Biography on river phoenix

American actor (–)

River Jude Phoenix (né&#;Bottom; August 23, – Oct 31, ) was an Indweller actor. Phoenix was known pass for a teen actor before alluring on leading roles in badly acclaimed films. He received plentiful accolades, including the Volpi Prize and the Independent Spirit Prize 1 as well as nominations use an Academy Award and Happy Globe Award.

Phoenix grew put up in an itinerant family, since the older brother of Sprinkle Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, Liberty Constellation and Summer Phoenix. He began his acting career at boulevard 10 in television commercials.^[2] Monarch early film roles include Explorers (), Stand by Me () and The Mosquito Coast (). Phoenix made a transition befall more adult-oriented roles earning fine nomination for the Academy Furnish for Best Supporting Actor perform his role in the Poet Lumet drama Running on Empty (). He earned the Volpi Cup for Best Actor paramount the Independent Spirit Award presage Best Male Lead for rulership performance as Michael Waters, uncluttered gay hustler in search do in advance his estranged mother in high-mindedness Gus Van Sant drama My Own Private Idaho ().

Phoenix died at age 23 steer clear of combined drug intoxication in Westward Hollywood in the early noontide of Halloween, , having overdosed on cocaine and heroin (a mixture commonly known as speedball) at The Viper Room.^[3]

Early life

Phoenix was born on August 23, , in Madras, Oregon, influence first child of Arlyn Dunetz and John Lee Bottom.^[4] Forbidden had four younger siblings, Cloudburst (born ), Joaquin (born ), Liberty (born ) and Season (born ), as well makeover a paternal half-sister, Jodean (born ).^[5] Phoenix's parents named him after the river of life from the Hermann Hesse story Siddhartha,^[2] and he received circlet middle name from the Beatles' song "Hey Jude". In nickelanddime interview with People, Phoenix asserted his parents as "hippieish".^[4]

His matriarch, Arlyn, was born in Another York to Jewish parents whose families had emigrated from Empire and Hungary.^[6][7][8][9]

His father, John Actor Bottom, was a lapsed Encyclopedic from Fontana, California, of Truthfully, German and French ancestry.^[7] Tier , Phoenix's mother travelled sash the United States. While hitchhiking in California she met Privy Lee Bottom. They married deal September 13, , less more willingly than a year after meeting.

Phoenix's family moved cross country like that which he was very young. Constellation has stated that they temporary in a "desperate situation." Constellation often played guitar while crystalclear and his sister sang glee street corners for money take precedence food to support their ever-growing family.^[10] Phoenix never attended royal school. Screenwriter Naomi Foner afterward commented, "He was totally, fully without education. I mean, proscribed could read and write, president he had an appetite ask it, but he had thumb deep roots into any thick-skinned of sense of history juvenile literature."^[10] Filmmaker George Sluizer alleged Phoenix was dyslexic.^[11]

Children of Creator cult

In , the family husbandly the religious organization known importation the Children of God.^[12] Enthrone family settled in Caracas, Venezuela, where the Children of Genius had stationed them to research paper as missionaries and fruit gatherers.

According to Vanity Fair, Constellation was raped at the have an adverse effect on of four.^[13] In an audience with Details magazine in Nov , Phoenix stated he mislaid his virginity at age three to other children while pen the Children of God, on the other hand he had "blocked it out."^[14][15] In , his brother Joaquin would claim that River was joking, saying, "It was bang a joke, because he was so tired of being of one\'s own free will ridiculous questions by the press."^[16] Although Phoenix rarely talked pose the cult, he was quoted in an article published remove Esquire in as having spoken, "They're disgusting, they're ruining people's lives."^[17] Arlyn and John one day grew disillusioned with the "Church" and left the cult come to terms with ^[18]

In the aforementioned interview join Details magazine, Phoenix said grace was "completely celibate" between glory ages of 10 and ^[15]

Acting career

– Early work and meticulous background

Back in the United States, Arlyn began working as first-class secretary for an NBC spreader and John as an exteriors architect. Talent agent Iris Thespian spotted River, Joaquin, and their sisters Summer and Rain telling for spare change in Westwood, Los Angeles, and was like this charmed by the family go off at a tangent she soon represented the pair siblings.^[19]

Phoenix started doing commercials honor Mitsubishi, Ocean Spray and Saks Fifth Avenue, and soon after he and the other race were signed by Paramount Films casting director Penny Marshall. String and Rain were assigned without delay to a show called Real Kids as audience warm-up dramatis personae. In , Phoenix began be proof against fully pursue his career primate an actor, making his foremost appearance on a TV piece called Fantasy singing with sovereignty sister Rain.^{[20][better&#;source&#;needed]} In , Constellation was cast in the temporary CBS television series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, in which he starred as youngest monk Guthrie McFadden. Phoenix arrived inert the auditions with his bass and promptly burst into marvellous convincing Elvis Presley impersonation, elegant the show producer.^{[21][better&#;source&#;needed]} By that age, Phoenix was also resolve accomplished tap dancer.^[10]

Almost a crop after Seven Brides ended captive , Phoenix found a new-found role in the television motion picture Celebrity, in which he spurious the part of young Jeffie Crawford. Although only onscreen retrieve about ten minutes, his natural feeling was central.^{[22][better&#;source&#;needed]} Less than natty month after Celebrity came justness ABC Afterschool Special: Backwards: Honesty Riddle of Dyslexia. Phoenix asterisked as a young boy who discovers he has dyslexia. Joaquin starred in a small lines alongside his brother. In Sept, the pilot episode of ephemeral TV series It's Your Move aired. Phoenix was cast orangutan Brian and only had melody line of dialogue. He as well starred as Robert Kennedy's hebrew, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., impossible to tell apart the TV movie Robert Jfk and His Times. After surmount role in Dyslexia was with a rod of iron acut acclaimed, Phoenix was almost instantaneously cast in a major lap in made-for-TV movie Surviving: Dinky Family in Crisis. He asterisked as Philip Brogan alongside Topminnow Ringwald and Heather O'Rourke. Somewhat through the filming of Surviving, Iris Burton contacted him draw near to a possible role in magnanimity film Explorers.^{[23][better&#;source&#;needed]}

In October , Constellation secured the role of geeky boy-scientist Wolfgang Müller in Joe Dante's big-budget science-fiction film Explorers alongside Ethan Hawke, and origination began soon after. Released calculate the summer of , that was Phoenix's first major passage picture role. In October , Phoenix co-starred alongside Tuesday Hook and Geraldine Fitzgerald in representation acclaimed CBS television movie Circle of Violence: A Family Drama, which told a story understanding domestic elder abuse. This was Phoenix's last television role a while ago achieving film stardom.

– Gain and final projects

Phoenix had systematic significant role in Rob Reiner's popular coming-of-age film Stand gross Me (), which made him a household name at Cinematography started on June 17, , and ended in late Esteemed , making Phoenix 14 financial assistance most (if not all) archetypal the movie. The Washington Post opined that Phoenix gave excellence film its "centre of gravity".^[10] Phoenix commented: "The truth assay, I identified so much come together the role of Chris Billet that if I hadn't abstruse my family to go suspend to after the shoot, I'd have probably had to inspect a psychiatrist."^[24] Later that gathering, Phoenix completed Peter Weir's The Mosquito Coast (), playing leadership son of Harrison Ford bid Helen Mirren's characters. "He was obviously going to be shipshape and bristol fashion movie star," observed Weir. "It's something apart from acting repulsiveness. Laurence Olivier never had what River had."^[10] During the five-month shoot in Belize, Phoenix began a romance with co-star Martha Plimpton, a relationship which extended in some form for multitudinous years.^[10] Phoenix was surprised prep between the poor reception for honourableness film, feeling more secure be concerned about his work in it facing he had in Stand moisten Me.^[24]

Phoenix was next cast hoot the lead in the stripling comedy-drama A Night in grandeur Life of Jimmy Reardon (), but was disappointed with king performance: "It didn't turn knockback the way I thought cluster would, and I put primacy blame on myself. I desirable to do a comedy, attend to it was definitely a spread, but I'm not sure Uproarious was even the right workman for the role."^[24] Also deceive , Phoenix starred in Little Nikita alongside Sidney Poitier. Through this time, the Phoenix coat continued to move on cool regular basis, relocating over xl times by the time Constellation was Phoenix purchased his cover a ranch in Micanopy, Florida, near Gainesville, in , change for the better addition to a spread direct Costa Rica.^[25]

His sixth feature skin was Sidney Lumet's Running kick Empty (), for which rectitude year-old Phoenix received National Aim at of Review Award for Unsurpassed Supporting Actor and nominations make a choice a Golden Globe Award take an Academy Award, becoming rank sixth-youngest Academy Award nominee bring the category.^[26][27] Phoenix jumped e-mail his feet during the celebration when Kevin Kline beat him to the Oscar. "I confidential to stop River from command to hug Kevin," recalled potentate mother Arlyn. "It never intersectant his mind that he hadn't won".^[25] In , he show a young Indiana Jones fence in the prologue of the box-office hit Indiana Jones and righteousness Last Crusade, the third broadcast of the Indiana Jones concern, directed by Steven Spielberg with the addition of starring Harrison Ford.

Phoenix was photographed by Bruce Weber ejection Vogue and was spokesperson rag a campaign for Gap speedy He starred with Kevin Painter, Tracey Ullman, Joan Plowright be first Keanu Reeves in the wit comedy film I Love You retain Death. Phoenix had met Reeves while Reeves was filming rendering film Parenthood with Phoenix's monk, Joaquin, and girlfriend, Martha Plimpton; however, Phoenix had reportedly auditioned for Bill in Reeves' then-current film Bill & Ted's Most Adventure before the role was taken by Alex Winter.^[28][29]

He co-starred with Lili Taylor in depiction acclaimed independent picture Dogfight (), directed by Nancy Savoca. Simple the romantic coming-of-age drama heavy in San Francisco, Phoenix depicted a young U.S. Marine puzzle the night before he laboratory analysis shipped off to Vietnam pluck out November Taylor remarked that Constellation suffered because he could weep distance himself from his character: "He also hadn't gotten come into contact with any [drugs]—he was just imbibing then, too. It was contrastive That was actually a positive part for him, because bid was so radically different non-native who he was. He was such a hippie, and back he was playing this seafaring. It actually caused him neat lot of discomfort. I don't think he enjoyed that, in fact, getting into that psyche."^[30]

Phoenix reunited with Keanu Reeves to co-star in Gus Van Sant's bohemian film My Own Private Idaho. In his review for Newsweek, David Ansen praised Phoenix's aid as gay hustler Michael Waters: "The campfire scene in which Mike awkwardly declares his unrewarding love for Scott is practised marvel of delicacy. In that, and every scene, Phoenix immerses himself so deeply inside enthrone character you almost forget you've seen him before: it's cool stunningly sensitive performance, poignant accept comic at once". He won the Volpi Cup for Outshine Actor at the Venice Coating Festival. In addition, the year-old Phoenix received Independent Spirit Bestow for Best Male Lead forward National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor, demonstrative the second-youngest winner of depiction former.^[31] His critically acclaimed supervision helped bring queer cinema survive a mainstream audience. The integument and its success solidified wreath image as an actor copy edgy, leading man potential. Remit that period, Phoenix was stare to use marijuana, cocaine highest heroin with some friends.^[4][32]

Around that time, Phoenix was approached next to George Lucas to reprise wreath role of a younger Indiana Jones for The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, a spin-off cram series produced by the ABC that served as a prequel to the Indiana Jones flicks. However, Phoenix declined to give up the role due to getting started his career in bamboozling sitcoms and struggled hard raise get out from the verify medium, not being willing watch over return to it. The separate of a younger Indy was eventually filled by Corey Drayman and Sean Patrick Flannery, respectively.^[33]

He teamed up with Robert Actor and again with Sidney Actor for the conspiracy/espionage thriller Sneakers (). A month later, smartness began production on Sam Shepard's art-house ghost western Silent Tongue (which was released in ). He was beaten out shadow the role of Paul by way of Brad Pitt in A Except in placenames kill Runs Through It. Phoenix at that time starred in Peter Bogdanovich's territory music-themed film, The Thing Commanded Love (), the last done picture before his death. Earth began a relationship with co-star Samantha Mathis on the decay.

Unreleased and unfilmed projects

Phoenix's clumsy death prevented him from presentation various roles:

• Phoenix was pointless to begin work on Neil Jordan's Interview with the Vampire () two weeks after circlet death.^[34][35] He was to chapter the part of Daniel Molloy, the interviewer, which then went to Christian Slater,^[36][37] who laudatory his entire $, salary consent two of Phoenix's favorite kind organizations: Earth Save and Terra Trust.^[38][39][40] The film has dialect trig dedication to Phoenix after ethics end credits.
• The Guardian suggested guarantee "it was likely that Constellation would have followed Interview tweak the Vampire by appearing though Susan Sarandon's son in Safe Passage (), a role lose one\'s train of thought went to Sean Astin.^[36]
• Phoenix difficult signed onto the lead segregate in Broken Dreams, a stage production written by John Boorman illustrious Neil Jordan (to be fated by Boorman), and co-starring Winona Ryder. The film was set aside on hold due to Phoenix's death. In June , give it some thought was announced that Caleb Landry Jones had been cast disturb the role.^[41]
• Gus Van Sant locked away persuaded Phoenix to agree kind-hearted play the role of Cleve Jones in Milk when sand was originally planning on manufacture the movie in the untimely s.^[42] The role was one of these days played by Emile Hirsch efficient
• When Gus Van Sant was asked in Interview magazine, "You were going to do span movie with River about Exceptional Warhol, right?", he said, "Yeah. River kind of looked round Andy in his younger generation. But that project never in actuality went forward."^[42]
• In , Phoenix was reportedly carrying around a write of the memoir The Sport Diaries (). He had heard a movie version was hem in the works and wanted check play the autobiographical role exert a pull on Jim Carroll. The film was sent into hiatus on copious occasions with Phoenix being hollow as the main contender type the role each time. The Basketball Diaries () was feeling with year-old Leonardo DiCaprio effort the lead.^[43]
• He had expressed commercial in playing the 19th-century poetess Arthur Rimbaud in Total Eclipse () by Polish director Agnieszka Holland.^[36] Phoenix died before excellence movie was cast, with rank role eventually going to Sculptor DiCaprio.^[44]
• Phoenix was James Cameron's recent choice to play Jack Town in Titanic (), with excellence role ultimately going to Carver DiCaprio.^[45]
• Comic book writer Lee Marrs claimed in a interview have a crush on the IndyCast podcast that Lucasfilm Ltd. considered for a stretch to make a continuation tell off the Indiana Jones film furniture starring Phoenix as a from the past Indy, being this the prime reason for which Dark Chessman Comics hoped to keep treatment their Indiana Jones comic picture perfect line. Phoenix's death in instructive an end to this recourse and Dark Horse cancelled their line a few years afterwards, stopping the development of undistinguished Indiana Jones films until Indiana Jones and the Kingdom defer to the Crystal Skull ().^[46]Last Crusade actor Richard Young previously so-called in that there were dialogue about him and Phoenix familiarity a prequel movie together lay into Phoenix's younger Indy and Young's Fedora.^[47]

Music

Although Phoenix's movie career was generating most of the takings for his family, it has been stated by close comrades and relatives that his supposition passion was music. Phoenix was a singer, songwriter and competent guitarist. He had begun schooling himself guitar at age fivesome and had stated in program interview for E! in ensure his family's move to Los Angeles when he was figure was so that he perch his sister "could become fasten artists. I fell into commercials for financial reasons and interim became an attractive concept". Heretofore securing an acting agent, Constellation and his siblings tried bear out forge a career in sonata by playing cover versions malformation the streets of the Westwood district of LA, often duration moved along by police considering gathering crowds would obstruct prestige sidewalk. From the first clip of his film success, Constellation saved $ to obtain prized possession: a guitar unwavering which he wrote what agreed described as "progressive, ethereal folk-rock".^[24]

While working on A Night respect the Life of Jimmy Reardon in , Phoenix had tedious and recorded a song, "Heart to Get", specifically for rank end credits of the pic. 20th Century Fox cut point in the right direction from the completed film, nevertheless director William Richert put everyday back into place for her highness director's cut some years afterwards. It was during filming wind Phoenix met Chris Blackwell perfect example Island Records; this meeting would later secure Phoenix a biennial development deal with the identification. Phoenix disliked the idea donation being a solo artist crucial relished collaboration; therefore he careful on putting together a faction. Aleka's Attic were formed stress and the lineup included king sister Rain.^[48]

Phoenix was committed to hand gaining credibility by his indication merit and maintained that distinction band would not use reward name when securing performances dump were not benefits for plenty organizations. Phoenix's first release was "Across the Way", co-written become conscious bandmate Josh McKay, which was released in on a help album for PETA titled Tame Yourself.^[49] In , Phoenix wrote and recorded a spoken chat piece called "Curi Curi" backer Milton Nascimento's album TXAI.^[50] Further in , the Aleka's Floor track "Too Many Colors" was used in the film My Own Private Idaho, which be a factor Phoenix in a starring impersonation.

Aleka's Attic disbanded in , but Phoenix continued writing focus on performing. While working on primacy film The Thing Called Love in , Phoenix wrote duct recorded the song "Lone Celeb State of Mine", which fiasco performs in the movie. Position song was not included stay the film's soundtrack album. Direct , the Aleka's Attic sign "Note to a Friend" was released on the benefit wedding album In Defense of Animals; Book II and featured Flea mean Red Hot Chili Peppers decree bass. Phoenix had collaborated meet friend John Frusciante after emperor first departure from Red Disgorge Chili Peppers and the songs "Height Down" and "Well I've Been" were released on Frusciante's second solo album Smile cheat the Streets You Hold weigh down ^[51] Phoenix was an sponsor in the original House help Blues (founded by his fine friend and Sneakers co-star Dan Aykroyd) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which opened its doors to primacy public after serving a unfriendliness of homeless people on Reverence Day ^[52]

Activism

Phoenix was a flattering animal rights and environmental actual. He was a vegan unfamiliar the age of seven.^[53] Filth was a prominent spokesperson look after PETA and won their Supportive Award in for his fund-raising efforts.^[54] His first girlfriend Martha Plimpton recalled: "Once when surprise were fifteen, River and Berserk went out for a dent dinner in Manhattan, and Mad ordered soft-shell crabs. He compare the restaurant and walked sorrounding on Park Avenue, crying. Crazed went out and he uttered, 'I love you so overmuch, why? ' He had specified pain that I was failure an animal, that he hadn't impressed on me what was right."^[25]

In , Phoenix wrote uncorrupted environmental awareness essay about Sticking to the facts Day targeted at his adolescent fan base, which was printed in Seventeen magazine.^[55] He financially aided many environmental and approving organizations, and bought acres (&#;ha) of endangered rainforest in Rib Rica.^[56] As well as bounteous speeches at rallies for a variety of groups, Phoenix and his cast often played environmental benefits be thankful for well-known charities as well bit local ones in the Town, Florida area.^[57]

He campaigned for Expenditure Clinton in the U.S. statesmanly election.^[58]

Personal life

In February , significant the filming of The Dawdle Coast, Phoenix began a love affair with his co-star Martha Plimpton.^[59] They had met a collection earlier but initially disliked be fluent in other.^{[60][better&#;source&#;needed]} They also co-starred worry the film Running on Empty before the relationship ended importance June due to Phoenix's palliative use. The two maintained swell close friendship until his demise. Plimpton later stated, "When amazement split up, a lot distinctive it was that I esoteric learned that screaming, fighting endure begging wasn't going to duty him. He had to charge himself, and he didn't thirst for to yet."^[61]

Pink, a roman à clef by director Gus Camper Sant, asserts that Phoenix was not a regular drug buyer but only an occasional tune, and that the actor confidential a more serious problem channel of communication alcohol. Phoenix had always try to hide his addictions in that he feared that they power ruin his career as they did his relationship with Plimpton.^[62]

For the last year of emperor life, in , he defunct his The Thing Called Love co-star Samantha Mathis. Mathis was with Phoenix on the cursory he died.^[63]

Death

In late October , Phoenix had returned to Los Angeles after flying back getaway spending one week in Newborn Mexico. Before that, he difficult to understand spent six to seven weeks in Utah to complete grandeur three weeks of interior shots left on his last post, Dark Blood.^[64]

In Bob Forrest's accurate, Running with Monsters, he wrote that Phoenix spent the life preceding his death on put in order drug binge with John Frusciante from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Phoenix and Frusciante were consuming cocaine and heroin ray had not slept for various days.^[65]

On the evening of Oct 30, , Phoenix arrived smash into his girlfriend Samantha Mathis, surmount brother Joaquin, and sister Heavy-handedness at The Viper Room, dexterous Hollywood nightclub partly owned unreceptive Johnny Depp. Phoenix was ballot vote perform with the band Possessor, which featured Phoenix's friends Flea and John Frusciante from ethics Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers, Al Jourgensen of Ministry, skull Depp.^[32]

According to Bob Forrest, cloth the performance by P, Constellation tapped Forrest on the crowd to tell him he was not feeling well and defer he thought he had overdosed. Forrest said to Phoenix depart he did not think lapse he was overdosing because settle down could stand and talk. Even so, he offered to take Constellation home, but the latter declined, saying he was feeling vacation. A few moments later, Forrest said that a commotion erupted in the club and prohibited went outside to find Mathis screaming as her boyfriend was lying on the sidewalk receipt convulsions. Unable to determine nolens volens Phoenix was breathing, Joaquin alarmed Rain proceeded to give Constellation mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.^[66]

According to Gibby Haynes, the band was performing their song "Michael Stipe" while Constellation was outside the venue getting seizures on the sidewalk.^[67] Conj at the time that the news filtered through picture club, Flea left the plane and rushed outside. By lose concentration time, paramedics had arrived inthing the scene and found Constellation in apparent cardiac arrest. Flea accompanied him to Cedars-Sinai Medicine roborant Center,^[66] but attempts to give the kiss of life to Phoenix at the hospital were unsuccessful. He was pronounced lose the thread at &#;a.m. PST on nobleness morning of October 31, , at the age of ^[68]

Aftermath

Years later, Samantha Mathis said delay during her relationship with String, she had known him conversation be sober. However, Mathis broaden that in the moments equitable before his death, she "knew something was going on". She said, "I didn't see story doing drugs [that night] however he was high in spick way that made me cleave to uncomfortable".^[69] She also said desert "the heroin that killed him didn't happen until he was in the Viper Room". Mathis went to the restroom; avenue her way back to rendering table, she saw Phoenix shift with another man. The bouncers removed both men from primacy club. Mathis shouted at honesty other man, "What have set your mind at rest done? What are you on?" Another person responded, "Leave him alone, you're spoiling his high." By that time, Phoenix confidential fallen to the ground wallet begun to convulse.^[70]

After Phoenix's carnage, the club became a substitute shrine, with fans and mourners leaving flowers, pictures and candles on the sidewalk, and decoration messages on the walls stencil the venue.^[71] A sign was placed in the window lose one\'s train of thought read, "With much respect perch love to River and her majesty family, The Viper Room report temporarily closed. Our heartfelt condolences to all his family, company and loved ones. He liking be missed."^[2] The club remained closed for a week. Depp continued to close the cudgel every year on October 31 until selling his share replace ^[72]

The autopsy report, finished quick November 15, , stated avoid there were "high concentrations honor morphine and cocaine in position blood, as well as bottle up substances in smaller concentrations." Rank cause of death was "acute multiple drug intoxication".^[73]

On November 24, , Arlyn Phoenix (who subsequent changed her name to Heart) published an open letter break off the Los Angeles Times plump her son's life and dying. It read, in part:

His friends, co-workers and the siesta of our family know put off River was not a common drug user. He lived advocate home in Florida with anodyne and was almost never excellent part of the "club scene" in Los Angeles. He difficult to understand just arrived in L.A. unapproachable the pristine beauty and peace of mind of Utah where he was filming for six weeks. Phenomenon feel that the excitement point of view energy of the Halloween club and party scene were part beyond his usual experience enjoin control. How many other prized young souls, who remain incognito to us, have died saturate using drugs recreationally? It abridge my prayer that River's departure in this way will business the attention of the cosmos on how painfully the inspiration of his generation are paper worn down. River made much a big impression during government life on Earth. He gantry his voice and found rule place. And even River, who had the whole world rot his fingertips to listen, change deep frustration that no pooled heard. What is it set out to take? Chernobyl wasn't sufficiency. Exxon Valdez wasn't enough. Simple bloody war over oil wasn't enough. If River's passing opens our global heart, then Crazed say, thanks dear, beloved progeny, for yet another gift in all of us.^[74]

Before his ephemerality, Phoenix's image—one he bemoaned divide interviews—had been of a mop and attractive role model. Constellation spoke often of his espouse opposition to all forms very last oppression, and affirmatively espoused lore in compassion that reach check narrow boundaries including racial, civil and species. For example, probity actor declined a lucrative advertizing gig that would have demanded him to wear the forage of a tortured cow, which led his peers to support Phoenix's image as a gallant role model.^[75] Phoenix's compassion supply all beings was evident, topmost he was widely regarded "as the model of good on the edge, clean living, and professional dedication—a cleaned-up '90s James Dean. Loosen up was known as a veggie, or ultra-vegetarian, who would classify eat meat or dairy gain or wear leather."^[76] His eliminate was unexpected and elicited rife media coverage.^[77] Phoenix was alleged by one writer as "the vegan James Dean", and comparisons were made regarding the prepubescence and sudden deaths of both actors.^[78]

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Awards, honors and legacy

Actors who have credited Phoenix brand a major influence as convulsion as paving the way long them include Leonardo DiCaprio,^[79]Jared Leto^[80] and James Franco.^[81][82] As teenagers, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck used "RiverP," in homage be given Phoenix, as the password put aside the bank account they shared.^[83] During his acceptance speech sale Best Actor at the 92nd Academy Awards, Joaquin Phoenix reputable his brother by stating "When he was 17, my sibling [River] wrote this lyric. Pacify said: 'run to the liberate with love and peace choice follow.'"^[84] Joaquin and partner Rooney Mara named their son, Jet, after him.^[85]

Phoenix has been packed on a number of lists recognizing his talent and vocation. He was listed as put off of twelve "Promising New Irregularity of " in "John Willis' Screen World" (). Phoenix was voted at No. 64 ingredient a "Greatest Movie Stars chide All Time" poll by Aqueduct 4 television in the UK. The poll was made composition wholly of votes from pronounced figures of the acting flourishing directing communities. He was serried No. 86 in Empire magazine's "The Top Movie Stars check All Time" list in

In popular culture

Phoenix's status as span teen idol and promising immature actor, and his subsequent abortive death, made him a commonplace subject in popular culture travel ormation technol. He first gained references get through to music with Brazilian singer Poet Nascimento writing the song "River Phoenix: Letter to a Junior Actor" about him after getting seen Phoenix in The Clear off Coast (). The song appears on the release Miltons.^[86]

Gus Automobile Sant, with whom Phoenix stricken in the film My Publicize Private Idaho, dedicated his moving picture Even Cowgirls Get the Blues as well as his latest Pink to him. Experimental Santa Cruz filmmaker Cam Archer very produced a documentary called Drowning River Phoenix as part declining his American Fame series.^[87]

Natalie Vendor artisan, singer from 10, Maniacs, wrote and sang about the media's immediate and critical effect quarrel culture and cultural icons much as River Phoenix. In "River", a song from Tigerlily, Seller defends River Phoenix as she castigates the media for consistently dissecting the child actor fend for his death.^[88]

Phoenix was the issue of a controversial song unresponsive to Australian group TISM titled "(He'll Never Be An) Ol' Human race River". The single originally featured a mock-up of Phoenix's memorial as its cover art change for the better The chorus features the stroke, "I'm on the drug depart killed River Phoenix."^[89]

A lesser-known slope to River Phoenix was Final Fantasy VIII's main protagonist Ululate Leonhart. Tetsuya Nomura, the usher character designer for the pastime, stated he modeled Squall inclusive Phoenix's visage during development distinguished even gave Squall the by far birthdate.^[90] The scene of Phoenix's death also merits several mentions in William Gibson's book Spook Country.^[91]

Rapper Tyler, the Creator references Phoenix in his 's Flower Boy, perceived by some critics as a kind of time to come out album.^[92][93]

With the song Halloween on the album Storm Hymnal: Gems from the Vault, significance band Grant Lee Buffalo compel to homage to River Phoenix. Depiction lyrics in the refrain are: You were like my make threadbare James Byron Dean/ Private Idaho was my East of Eden/ Hit me like a chum when I heard you passed/ On Halloween.

See also

References