River Phoenix

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Born

August 23, 1970

Died

October 31, 1993 (age 23)

Place of Birth

Metolius, Oregon USA

Also Known As

River Jude Phoenix

Rio Jude Phoenix

River Jude Bottom

River Phoenix

Biography

River Jude Phoenix (née Bottom; August 23, 1970 – October 31, 1993) was an American actor, musician, and activist. Phoenix grew up in an itinerant family, as the oldest brother of Rain Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, Liberty Phoenix, and Summer Phoenix. He had no formal schooling, but he showed an instinctive talent for the guitar, and he played and sang on the streets for money. He began his acting career at age 10 in a handful of television commercials. He starred in the science fiction adventure film Explorers (1985) and had his breakthrough role in 1986's Stand by Me, a coming-of-age film based on the novella The Body by Stephen King. Phoenix made a transition into more adult-oriented roles with Running on Empty (1988), playing Danny Pope, the son of fugitive parents in a well-received performance that earned him a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (at age 18, he became the sixth-youngest nominee in the category), and My Own Private Idaho (1991), playing Michael Waters, a gay hustler in search of his estranged mother. For his performance in the latter, Phoenix garnered enormous praise and won a Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 1991 Venice Film Festival as well as Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead and National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor, becoming the second-youngest winner of the former. Phoenix fought heroin addiction and died at age 23 from combined drug intoxication in West Hollywood in the early hours of Halloween, 1993, after unknowingly ingesting cocaine and heroin (a mixture commonly known as a speedball) at The Viper Room.

Known For

Filmography

2024FilmJoaquin Phoenix: An Actor of Extremesas Self - Actor (archive footage)2023FilmTimeless Heroes: Indiana Jones and Harrison Fordas Self (archive footage)2012FilmDark Bloodas Boy2012TVToo Young to Dieas Self (archive footage)2012FilmMy Own Private Riveras Michael "Mike" Waters (archive footage)2006FilmFinal 24: River Phoenixas Self (archive footage)2005FilmThe Making of ‘My Own Private Idaho’as Self2005FilmThe Phoenix Portalas Wolfgang Müller / Michael "Mike" Waters (archive footage)2003FilmIndiana Jones: Making the Trilogyas Self (archive footage)2003Film101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainmentas Self (archive footage)2003FilmThe Making of ‘Sneakers’as Self2000FilmWalking the Tracks: The Summer of Stand by Meas Self (archive footage)1996FilmThis Road Will Never Endas Self (archive footage)1994FilmTruth or Dairyas Self (archive footage)1993FilmThe Thing Called Loveas James Wright1993FilmSilent Tongueas Talbot Roe1992FilmSneakersas Carl1992FilmFlea Master Sessionas Self1991FilmDogfightas Eddie Birdlace1991FilmMy Own Private Idahoas Mike Waters1991FilmEvolution's End?as Self1990FilmI Love You to Deathas Devo Nod1989FilmIndiana Jones and the Last Crusadeas Young Indy1988FilmRunning on Emptyas Danny Pope1988FilmLittle Nikitaas Jeff Grant1988FilmA Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardonas Jimmy Reardon1986FilmThe Mosquito Coastas Charlie Fox1986FilmCircle of Violence: A Family Dramaas Chris Benfield1986FilmStand by Meas Chris Chambers1985FilmExplorersas Wolfgang Müller1985FilmSurvivingas Philip Brogan1985TVRobert Kennedy & His Timesas Robert Kennedy Jr.1984TVIt's Your Moveas Brian1984FilmBackwards: The Riddle of Dyslexiaas Brian Ellsworth1984TVCelebrityas Jeffie - Age 111982TVFamily Tiesas Eugene Forbes1982TVSeven Brides for Seven Brothersas Guthrie McFadden1982TVHotel

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