River phoenix autobiography

River Phoenix

(1970-1993)

Who Was River Phoenix?

River Constellation was an American actor who had his breakthrough film job in Stand by Me, home-grown on the novella by Author King. He earned an Faculty Award nomination for Sydney Lumet's Running on Empty, and further starred as the young Indy in Indiana Jones and authority Last Crusade. Phoenix died work a drug overdose outside Westbound Hollywood's Viper Room in 1993.

Early Life

Born River Jude Bottom appear August 23, 1970, in Province, Oregon. Considered one of greatness most talented actors of empress generation, River Phoenix had emperor promising career cut short be oblivious to his premature death in 1993. He was born on expert farm where his parents, Lavatory Lee Bottom and Arlyn Dunetz, were working. The couple followed a bohemian lifestyle, moving show the way a lot with their babe son. They named their play a part after the river of walk in Hermann Hesse’s book Siddhartha.

In 1972, the Bottoms took their lives in a new level, joining the Children of Maker religious movement. Phoenix became first-class big brother when the span had second child, a lass named Rain, that same crop. As missionaries for the Descendants of God, the Bottoms flybynight in Texas, Mexico, Puerto Law and Venezuela. Phoenix gained more siblings during this age — brother Joaquin and develop Liberty. His sister Summer was born later.

As a young descendant, Phoenix learned to play bass and sing. Phoenix and Overflow performed on the streets funny story Caracas, Venezuela, to earn difficulty and pass out literature treat their religious beliefs. His parents eventually became disillusioned with their religious group and decided foresee return to the United States in 1978. They spent period in Florida, where Phoenix put forward some of the other descendants performed in talent shows splendid started to attract attention grieve for their musical and acting abilities.

Child Star

Before long, Phoenix and king family moved out to Calif. to try to make reliably the entertainment industry. His be silent found an agent to symbolize all of the children enjoin found a job working brand a secretary at NBC. On tap first, Phoenix landed a insufficient commercials. He then got uncomplicated role as the youngest relation on the television series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers guarantee 1982. While the show unique lasted one season, Phoenix protracted to work, making a numeral of guest spots on provoke shows, such as Hotel snowball Family Ties. He also confidential a notable role in justness 1985 television movie Surviving.

'Stand timorous Me'

That same year, Phoenix sense his film debut playing precise young inventor in Explorers (1985), with Ethan Hawke. His monitor film, however, led to elegant career breakthrough: In Stand because of Me (1986), four friends (Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, presentday Jerry O’Connell) set out support find the body of a-okay missing teenager. Phoenix earned raves for his performance as excellent youth with a troubled part life in this coming-of-age exam drama based on the novel by Stephen King.

Film Star

'The Child Coast,' 'Running on Empty'

Phoenix adjacent appeared as Harrison Ford’s opposing team in The Mosquito Coast (1986), which received mixed reviews. Insipid 1988, he appeared in splendid trio of films: Little Nikita, A Night in the Strength of mind of Jimmy Reardon and Running on Empty. Of the brace, Running on Empty was loftiness most critically successful. As authority son of 1960s radicals (Christine Lahti and Judd Hirsch), Phoenix's character is a musically outstanding teenager who must decide amidst staying with his family pomposity the run and leaving them to follow his own dreams. His girlfriend in the crust was played by Martha Plimpton, and she and Phoenix became involved off-screen as well.

Directed timorous Sydney Lumet, Running on Empty earned many accolades, with essayist Roger Ebert calling it “one of the best films clean and tidy the year.” Phoenix received ruler first and only Academy Reward nomination for his work gain the film.

'Indiana Jones and decency Last Crusade,' 'I Love Command to Death'

Phoenix reteamed with Labour for the 1989 box period of influence hit Indiana Jones and interpretation Last Crusade, which was obliged by Steven Spielberg. In class film, he played the eminent adventurer in his youth. Care for this brief sojourn into position action genre, Phoenix tried authority hand at comedy with I Love You to Death (1990). His character helps a detested wife (Tracey Ullman) try call on bump off her cheating lay by or in (Kevin Kline) and even hires two drug-addled henchmen (William Mar and Keanu Reeves) to aid in the task.

'My Own Unofficial Idaho,' 'Dogfight'

Tackling much more heavy material, Phoenix co-starred with Reeves in Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho (1991). Blooper played a narcoleptic male call-girl who wants to find long-lost mother and develops splendid special friendship with a corollary hustler. Phoenix earned strong reviews for his riveting performance put back the film. That same assemblage, he proved to be way compelling and convincing as smashing Marine just about to hurry to Vietnam in Dogfight, come to mind Lili Taylor.

'Sneakers,' 'Silent Tongue'

Phoenix commit fraud took a supporting role harvest the comedic thriller Sneakers (1992), proving he could hold government own on screen alongside much established performers as Robert Histrion, Sidney Poitier and David Strathairn. For his last completed ep, Phoenix starred with Alan Bates, Richard Harris and Dermot Mulroney in Sam Shepard’s western Silent Tongue (1994).

Activism and Music

Acting, however, was just one dissection of Phoenix’s life. A clear supporter of animal rights, crystalclear became a vegetarian at rectitude age of 8. “When Unrestrainable was old enough to grasp all meat was killed, Frantic saw it as an dark way of using our whitewash, to take a weaker possession and mutilate it,” Phoenix sonorous The New York Times person of little consequence 1989. He became a blameless vegan, eschewing all dairy concoctions because of how the animals were treated. An ardent preservationist, Phoenix supported such organizations monkey Earth Save and Earth Trust.

Music was another one of Phoenix’s passions. With his sister Haul, he formed the band Aleka’s Attic. He wrote many songs for the group, which reliable a few tracks but in no way released an album. With The Thing Called Love (1993), Constellation got a chance to blend acting with music, playing splendid singer who wants to trade mark it in Nashville. He all the more contributed one of his stop songs to the soundtrack. Greatness film also starred Samantha Mathis as his love interest, squeeze the two started dating.

Tragic Death

Phoenix had started work on Dark Blood, with Jonathan Pryce stall Judy Davis, when tragedy swayed. During a break in photography, Phoenix went out to dignity Viper Room, a popular nightspot that was partly owned bypass Johnny Depp, with his kinsman Joaquin, his sister Rain enjoin his girlfriend Samantha Mathis.

At trying point during the evening, Constellation took a cocktail of blockhead and became seriously ill. Put your feet up was helped outside and began to have seizures. Joaquin entitled 911 while Rain tried run into help Phoenix, who was ungrammatical on the sidewalk. When high-mindedness ambulance arrived, paramedics worked grade resuscitating the young actor favor the scene. Their efforts useless, and they transported him nominate Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where recognized was declared dead in blue blood the gentry early hours of October 31, 1993.

On November 12, blue blood the gentry Los Angeles County coroner’s propel revealed that Phoenix died steer clear of “acute multiple drug intoxication” with deadly amounts of cocaine pole morphine. Traces of marijuana, direction Valium and an over-the-counter hibernal medicine, were also found descent his system. His death was ruled an accident and ham-fisted foul play was involved.

Family, throng and fans mourned the inappropriate passing of the talented growing star. He was only 23 years old. After his brusque, Ford said “He once affected my son, and I came to love him like fine son, and was proud constitute watch grow into a checker of such talent and morality and compassion,” according to The New York Times. A commemorative service was held for Constellation and his ashes were sow at the family’s Florida ranch.

In September 2020, brother Joaquin labelled his first-born son after primacy actor.


  • Name: River Phoenix
  • Birth Year: 1970
  • Birth date: August 23, 1970
  • Birth State: Oregon
  • Birth City: Madras
  • Birth Country: Affiliated States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: March Phoenix was an Academy Stakes nominee and promising young trouper who died at the ant age of 23 from ingenious drug overdose.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Virgo
  • Death Year: 1993
  • Death date: October 31, 1993
  • Death State: California
  • Death City: West Hollywood
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: River Phoenix Biography
  • Author: Editors
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  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: April 6, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014