River Phoenix - Biography - IMDb River Phoenix Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Trade Mark (1) | Trivia (52) | Personal Quotes (53) Overview (5) 5' 10" (1.78 m) Mini Bio (1) River Phoenix was born River Jude Bottom in Madras, Oregon. His mother, Arlyn (Dunetz), a Bronx-born secretary, and his father, John Bottom, a carpenter, met in California in 1968. They worked as itinerant fruit pickers, and later joined the Children of God religious group (John was originally Catholic, while Arlyn was born Jewish). By the time River was two, they were living in South America, where John was the sect's Archbishop of Venezuela. They later left the group and, in 1977, moved back to the United States, changing their last name to "Phoenix". They lived with River's maternal grandparents in Florida, and later moved to Los Angeles. His parents encouraged all of their children to get into movies and, by age ten, River was acting professionally on TV.

His film debut was in Explorers (1985), followed rapidly by box-office successes with Stand by Me (1986) and The Mosquito Coast (1986), and as young Indiana in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). His role as Danny Pope in Running on Empty (1988) earned him an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. His best role was probably Mike, the hustler in My Own Private Idaho (1991). A dedicated animal-rights activist and environmentalist, River was a strict vegetarian and a member of PeTA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). River was a talented musician as well as an actor, and he played guitar, sang, and wrote songs for his band, Aleka's Attic, which also included his sister Rain Phoenix , while living in Gainsville, Florida. Although the band never released its own album, their song "Across the Way" can be found on PeTA's "Tame Yourself" album, used to fight animal abuse. River was in the middle of filming Dark Blood (2012), playing the character Boy when he died.

The film couldn't be finished due to too many unfilmed crucial scenes. His mother was later sued. River died of acute multiple drug intoxication involving lethal levels of cocaine and morphine at age 23 outside the Viper Room, Johnny Depp 's Los Angeles club. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Ed Stephan, Christine, CMGiesBrady Trade Mark (1) Portraying innate emotional vulnerability Trivia (52) The song "Transcending" on the Red Hot Chili Peppers album "One Hot Minute" is dedicated to River Phoenix. Sings a song on John Frusciante 's album "Smile from the Streets You Hold." Ranked #86 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997] The 1994 R.E.M. album "Monster" is dedicated to River in the liner notes--he was friends with lead singer Michael Stipe . Born at 12.10 pm-PDT He was supposed to be the interviewer in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) but died.

Christian Slater took his place, and donated his entire paycheck from the movie to all of River's favorite charities. He was almost definitely set to star as Izzy Singer in Safe Passage (1994). Sean Astin got the part after River's death. Brother of Joaquin Phoenix , Summer Phoenix , Rain Phoenix and Liberty Phoenix . Was a vegan. Natalie Merchant wrote a song, "River," which is in his memory. In addition, her song "Carnival" was inspired by him. His date to Johnny Depp 's club the evening he died was actress Samantha Mathis . Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1986" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 38. Ashes scattered at family's Florida Ranch. The famous Brazilian singer and songwriter Milton Nascimento wrote a song called "River Phoenix (Carta a Um Jovem Ator)" ("Letter to a Young Actor" in English) in 1988. Milton was quite impressed with River's performances in The Mosquito Coast (1986) and Stand by Me (1986), and he decided to write a song in reverence of his talent.

When he got to know about the song, he came to Brazil and spent some days in Milton Nascimento's country home. After that first contact, they became good friends. In the track "Curi Curi" (Tsaqu Waiãpi) from Nascimento's album "Txai" that was released in 1990, River reads a speech written by him protesting the destruction of the Amazon and betrayal of its people. Born in a log cabin in Oregon. He disliked flying and traveled everywhere by car or by train. Nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work in Sidney Lumet 's Running on Empty (1988), Phoenix lost out to Kevin Kline for his performance in A Fish Called Wanda (1988). At the time of the Academy Awards ceremony in March, 1989, Kline and Phoenix were filming the movie I Love You to Death (1990). Sitting in the audience, Phoenix applauded enthusiastically when his co-star's name was announced as the winner. Phoenix, who'd been playing the guitar since childhood, had his own band with his sister, Rain Phoenix , called Aleka's Attic.

My Own Private Idaho (1991) director (and close friend of River) Gus Van Sant published a novel in 1997 titled "Pink," which is a loosely disguised fantasy homage to his late friend. Van Sant's movie Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) includes a dedication of to River during the opening credits. River recorded an album the summer before his death titled 'Never Odd or Even' (the title is a palindrome), which was released. A friend of his named Sasa Raphael (who worked with River on the album and played bass in River's band Blacksmith Configuration) almost succeeded in making the album available for free download on the Internet in the summer of 2000,on the anniversary of what would've been River's 30th birthday, but was later sued by the estate of River Phoenix for copyright reasons. His parents named him River after the river of life in Hermann Hesse 's classic spiritual novel "Siddhartha"; and Jude, his middle name, after The Beatles ' song "Hey, Jude." Ranked #69 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars (2003) on Channel 4 (UK).

The story is apocryphal that River's last words were supposedly (to the reporter trying to help him outside the Viper Room) were "No paparazzi, I want anonymity", although the quote has become something of an urban legend. In fact, according to witnesses (which included a nearby paparazzo), River stumbled out of the nightclub and fell hard, face-first, onto the sidewalk (experts believed he likely died at that moment) before spasming violently against the pavement for eight minutes, never having uttered a word. And while that photographer chose not to capture that moment on film, the day before Phoenix's cremation in Florida, a reporter broke into the funeral home, rearranged the body, and took a picture. This picture was later to be sold to the National Enquirer for $5,000. Was an involved environmentalist and bought up several hundred acres of rain forest in Costa Rica and Brazil, not to develop them, but to just keep them so they would not be cut down. Rufus Wainwright 's song "Matinee Idol" is about him. Died on the same day as Federico Fellini . He was a very talented writer, songwriter, and sketch artist.

Often wrote songs while he was driving to work. Is one of only three actors to have played the son of and the younger version of the same actor, by playing Harrison Ford 's son and playing young Indiana Jones. The other is Bruno Kirby , who played Richard S. Castellano 's son on The Super (1972), and the young Clemenza in The Godfather: Part II (1974). Logan Lerman played one of Mel Gibson 's sons in The Patriot (2000) and the younger Nick Marshall in What Women Want (2000). Two of his nephews have been posthumously named for him. His sister Liberty Phoenix gave birth to a son named Rio Everest Phoenix. Rio is Spanish for River. His other sister Summer Phoenix gave birth to a son, Indiana Affleck. River played Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). His death is listed as #16 in the top 101 events in E! Television's 101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment. In total thus far, he has four nephews and one niece.

Rio Everest Phoenix-Asch (12 June 1997), Indigo Orion Phoenix-Asch (9 November 1999 - 25 December 2001), Scarlette Jasmine Phoenix-Asch (July 2, 2001) to younger sister Liberty Phoenix , Indiana August Affleck (May 31st, 2004) and Atticus Affleck (November 2007) to youngest sister Summer Phoenix . The band FenixTX was originally called River Fenix, but due to conflicts with the rights to his name, they were forced to change their name. Harrison Ford personally recommended him for the part of the young Indy in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) after working with him on The Mosquito Coast (1986). Ford stated that of all the young actors who were working at the time, River was the one who looked the most like himself when he was that age. Ironically, despite his reputation for healthy living, Phoenix was a chain smoker.

Peter Bogdanovich recalled, "He'd say about meat, 'That's not good for you, man, that'll kill you.' And he'd be smoking a cigarette, and he'd look at it and say, 'I know, man, I know.'" Anonymous Australian alternative rock band TISM (an acronym of This Is Serious Mum) released a song in 1995 called "(He'll Never Be An) Ol' Man River" which dealt with celebrity deaths, specifically with the death of Phoenix and his drug habit which caused it. The main refrain of the song, which reportedly angered members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers , was "I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix". He and his brother Joaquin Phoenix are the first brothers to be nominated for acting Academy Awards. Mentioned by Norwegian Pop-Rocker Morten Abel in the song "River Phoenix". His final performance was in Dark Blood (2012), a film which was abandoned three weeks from completion. Was fluent in Spanish. Just a month before his death he had expressed an interest in starring in The Basketball Diaries (1995). His role was subsequently played by Leonardo DiCaprio . Best friend was Keanu Reeves .

Had a very close bond with Harrison Ford . River's father was born in California. On his father's side, River had English, and distant German and French, ancestry. River's mother was born to an Ashkenazi Jewish family in New York (they were immigrants from Russia and Hungary). Phoenix had a lazy left eye. This caused him to flutter and blink in order to center the iris. This action is visible in most of his performances. It is most apparent in 'Silent Tongue'(1994), in which he did not attempt to take charge of it at all; feeling that the quality added to the madness of his character. One of GQ's 50 Most Stylish Leading Men of the Past Half Century (2010). River and his brother Joaquin Phoenix have both played the son of Richard Harris 's character: River in Silent Tongue (1993), and Joaquin in Gladiator (2000). James Cameron has admitted that when he first started thinking about Titanic (1997) in the early nineties, he favored River for the lead. By the time the film was made, Leonardo DiCaprio was old enough to take the role.

Phoenix had signed onto the lead role in Broken Dreams, a screenplay written by John Boorman and Neil Jordan (to be directed by Boorman), and co-starring Winona Ryder . The film was put on hold due to Phoenix's death and has yet to be made. Accepted his role in The Thing Called Love (1993) in an effort to both show off his musical abilities (he sang, played his own guitar, and wrote his character's songs) and make the transition from playing youths to adults roles. Gus Van Sant had gotten Phoenix to agree to play the role of Cleve Jones in Milk (2008) when he was originally planning on making the movie in the early 1990s. The role was eventually played by Emile Hirsch in 2008. After his death, Gus Van Sant spoke about another collaboration between the two that ended up never happening. He was asked, "You were going to do a movie with River about Andy Warhol , right?" Van Sant said, "Yeah. River kind of looked like Andy in his younger days. But that project never really went forward.".

Appeared in two movies about Espionage that were released the same year: Running on Empty (1988) and Little Nikita (1988). Personal Quotes (53) I would rather quit while I was ahead. There's no need in overstaying your welcome. I would just look at Harrison [ Harrison Ford ]; he would do stuff and I would not mimic it, but interpret it younger. Mimicking is a terrible mistake that many people make when they play someone younger, or with an age difference. Mimicking doesn't interpret true because you can't just edit it around. [on his interpretation of a young Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)] "I feel that there are great minds up there who would like to see what I can do with an Oscar nomination. I guess many people would change after a nomination in the way they see things. In my case it's really irrelevant in terms of what I do.

Still, it was an incredible experience which I will put in my memories, like everything else." (On his Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Running on Empty (1988) in 1989.) If I have some celebrity, I hope I can use it to make a difference. The true social reward is that I can speak my mind and share my thoughts about the enviroment and civilisation itself. There's so much shit happening with people who are exploiting their positions and creating a lot of negativity. Every day of my life since I finished My Own Private Idaho (1991), at some point in the day, I find the conversation somehow goes back to that film, because it was just such a great experience. I just start getting all joyous and start babbling about it. [on his feelings about My Own Private Idaho (1991) just after the film's release in 1991] He was my brother and I loved him a great deal. It was just an awful, awful mistake. We fed off each other and learned a lot from each other. [ R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe , speaking soon after River's death.

He later called River's passing "the most shattering experience of my life."] I wish sometimes that I wasn't as conscious as I am. I just always loved the names Helen or Ashley, I don't know, they seem familar to me, like I need to be with them... I love Sam Shepard , he is like a father to me. We don't even have to talk, we communicate without words. Animals are not our playthings. We are on this earth to protect them. It's our duty. I project a definite innocence. A lot of that is just the way I grew up. We respect our parents and they respect us. Even when we were younger, it was never, 'Well, I'm the parent and you're the kid.' You wouldn't be held back because of your age. Just the opposite. My father used to say, 'The youngest gets to yell the loudest because they're never listened to!' My father talks to Summer [sister Summer Phoenix ], who is the youngest, the way he talks to my grandfather or anyone else. They always gave us a fair shot. In simplicity there is truth. We all have our distinct things.

Leaf [brother Joaquin Phoenix ] was the family clown--very witty, very smart. Mom had to work a lot, so Rainbow [sister Rain Phoenix ] was the mother and the older sister and trendsetter. Liberty [sister Liberty Phoenix ] was always the most physical, like an acrobat, very nimble and strong, a really beautiful girl. And Summer [sister Summer Phoenix ] was the youngest, the baby of the family, with big brown eyes and blonde hair, more American-looking. "I want kids, a family of my own. I'd like to give them the first eight years of their lives in the country. Then I'd want them educated, which I wasn't formally, although I had a tutor once when I was twelve. At times I miss a formal education, but at others I thank God for everything else I have now. What I have got from my childhood aren't toys, but memories. And happy memories are better than any toy. It's a great feeling to think that I can be a friend to so many people through my movies. I'm having a kind of hard time keeping my head above water in this crazy business.

In Stand by Me (1986), I realized that what I was creating was going to live on far longer than anything of me as a person. The characters are more powerful than the person that creates them. I would get songs sung to me, like 'Old Man River, 'or kids would call me Mississippi and things like that. At the time, I wished I had a name that blended in more with my surroundings. Now, though, I've really learned to love it. From fifteen, I really liked it. It felt appropriate. Before that, I don't think it quite fitted me. I had to grow into it . Sometimes I hear stuff like 'Hey man, wheres your skateboard, dude?' from people who think I'm Christian Slater . We need an extreme movement because what is happening to animals is so extreme. Some misinformed people claim that animal rights activists are terrorists, but these people are simply ignorant of who the real terrorists are - the companies and industries that torture literally billions of animals each year. (The Animals Voice Magazine - 1989) I don't see any point or any good in drugs that are as disruptive as cocaine.

It still strikes me as strange that anyone could have a moral objection against somebody's sexuality, it's like telling someone else how to clean their house. Addiction is not just for bad people or scumbags - it's a universal disease. We were constantly moving to different countries and adjusting to new things. It was such a free feeling. I'm glad I didn't have a traditional upbringing. Vegetarianism is a link to perfection and peace. We are taught to consume. And that's what we do. But if we realized that there really is no reason to consume, that it's just a mind set, that it's just an addiction, then we wouldn't be out there stepping on people's hands climbing the corporate ladder of success. People wonder if I'll always be a part of this family and the answer is yes. My family has a lot of good energy going in one direction and because of it, we get a lot of things done. That's why I'll always spend a lot of time at Camp Phoenix. Rich kids gave us their old clothes. They were the best clothes we ever had. We were these very pure, naive, poor children.

The rich kids called us a lot of names but it never bothered us because we didn't know what the words meant. When I was old enough to realize all meat was killed, I saw it as an irrational way of using our power, to take a weaker thing and mutilate it. It was like the way bullies would take control of younger kids in the schoolyard. I did my best work in The Mosquito Coast (1986). I know it wasn't such a big hit, but for me it was more meaningful than anything else I'd ever done. I can't on my own change the regime in South Africa or teach the Palestinians to learn to live with the Israelies, but I can start with me. Everything is ironic to me. There are moments I find hysterical, but I'm probably the only one who would find that, except for a few people. Acting is like a Halloween mask that you put on. Commercials were too phony for me. I just didn't like selling a product I didn't believe in. Music is my main goal, but I'm not going to rush a record out. There are so many actors who have come out with albums these days.

I don't want to do it because it's the thing to do. I want to wait until the time is right. Music is a whole oasis in my head. The creation process is so personal and fulfilling. Music is a hobby, because I'm not making any money out of it, but I put just as much conviction into that as I do into my acting. I've been wanting to go into music ever since I can remember. I mean even before I became an actor. I just thought it would be a tough field to break into, so I became an actor instead. I remember we'd roll into gas stations in our beat-up van and I'd tell the attendant, 'I'm going to be an actor! I have twenty personalities on top of the ten I already have. So now I have thirty people in my head! I like girls who are natural because I am natural in everything I do. If I meet a girl who is snobby and wants special treatment, she's not going to get it from me because she hasn't earned it. But I've been basically lucky because I've met mostly nice girls - and that's what attracts me. I don't want to die in a car accident.

When I die it'll be a glorious day. It'll probably be a waterfall. I have a lot of chameleon qualities, I get very absorbed in my surroundings. I sometimes lie, especially about personal things, because what does it matter? I am a kind of minute commodity, my name is no longer my own. I try to lie as much as I can when I'm interviewed. It's reverse psychology. I figure if you lie, they'll print the truth. I would never, never do anything unless I believed in it. I wouldn't eat a hamburger for 40,000 dollars. I'd like to play every type of character, but only once. I like to experience things. I'm really normal. I play football, go to the beach, drive. We have dogs. I can imagine people calling me a character, but I'm Joe Straight. I'm just a normal guy doing a job! I really like acting because you can create a character. You can make someone who has never existed before. That's neat. When I was younger, I was worried about how others viewed me and if I was good enough. I realize now that you can't mold an image or try to be something that you are not.

As far as being an actor is concerned, your work really speaks for itself. [on My Own Private Idaho (1991)] It might take a few of these movies before there's a natural stride with the whole issue. Then one day, it wont even be an issue - which is what I'm hoping. [1991] It's not about career. It's about believing in something, it's about prosperity and it's about caring and emphasizing and wanting to create the best, the most true to life, the most real. See also 19 years after he died, last River Phoenix movie to be released 19 years after he died, last River Phoenix movie to be released Aug 01, 2012 by Jaclyn Brandt Jaclyn is an Idaho native who currently lives in Milwaukee. Having worked in radio, TV and as a newspaper reporter, she is an avid pop culture and news junkie. She also has a passion for photography and cooking (but is still learning to ... Phoenix died during Dark Blood Share Tumble Combined comments & shares on social media The actor was only 23 years old when he died suddenly in 1993.

But almost 20 years later, his final film will be released. Back in October , director George Sluizer announced he would be releasing his new film. Well, his sort-of-new film. Dark Blood was shot in 1993 and halted abruptly when its 23-year-old star died suddenly. When River Phoenix died on Halloween night of that year, he was one of Hollywood’s biggest young stars. “After Phoenix's death, Sluizer confiscated the Dark Blood footage and took it back to the Netherlands,” said the Hollywood Reporter. “He kept it hidden, fearing, he said, that it otherwise might have been destroyed.” Sluizer has announced the film will premiere at 2012 Netherlands Film Festival in September, almost 19 years after Phoenix died. “In the film, Phoenix plays Boy, a young widower living on a nuclear testing site in the desert,” said the Hollywood Reporter. “While he waits for the end of the world, Boy carves Kachina dolls that supposedly contain magical powers.” A “Hollywood jet-set couple” break down and become stranded in the desert and Phoenix’s character takes them prisoner. The film also stars Judy Davis, Jonathan Pryce and Karen Black.

Phoenix was out at the Viper Room in Hollywood on Halloween night 1993 when he suddenly collapsed. His cause of death was later determined to be a heart attack caused by a drug overdose of cocaine and heroin. Phoenix was out with his siblings, Joaquin and Rain. Actors Samantha Mathis and Christina Applegate were also at the Viper Room that night. Before his death, Phoenix had already gained an Oscar nomination for the 1988 film Running on Empty. He had also previously starred in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Stand by Me and My Own Private Idaho. His brother Joaquin has gone on to gain two Oscar nominations for Gladiator and Walk the Line. “In addition to the Dark Blood premiere, the 2012 Netherlands Film Festival also will screen a retrospective of Sluizer's work and will publish a book on the director's life,” said the Hollywood Reporter. Watch the movie trailer here .

Photo courtesy WENN.com The Untimely Death of River Phoenix The Untimely Death of River Phoenix by Frank Wilkins Stand By Me Having broken into show biz with TV's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers that ran during the 1982-83 season, River Phoenix would follow up with his feature-film debut as a somewhat bookworm-ish kid in Explorers (1985). But it would be the huge box-office success and eventual cult following of Stand By Me in in 1986, based on a Stephen King novella, that would launch the young actor's appeal into the stratosphere. He would follow the success of that film with a turn in The Mosquito Coast (1986) in which he starred with Harrison Ford as the son of a man anxious to take his family back to a primitive life. Set in the jungles of the South Atlantic, the film's plot carried remarkable similarities to River Phoenix's atypical upbringing, having been reared in a log cabin in rural Oregon. But River accepted his rising star reluctantly, happy that he could help his family by bringing home a paycheck.

Atypical of the existing Hollywood fete set, Phoenix was shy, somewhat reclusive and held a disdain for the spotlight. The Hollywood hype machine left a bad taste in the actor's mouth leading him to once proclaim, "I've kept my ego and my happiness completely separate from my work. in fact, if I see my face on the cover of a magazine I go into remission. I shut myself out and freak." Hollywood Begins to Take a Toll Following a string of appearances in such well-known films as Indiana Jones, Sneakers and My Own Private Idaho, friends and professionals began to observe major changes in Phoenix's personality. He was once known for his innocence and wholesomeness. He was a very devout vegetarian, refused to wear leather clothes and jackets, and who so cared for the now diminishing rain forests in Costa Rica, he began buying up large swaths of it to protect it from encroaching development. Phoenix even once publicly denounced drugs like cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. But his typical behavior had begun to change, and people wanted to know why. Many felt River Phoenix's about-face was because of a deep-seated dislike of the difficult world of Hollywood and filmmaking.

Others speculated it was just his way of lashing out against the unorthodox way in which he was raised. Still others resigned themselves to the idead that Phoenix was past the point-of-no-return and would never be the same again. By the time 1990 rolled around, River Phoenix had had enough. He would give up his acting gig and move back to Gainesville, Florida to reside with his family. He would go on to form a band called Aleka's Attic with his sister Rain, in which he sang, played guitar, and wrote songs. He also strengthened his resolve as a staunch environmentalist and strong activist for the rights of animals. Things are Looking Up Again But as the mid '90s approached, Phoenix was back in the Hollywood game working on a film called Dark Blood. He had also just recently signed on to star with Tom Cruise in Interview With the Vampire. While working in Hollywood, he would usually stay at the St. James Club and Hotel on Sunset Blvd. Things were beginning to look up and his star was about to launch again.

That Halloween Night On the eve of halloween in 1993, Phoenix would join his friends at Johnny Depp's club, The Viper Room, at 8852 Sunset Boulevard. It was about 1:00 am, Phoenix was in the bathroom of the club doing some drugs with several of his drug dealer friends, when one of them would offer him a hit of heroin. It was pure-grade Persion brown. Almost immediately after snorting the heroin, Phoenix would begin trembling and shaking violently. He then turned to one of his friends and vomited. Another of his friends decided it would be a good idea to give him a valium to calm him down. After taking the valium, Phoenix would stagger back into the bar area and approach actress Samantha Mathis who was sitting with his sister, Rain Phoenix. Upon complaining that he could not breathe, Phoenix passed out. When he awakened, he begged his friends to take him outside the club where he quickly fell to the sidewalk and went into seizures until a photographer, Ron Davis made a 911 call on a nearby payphone, as did River's brother, Joaquin. Cell phones were not in the mainstream by then.

"He looked like a fish out of water," said Ron Davis, who happened to be standing outside the club. He was "thrashing spasmodically, his head flopping from side to side, arms flailing wildly." By this time, his sister had exited the club and threw herself on top of him to try and stop the seizures. Suddenly Phoenix's body would become motionless, at which time his brother thought he had stopped breathing. River was wearing striped brown pants and black and white Converse high tops and socks. It was now 1:14 am and Phoenix had gone into full cardiac arrest. Paramedics would arrive (after a 911 call by his brother, Joaquin ) and medic Ray Ribar of the L.A. County Fire Department began administering CPR. Phoenix was immediately rushed to Cedars Sinai Medical Center and arrived at 1:34 am. As they reached the hospital, his skin was blue, but his body was still warm. The emergency room doctors tried everything to resuscitate the actor, but he was pronounced dead at 1:51 am on October 31, 1993.

Married With Children star Christina Applegate was also at the club that night and witnessed Phoenix's seizures, which she later reenacted at an anti-drug dance piece. A Whole Medicine Chest of Drugs River Phoenix's autopsy showed deadly levels of cocaine and morphine (heroin shows up as morphine, as it's metabolized by the body), Valium, marijuana and ephedrine. Ephedrine is the main ingredient found in crystal meth. Official cause of death was Acute multiple drug ingestion. River Phoenix was just 23 years old. The Funeral River Phoenix was placed in a blue coffin for his funeral (click to view the River Phoenix Death Coffin Photo - warning extremely graphic!!!!!!) , and on November 4, sixty mourners would show up at Milam Funeral Home for the viewing. His usual fair hair was dyed jet-black for the film he was working on at the time. The mortician would cut his shoulder length hair, and place the shorn lock beside him in the coffin, at his mother's request. He was dressed in a black t-shirt with the logo of his band, Aleka's Attic on it. His mother put a single carnation in the coffin.

As mourners passed his coffin, many placed things like notes and necklaces in the casket. The Memorial Service There was also a memorial service held on the Paramount Studios Lot on November 18, 1993. Sidney Poitier, Rob Reiner, Peter Bogdanovich, Richard Benjamin, Christine Lahti, John Boorman and River's mother, Heart, attended it. Listen to the Joaquin Phoenix 911 call - click to hear the 911 call made from the payphone by Joaquin outside The Viper Room the night River Phoenix died. More River Phoenix Stuff: The Sunset Tower (formerly The St. James Club and Hotel and formerly The Argyle) at 8358 Sunset Boulevard where River liked to stay when in LA. In fact, River was living here at the time of his death. He was checked in under the name Earl Gray. The Joaquin Phoenix 911 phone call as his brother, Phoenix lay dying on the sidewalk outside the Viper Room. You can listen to the 911 call in its entirety here. 8800 Block of Sunset Blvd. The Viper Room is the dark storefront above.

Another shot of The Viper Room. River Phoenix was a talented singer as well. Here's a video of him singing Lone Star State of Mind from The Thing Called Love with Samantha Mathis. There's tons more information of The Viper Room over at - External River Phoenix Links River Phoenix dies - Oct 31, 1993 - HISTORY.com River Phoenix dies Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1993, the 23-year-old actor River Phoenix, who appeared in such films as Stand by Me and My Own Private Idaho, dies of a drug overdose outside a Hollywood nightclub. At the time of his death, Phoenix was considered one of the most promising actors of his generation and had received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his performance in 1988’s Running on Empty. Phoenix, who was born River Jude Bottom on August 23, 1970, had an unconventional childhood. His parents were members of a religious cult and worked as missionaries in South America. Phoenix began acting professionally as a teenager and made his big-screen debut, along with Ethan Hawke, in 1985’s Explorers. Phoenix gained fame in 1986’s Stand by Me.

Based on a Stephen King novel, the film was directed by Rob Reiner and co-starred Jerry O’Connell, Corey Feldman and Wil Wheaton. Phoenix went on to appear in such movies as The Mosquito Coast (1986), which co-starred Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren; A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (1988), in which he played the title role; and Little Nikita (1988), with Sidney Poitier. Also in 1988, Phoenix appeared in Running on Empty, about a family on the run from the FBI for an anti-war bombing the parents had participated in years earlier. The movie was directed by Sidney Lumet and co-starred Judd Hirsch and Christine Lahti. Phoenix, who played the couple’s teenage son, lost the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award to Kevin Kline for A Fish Called Wanda. Phoenix played the young Indy in 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and later starred in the acclaimed independent films My Own Private Idaho (1990), which was directed by Gus Van Sant and co-starred Keanu Reeves, and Dogfight (1991), with Lili Taylor.

Phoenix also appeared in the 1992 thriller Sneakers with Robert Redford and Sidney Poitier. In the early hours of October 31, 1993, Phoenix collapsed from a drug overdose outside the Viper Room, a night club partially owned at the time by the actor Johnny Depp and located on the Sunset Strip. Phoenix’s younger brother Joaquin is also an Academy Award-nominated actor; his movie credits include Gladiator (2000), Walk the Line (2005) and We Own the Night (2007). Related Videos River Phoenix’s Fatal Halloween, 20 Years On - The Daily Beast 20 Years On River Phoenix’s Fatal Halloween, 20 Years On The 23-year-old actor shocked the world when he died 20 years ago. But why do so many young fans still identify with him today? 10.31.13 9:45 AM ET “He’s having seizures on Sunset and Larrabee!” shouts the man on the phone. “Please come here!” The call was placed exactly 20 years ago today—Halloween night 1993.

To our ears, in 2013, the voice on the line sounds familiar. It is neither deep nor high. Husky. Somewhat strained. And clearly—understandably—upset. “How old is he?” the 9-1-1 dispatcher asks. “He’s 23,” the caller says. “Stay on the line with me and calm down a little bit, all right?” “OK, I’m calm,” the caller replies. But his voice is rising and trembling, and seconds later, he begins to sob. “He’s having seizures! Get over here please! You must get over here please!” Again, the dispatcher tries to calm the man down. “OK, take it easy,” he says, his tone low and soothing. “OK?” The man on the phone was Joaquin Phoenix—the actor who would go on to star in Gladiator, Walk the Line, and The Master. Three days earlier, Joaquin had celebrated his 19th birthday. Now he was calling 9-1-1 about his brother River Phoenix.

A few minutes earlier inside the Viper Room, a nightclub on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, River had snorted heroin in the restroom, then vomited, then swallowed a Valium to steady himself. After complaining to his girlfriend, the actress Samantha Mathis, that he couldn’t breathe, River passed out at the bar. Soon he was outside on the sidewalk, “thrashing spasmodically,” as one observer put it—“his head flopping from side to side, arms flailing wildly.” “I think he had a Valium or something, I don’t know,” Joaquin says on the tape. He’s trying to regain his composure—to stick to the facts. But then he snaps. “Please!” he cries. “‘Cause he’s dying! Please!” Thirty minutes later, River Phoenix was dead. At the time, the news was maddening. Phoenix wasn’t just a young actor, or a good actor, though he was both. He was one of those rare actors who also seemed to reflect the attitudes and contradictions of an entire generation.

For fans who saw themselves in Phoenix, to lose him so soon—only a few years after Stand by Me, Running on Empty, and My Own Private Idaho propelled him to stardom—felt somehow personal. But the remarkable thing about River Phoenix isn’t that he made an impression way back when. It’s that even now, two decades after his death, he is still forging new bonds with new fans every day. On YouTube, admirers still post comments like “How I love him after all this time” and “RIP River miss you always.” New biographies—the latest, Last Night at the Viper Room, was released earlier this month—are still coming out. And this morning young people still gathered outside the Viper Room with signs in their hands and tears in their eyes, just as they did the night Phoenix passed away. Why do we still care about River Phoenix? Why do his life and his work still resonate today? Get The Beast In Your Inbox! Daily DigestStart and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast. Cheat SheetA speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know (and nothing you don't).

By clicking "Subscribe," you agree to have read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Subscribe Thank You! You are now subscribed to the Daily Digest and Cheat Sheet. We will not share your email with anyone for any reason Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Phoenix’s appeal was fairly easy to explain. He was gorgeous, for starters: the high cheekbones, the upturned nose, the delicate lips, the long, golden hair, and those squinting, probing eyes. On screen, he always played an intense young man grappling with the trials and tribulations of growing up—the talented son of wanted leftists in Running on Empty; the sensitive child of alcoholics and criminals in Stand by Me; a young Marine about to ship off to Vietnam in Dogfight; a love-struck gay street hustler in My Own Private Idaho. In each role he seemed to be behaving, not acting; every gesture and inflection was instinctive. Off screen, Phoenix was the son of hippies who named him after the river of life from Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha. They moved 40 times, once joining a Christian cult called the Children of God.

His views mirrored theirs, but they were purer, less Boomer-indulgent. He was vegan, and a prominent PETA spokesman, and he once purchased 800 acres of endangered rainforest in Costa Rica. Phoenix, in short, couldn’t stand hypocrisy or artifice; fed up with Hollywood, he retreated from the industry in the early 1990s to focus on his music. He was in every way a reflection of his era—a Generation Xer, like Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, who struggled to stay true to himself and who eventually succumbed to his own desire for escape. It’s no wonder so many young fans identified with him. The question is why so many young fans still identify with him today. America’s celebrity death cult has something to do with it; every sensitive star who died too soon—Marilyn Monroe, Jim Morrison, and so on—is canonized in this country, regardless of talent. But with Phoenix there’s something deeper at work as well. The values of the early 1990s—scorning commercialism and conformity; rebelling against your elders; speaking your mind; championing a cause—aren’t just the values of a single generation.

They’re the values that teenagers always cherish and aspire to, generation after generation. Grunge was teenagerish: the angst, the drama, the volume. Reality Bites was, too. For some cosmic reason, the age itself was adolescent, in the best possible way—and so was its iconic movie star. River Phoenix: the eternal teenager. For anyone who is one, or who has ever been one, he will always be hard to resist. In fact, at a time when our young stars seem especially smooth, groomed, and conformist (see: Efron, Zac) or especially narcissistic, unyouthful, and debauched (see: Lohan, Lindsay), Phoenix’s principled, conflicted, untamed teenagerishness seems more alluring than ever. It is certainly missed. There’s simply no one like him in Hollywood any more. Perhaps Grant Lee Phillips put it best in “Halloween,” a song he wrote shortly after Phoenix's death.

It makes for good, sad listening on a day like today: You were like my own James Byron Dean Private Idaho was my East of Eden Hit me like a stone when I heard you passed On Halloween Death of River Phoenix Is Linked To Use of Cocaine and Morphine - NYTimes.com Death of River Phoenix Is Linked To Use of Cocaine and Morphine By SETH MYDANS, Published: November 13, 1993 LOS ANGELES, Nov. 12— The sudden death of the actor River Phoenix outside a Hollywood nightclub two weeks ago was caused by "acute multiple drug intoxication" involving lethal levels of cocaine and morphine, the Los Angeles County coroner's office said today. The office of the county sheriff said in a separate statement today that its investigation of the 23-year-old actor's death had found "no evidence of foul play," and the coroner's office ruled the death accidental. Mr. Phoenix, a star of films like "My Own Private Idaho" and "Running on Empty," fell into convulsions and died on the sidewalk outside a popular nightclub about 1 A.M. on Oct. 31.

Scott Carrier, a spokesman for the coroner's office, said toxicological tests had found not only the deadly levels of cocaine and morphine but also traces of marijuana, the prescription sedative Valium and an over-the-counter cold medication. Mr. Carrier said that it was not known how Mr. Phoenix had taken the cocaine and morphine but that no needle marks had been found on his body. Convulsions and Motionlessness Mr. Phoenix, who received critical praise for his sensitive acting, had been described as so dedicated to healthy living that he would not eat meat or dairy products. He had been on the cover of not only popular film magazines but also Vegetarian Times. In a desperate 911 call on the night Mr. Phoenix died, his 19-year-old brother, Joaquin, raised the possibility that drugs were involved when he told a dispatcher that Mr. Phoenix "may have had Valium or something." In that call, a tape recording of which was made available by the authorities and played at length on television stations here, Joaquin could be heard in a panicked voice pleading for help and describing Mr. Phoenix's convulsions, followed by a sudden lapse into motionlessness.

The actor was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, about two miles from the nightclub, the Viper Room, which is partly owned by the singer and actor Johnny Depp. Mr. Phoenix arrived at the hospital in full cardiac arrest and was soon pronounced dead. Mr. Carrier said today that the findings of the coroner, Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, were being released immediately upon their determination because of public interest in the death and that no written reports of the toxicological tests were yet available. "Working with the Sheriff's Department, they determined that no foul play was involved," Mr. Carrier said of the coroner's investigators. "No evidence of foul play is suspected by them at this point in their investigation. So with that in mind, we determined this to be an accidental death." 'No Needle Marks' And Rich Erickson, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, said that because there was no evidence of foul play, the case was closed. Mr. Carrier, as well as experts on drugs, said that because of differing individual tolerances to drugs, it was impossible to determine how long before Mr.

Phoenix died he had taken the morphine and cocaine that killed him, or exactly how much he had taken. As for how Mr. Phoenix had taken the drugs, Mr. Carrier said: "There were no needle marks. Maybe it was ingested, maybe it was inhaled. How it was introduced into his body is unknown at this time." Reached by The Associated Press late today, Susan Patricola, a spokeswoman for Mr. Phoenix, said she hoped the findings would prove instructive, especially to young people. "Hopefully it's a wake-up call to the world," she said. "It leaves you to question why are young people compelled to do this. If any good can come from this death, it can come from saving someone's life." Studio executives had viewed Mr. Phoenix as a promising actor who worked hard at his craft. At the time of his death, he was finishing work on a movie called "Dark Blood" and was next scheduled to appear in the film version of Anne Rice's best-seller "Interview with a Vampire." Mr. Phoenix had a Bohemian childhood, spending his youth with his parents, John and Arlyn Phoenix, missionaries for a religious sect, in Venezuela, Oregon, Texas and Florida.

He was named for the river of life in the Herman Hesse novel "Siddhartha."

Question: How old was River Phoenix when he died?
Answer: 23