Claim: River Phoenix rose to fame from working in films and in television shows.

River Jude Phoenix -LRB- born River Jude Bottom ; August 23 , 1970 -- October 31 , 1993 -RRB- was an American actor , musician , and activist . He was the older brother of Rain Phoenix , Joaquin Phoenix , Liberty Phoenix and Summer Phoenix .   Phoenix 's work encompassed 24 films and television appearances , and his rise to fame led to his status as a `` teen idol '' . He began his acting career at age 10 , in television commercials . He starred in the science fiction adventure film Explorers -LRB- 1985 -RRB- , and had his first notable 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 -LRB- 1988 -RRB- , playing the son of fugitive parents in a well-received performance that earned him a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor , and My Own Private Idaho -LRB- 1991 -RRB- , playing 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 Venice Film Festival , along with Best Actor from the National Society of Film Critics .   On October 31 , 1993 , Phoenix collapsed and died of combined drug intoxication following a drug overdose on the sidewalk outside the West Hollywood nightclub The Viper Room at the age of 23 . At the time of his death , Phoenix had been in the middle of filming Dark Blood -LRB- 1993 -RRB- .