River Phoenix

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August 23, 1970

October 31, 1993, Hollywood, California, USA (drug-induced heart failure). His ashes are scattered at the family's Florida Ranch.

River Jude Bottom

Dated actresses Martha Plimpton, Samantha Mathis, and Suzanne Solgot.

Actor

1993 Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (uncredited)

1993 The Thing Called Love

1993 Silent Tongue

1993 Dark Blood

1992 Sneakers

1991 Dogfight

1991 My Own Private Idaho

1990 I Love You to Death

1989 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

1988 Running on Empty

1988 Little Nikita

1988 A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon

1986 The Mosquito Coast

1986 Circle of Violence: A Family Drama (TV movie)

1986 Stand by Me

1985 Family Ties (TV series)

1985 Explorers

1985 Surviving (TV movie)

1985 Robert Kennedy & His Times (TV mini-series)

1984 Hotel (TV series)

1984 It's Your Move (TV series)

1984 ABC Afterschool Specials (TV series)

1984 Celebrity (TV mini-series)

1982-1983 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (TV series)

Appearances

2002 Biography (TV series documentary)

1993 Canceled Lives: Letters from the Inside (video documentary)(voice)

1991 Evolution's End? (video documentary)

1991 Teen Vid II (video)

1990 CBS This Morning (TV series)

1989 The 61st Annual Academy Awards (TV special)

The Academy Awards

1988 Best Supporting Actor Running on Empty (1988) Nominated

Golden Globe Awards

1988 Best Supporting Actor Running on Empty (1988) Nominated

Independent Spirit Award

1991 Best Actor My Own Private Idaho (1991) Win

National Board of Review

1988 Best Supporting Actor Running on Empty (1988) Win

Venice International Film Festival

1991 Volpi Cup for Best Actor My Own Private Idaho (1991) Win

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I would rather quit while I was ahead. There's no need in overstaying your welcome.

"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."]

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Parents were members of the Children of God sect.

The family lived in South America when Phoenix was a child, before returning to the United States in 1977 and changing their surname to “Phoenix.”

Sings a song on John Frusciante's album "Smile from the Streets You Hold."

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.

His date to Johnny Depp's club the evening he died was actress Samantha Mathis.

Ashes scattered at family's Florida Ranch
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