquito Coast". The song appears on the 1989 release "Miltons". Phoenix's friends- Red Hot Chili Peppers, wrote a few lines for him in the song "Give It Away" from the 1991 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik, "Theres a River born to be a giver, keep you warm won't let you shiver, his heart is never gonna wither..".

Due to his untimely death, Phoenix has been the subject of numerous tributes in song and other media. The band R.E.M. dedicated their album Monster to Phoenix, thier song 'E-bow the Letter' from 1996's 'New Adventures In Hi-Fi' is said to have been written from a letter Michael Stipe wrote to Phoenix but didnt send. Musician Sam Phillips has the dedication 'For River' on her album Martinis & Bikinis. Again, Red Hot Chili Peppers, paid tribute with the song "Transcending" on 1995's One Hot Minute being written about him. John Frusciante wrote the song "Smile from the streets you hold" from the album of the same title for Phoenix with the second part of the song being added after River's tragic death. Other songs inspired by Phoenix include Dana Lyons' "Song For River Phoenix (If I Had Known)," Grant Lee Buffalo's "Halloween," Natalie Merchant's "River" for her 1995 album Tigerlily, Ellis Paul's song "River," found on his 1994 release Stories,^[8], Rufus Wainwright's "Matinee Idol" and Nada Surf's 'River Phoenix' . Australian band TISM made reference to his demise in the song, (He'll Never Be An) Ol' Man River. The lyrics I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix caused controversy and angered many fans of Phoenix. In her 1996 album "Woman & A Man", Belinda Carlisle referenced River in the song "California". The song opens and closes with the line "I remember I was in a tanning salon, when I heard that River Phoenix was gone".

Gus Van Sant, with whom Phoenix worked in the film My Own Private Idaho, dedicated his 1994 movie Even Cowgirls Get The Blues as well as his 1998 novel Pink to him. The film Phoenix was due to start shooting shortly after his death, "Interview With The Vampire", features the dedication "In memory of River Phoenix, 1970-1993" at the end. Experimental Santa Cruz filmmaker Cam Archer also produced a documentary called "Drowning River Phoenix" as part of his USA Fame series.

During performances on November 13^[9] and November 15, 1993^[10], February 12, 1994,^[11] and one of Nirvana's last USA shows in Seattle on January 7, 1994.^[12] Kurt Cobain of Nirvana dedicated the song "Jesus Don't Want Me For a Sunbeam" to River (among other celebrities who died young). Tom Petty dedicated "ballad of Easy Rider" to Phoenix when he played he and Phoenix's hometown of gainesville, Florida in November 1993.

Phoenix has also served as the inspiration for several fictional characters. Final Fantasy VIII character designer Tetsuya Nomura has stated that River Phoenix was the influence for Squall Leonhart; both share the same birthday and physical appearance. Akimi Yoshida, the author of Banana Fish, modeled the manga's protagonist (Ash Lynx) after him, as well. Hiromu Arakawa, author of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga, has also stated that her design for the character Russell Tringum was also based heavily on River Phoenix's appearance.

Phoenix was more recently voted number 69 in a poll of the 100 greatest movie stars of all time. The poll, by channel 4 television in the UK, was wholly voted for by prominent figures of the acting and directing communities.

Year	Title	Role	Awards & Nominations
1985	Explorers	Wolfgang Müller
1986	Stand by Me	Chris Chambers
	The Mosquito Coast	Charlie Fox
1988	A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon	Jimmy Reardon
	Little Nikita	Jeff Grant
	Running on Empty	Danny Pope/Michael Manfield	Academy Award nomination: Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe nomination: Best Supporting Actor National Board of Review: Best Supporting Actor (won)
1989	Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade	Young Indy
1990	I Love You to Death	Devo Nod
1991	My Own Private Idaho	Mike Waters	Venice Film Festival: Best Actor National Society of Film Critics: Best Actor Independent Spirit Award: Best Actor
	Dogfight	Eddie Birdlace
1992	Sneakers	Carl Arbegast
1993	The Thing Called Love	James Wright
	Even Cowgirls Get the Blues	Pilgrim
	Dark Blood	Boy
1994	Silent Tongue	Talbot Roe

• Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1982 – 1983)
• Celebrity (1984) (miniseries)
• Robert Kennedy & His Times (1985) (miniseries)
• Surviving (1985)
• Circle of Violence: A Family Drama (1986)

• "River Phoenix: a short life" by Brian J. Robb. ISBN 0-06-095132-X
• "Lost in Hollywood : The Fast Times and Short Life of River Phoenix" by John Glatt. ISBN 1-55611-440-0
• "In Search of River Phoenix: the Truth Behind the Myth" by Barry C. Lawrence. ISBN 0-9672491-9-8

• River Phoenix at the Internet Movie Database
• River Phoenix at TV.com
• Website