River was born River Jude Bottom in Metolius, Oregon, five miles (8 km) south of Madras, Oregon. His mother, Arlyn Sharon (née Dunetz), was born in the Bronx, New York to Jewish parents from Hungary and Russia. His father, John Lee Bottom, was a lapsed Catholic from Fontana, California. In 1968, Phoenix's mother left her family and moved to California, meeting Phoenix's father while hitch-hiking. They married in 1969 and joined the religious cult the Children of God, working as missionaries and fruit pickers in South America. Phoenix had four younger siblings: one brother, Joaquin, and three sisters, Rain, Summer, and Liberty. He also had an older half sister from his father's previous relationship, Jodene (who later changed her name to 'Trust')
After the family left the group and returned to the United States in 1977, they officially adopted the surname "Phoenix" on April 2, 1979 to reflect their rebirth to a new life.
Phoenix grew up in abject poverty; he and his sister provided income for the family singing on the streets of Caracas, Venezuela, where his parents were missionaries. Upon their return to the U.S.A in 1978, he and his family lived for a time with Phoenix's maternal grandparents in Florida before moving to California and eventually settling back in Florida in 1987.
Phoenix grew up in abject poverty; he and his sister provided income for the family singing on the streets of Caracas, Venezuela, where his parents were missionaries. Upon their return to the U.S.A in 1978, he and his family lived for a time with Phoenix's maternal grandparents in Florida before moving to California and eventually settling back in Florida in 1987.
Acting Career
Phoenix pursued a career in show business, encouraged by his parents. He had significant juvenile roles in Joe Dante's Explorers (1985); Rob Reiner's coming of age picture Stand By Me(1986) which first brought Phoenix to public prominence; Peter Weir's The Mosquito Coast 1986) where Phoenix played the son of Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren; A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (1988); and Little Nikita (1988) with Sidney Poitier.
In 1989, at the age of 18, Phoenix was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (as well as for a Golden Globe) and received the Best Supporting Actor honor from the National Board of Review for his role in Sidney Lumet's Running on Empty (1988), considered by critics to be one of River Phoenix's finest films.
At the suggestion of Harrison Ford, Phoenix portrayed the teenage Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) and was offered the role of the young Indiana Jones in the upcoming TV series, which he turned down. Phoenix met actor Keanu Reeves while Reeves was filming Parenthood with Phoenix's brother, Joaquin. River later went on to star opposite Reeves (along with Kevin Kline and Tracy Ullman) in 1990's I Love You To Death; and again with Reeves in Gus Van Sant's avant-garde film My Own Private Idaho for which Phoenix won Best Actor honors at the Venice Film Festival, the National Society of Film Critics and the Independent Spirit Awards the film solidifying Phoenix's image as an actor with edgy, leading man potential. At a press screening for My Own Private Idaho at the New York Film Festival Phoenix correctly predicted a large number of gay-themed films were "on the horizon". (His friendship with both Reeves and Van Sant continued until his death). Just prior to My Own Private Idaho, he filmed an acclaimed independent picture called Dogfight co-starring Lili Taylor and directed by Nancy Savoca, in which Phoenix portrayed a young U.S. Marine on the night prior to his being shipped off to Vietnam in November 1963.
After losing out on the Brad Pitt role in Robert Redford's film A River Runs Through It, Phoenix teamed up with Redford and again with Sidney Poitier for the heist thriller Sneakers (1992). He then appeared in Peter Bogdanovich's country music-themed film, The Thing Called Love(1993); it was his last completed picture before his death. Phoenix's co-star in the film, Samantha Mathis, became his girlfriend in real life.
After his death in 1993, his last picture, Sam Shepard's art-house, ghost western Silent Tongue (1994), was released; it had been filmed prior to The Thing Called Love. Phoenix was still working on George Sluizer's post-apocalyptic Dark Blood which was three weeks from completion at the time of his death. 90% completed, the film was never released, as Phoenix's death made it impossible for the filmmakers to film several key scenes.
Phoenix was being considered for the role of Jim Carroll, the drug addicted teen in the 1995 drama The Basketball Diaries and Arthur Rimbaud in Total Eclipse. After his death, Leonardo DiCaprio was cast in both roles. Author Anne Rice had also wanted Phoenix cast in the role of Lestat in the film version of Interview with the Vampire and Phoenix became attached to the project; however, when the producer wanted a more consistently bankable actor for the part, Tom Cruise was hired (against Rice's initial outrage). Phoenix remained with the picture and was to appear as the interviewer, Daniel Molloy, a role that ultimately ended up going to Christian Slater following Phoenix's death. The film was dedicated to him and Slater donated his salary from the film to Phoenix's favorite charities.
Generally regarded by critics at the time as the most promising young actor on the cusp of the '80s and '90s, River and younger brother Joaquin would later go on to become the first brothers in Hollywood history to be nominated for an Oscar in the acting categories.
In 1989, at the age of 18, Phoenix was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (as well as for a Golden Globe) and received the Best Supporting Actor honor from the National Board of Review for his role in Sidney Lumet's Running on Empty (1988), considered by critics to be one of River Phoenix's finest films.
At the suggestion of Harrison Ford, Phoenix portrayed the teenage Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) and was offered the role of the young Indiana Jones in the upcoming TV series, which he turned down. Phoenix met actor Keanu Reeves while Reeves was filming Parenthood with Phoenix's brother, Joaquin. River later went on to star opposite Reeves (along with Kevin Kline and Tracy Ullman) in 1990's I Love You To Death; and again with Reeves in Gus Van Sant's avant-garde film My Own Private Idaho for which Phoenix won Best Actor honors at the Venice Film Festival, the National Society of Film Critics and the Independent Spirit Awards the film solidifying Phoenix's image as an actor with edgy, leading man potential. At a press screening for My Own Private Idaho at the New York Film Festival Phoenix correctly predicted a large number of gay-themed films were "on the horizon". (His friendship with both Reeves and Van Sant continued until his death). Just prior to My Own Private Idaho, he filmed an acclaimed independent picture called Dogfight co-starring Lili Taylor and directed by Nancy Savoca, in which Phoenix portrayed a young U.S. Marine on the night prior to his being shipped off to Vietnam in November 1963.
After losing out on the Brad Pitt role in Robert Redford's film A River Runs Through It, Phoenix teamed up with Redford and again with Sidney Poitier for the heist thriller Sneakers (1992). He then appeared in Peter Bogdanovich's country music-themed film, The Thing Called Love(1993); it was his last completed picture before his death. Phoenix's co-star in the film, Samantha Mathis, became his girlfriend in real life.
After his death in 1993, his last picture, Sam Shepard's art-house, ghost western Silent Tongue (1994), was released; it had been filmed prior to The Thing Called Love. Phoenix was still working on George Sluizer's post-apocalyptic Dark Blood which was three weeks from completion at the time of his death. 90% completed, the film was never released, as Phoenix's death made it impossible for the filmmakers to film several key scenes.
Phoenix was being considered for the role of Jim Carroll, the drug addicted teen in the 1995 drama The Basketball Diaries and Arthur Rimbaud in Total Eclipse. After his death, Leonardo DiCaprio was cast in both roles. Author Anne Rice had also wanted Phoenix cast in the role of Lestat in the film version of Interview with the Vampire and Phoenix became attached to the project; however, when the producer wanted a more consistently bankable actor for the part, Tom Cruise was hired (against Rice's initial outrage). Phoenix remained with the picture and was to appear as the interviewer, Daniel Molloy, a role that ultimately ended up going to Christian Slater following Phoenix's death. The film was dedicated to him and Slater donated his salary from the film to Phoenix's favorite charities.
Generally regarded by critics at the time as the most promising young actor on the cusp of the '80s and '90s, River and younger brother Joaquin would later go on to become the first brothers in Hollywood history to be nominated for an Oscar in the acting categories.
Musician
Although Phoenix's movie career was generating most of the income for his family, many believe that his true passion was music. Phoenix was a singer, song writer and an accomplished guitarist. He formed his own band, Aleka's Attic, which included his sister Rain, and, on occasion, Michael "Flea" Balzary of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1988. Phoenix's first released track was 'Across the Way', co-written with bandmate Josh McKay, which was released in 1989 on a benefit album for PETA entitled "Tame Yourself". Whilst working on A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon in 1986 Phoenix had written and recorded a song, "Heart to Get", specifically for the end credits of the movie. 20th Century Fox cut it from the completed film, but director William Richert put it back into place for his director's cut some years later. In 1991 River wrote and recorded a spoken word piece called "Curi Curi" for Milton Nascimento's album TXAI. Also in 1991 the Aleka's Attic track "Too Many Colors" was lent to the soundtrack of Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho a film which included Phoenix in a starring role. In 1992 River worked with producer and friend T-Bone Burnett on some songs for his final completed film The Thing Called Love. Phoenix performed all his character's songs himself and wrote the song "Lone Star State of Mine" especially for the movie. In 1996 a second Aleka's Attic track was released, "Note to a Friend" was included on a PETA compilation album In Defense of Animals Volume II. He appeared on Red Hot Chili Peppers' guitarist and close friend John Frusciante's second solo album Smile from the Streets You Hold on the songs "Height Down" and "Well, I've Been". Phoenix was also close friends with Michael Stipe of the band R.E.M. At the time of his death Phoenix had been working on an album with Aleka's Attic (then consisting of a different line-up). The album, although close to completion, was shelved after Phoenix's death due to three of the musicians declining to sign artistic release forms to this day.
Death
On October 31, 1993, Phoenix, age 23, collapsed from a drug overdose of heroin and cocaine (known as a speedball) outside the Viper Room, a Hollywood night club partially owned by actor Johnny Depp until 2004. On the night of Phoenix's death, following a last minute refusal to perform music on stage, he was in the bathroom taking drugs with various friends and dealers. It is reported that an acquaintance offered him some Persian Brown (a powerful form of methamphetamine mixed with opiates, which is then snorted) and soon after consuming the drug he became ill. Upon leaving The Viper Room, he collapsed onto the sidewalk and began convulsing for eight minutes. His brother Joaquin, sister Rain and actress Samantha Mathis were at the scene. Joaquin dialed 911; during the call Joaquin was unable to determine whether River was breathing. Phoenix had, in fact, already stopped breathing. Paramedics arrived on the scene and found Phoenix in asystole (flat line), when they administered drugs in an attempt to restart his heart. He was rushed to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center via an ambulance. Further attempts to resuscitate Phoenix (including the insertion of a pacemaker) were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 1:51 a.m. PST on the morning of October 31, 1993.
Filmography
1985
Explorers
Wolfgang Muller
Won: Young Artist Award: Exceptional performance by a young actor
1986
Stand by Me
Chris Chambers
Won: Young Artist Award: Jackie Coogan Award ( shared with Corey Feldman, Wil Wheaton and Jerry O'Connell)
The Mosquito Coast
Charlie Fox
Won: Young Artist Award: Best Young Male in a motion picture
1988
A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon
Jimmy Reardon
Little Nikita
Jeff Grant
Running on Empty
Danny Pope/Michael Manfield
Nominated: Academy Award: Best Supporting ActorNominated: Golden Globe: Best Supporting ActorWon: National Board of Review, Best Supporting Actor
1989
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Young Indy
1990
I Love You to Death
Devo Nod
1991
My Own Private Idaho
Mike Waters
Won: Venice Film Festival: Volpi Cup, Best ActorWon: National Society of Film Critics: Best ActorWon: Independent Spirit Award: Best Actor
Dogfight
Eddie Birdlace
1992
Sneakers
Carl Arbegast
1993
The Thing Called Love
James Wright
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Pilgrim (uncredited cameo)
Dark Blood (incomplete & unreleased)
Boy
1994
Silent Tongue (filmed in 1992)
Talbot Roe
Television work
Year
Title
Awards & Nominations
1982-83
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Nominated: 1982 Young Artist Award: Best performance (TV series)Won: 1983 Young Artist Award: Best performance (TV series)
1984
Celebrity (miniseries)
1984
Backwards: The Riddle Of Dyslexia (drama)
Nominated: Young Artist Award: Best Young Actor in a film made for television (shared with Joaquin Phoenix)
1985
Robert Kennedy & His Times (miniseries)
1985
Surviving
Won: Young Artist Award: Best Young Actor (Television special)
1986
Circle of Violence: A Family Drama
Explorers
Wolfgang Muller
Won: Young Artist Award: Exceptional performance by a young actor
1986
Stand by Me
Chris Chambers
Won: Young Artist Award: Jackie Coogan Award ( shared with Corey Feldman, Wil Wheaton and Jerry O'Connell)
The Mosquito Coast
Charlie Fox
Won: Young Artist Award: Best Young Male in a motion picture
1988
A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon
Jimmy Reardon
Little Nikita
Jeff Grant
Running on Empty
Danny Pope/Michael Manfield
Nominated: Academy Award: Best Supporting ActorNominated: Golden Globe: Best Supporting ActorWon: National Board of Review, Best Supporting Actor
1989
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Young Indy
1990
I Love You to Death
Devo Nod
1991
My Own Private Idaho
Mike Waters
Won: Venice Film Festival: Volpi Cup, Best ActorWon: National Society of Film Critics: Best ActorWon: Independent Spirit Award: Best Actor
Dogfight
Eddie Birdlace
1992
Sneakers
Carl Arbegast
1993
The Thing Called Love
James Wright
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Pilgrim (uncredited cameo)
Dark Blood (incomplete & unreleased)
Boy
1994
Silent Tongue (filmed in 1992)
Talbot Roe
Television work
Year
Title
Awards & Nominations
1982-83
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Nominated: 1982 Young Artist Award: Best performance (TV series)Won: 1983 Young Artist Award: Best performance (TV series)
1984
Celebrity (miniseries)
1984
Backwards: The Riddle Of Dyslexia (drama)
Nominated: Young Artist Award: Best Young Actor in a film made for television (shared with Joaquin Phoenix)
1985
Robert Kennedy & His Times (miniseries)
1985
Surviving
Won: Young Artist Award: Best Young Actor (Television special)
1986
Circle of Violence: A Family Drama
