River Phoenix

River Phoenix

River Jude Phoenix (Aug. 23, 1970 – Oct. 31, 1993), born in Madras, Oregon, USA, was one of the most promising movie actors of his generation.

It is reported by People magazine (Nov. 15, 1993 and Jan. 17, 1994) that in an interview with River Phoenix he admitted he had "lost his virginity" at age four as a result of abuse in the Children of God.

River grew up in a very poor family. He and his sister often had to busk to make money for their family. It was only after 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, former Children of God missionaries. He had significant juvenile roles in Stand by Me and The Mosquito Coast and portrayed a teenage Indiana Jones. He later went on to star opposite Keanu Reeves in Gus van Sant's My Own Private Idaho. He was friends with both of them and their friendship 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.

River disliked being seen as just a sex symbol.

He died at age 23 of a drug overdose, outside the Viper Room, a Hollywood night club partly owned by actor Johnny Depp, and was cremated in Gainesville, Florida.

So far, of his siblings, his younger brother Joaquin Phoenix has achieved the greatest success, with his first major role coming in another Gus van Sant movie To Die For, opposite Nicole Kidman. His sister, Rain Phoenix, appeared in van Sant's adaptation of Tom Robbins's story Even Cowgirls Get the Blues alongside many other well-known personalities.

Filmography

• Silent Tongue (1994)
• Dark Blood (1993)
• Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993)
• 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
• 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)