| Net Worth: | $5 Million |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: | August 23, 1970 – October 31, 1993 (23 years old) |
| Gender: | Male |
| Profession: | Movie Actor |
| Nationality: | American |
Former child actor who starred in Stand by Me and earned an Academy Award nomination for his role in Running on Empty. He also played young Indiana Jones in the 1989 blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He tragically died of a drug overdose at the young age of 23.
Growing up, he and his family spent time living with a religious cult called the Children of God. At age ten, he began acting in TV commercials.
His last film was the drama feature Dark Blood. Filming wasn’t completed due to his death and the feature remained incomplete for 19 years before it was finally pieced together and shown at the Netherlands Film Festival in September 2012.
Personal Life
His mother, Arlyn Sharon Phoenix, served as the board president of the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding. His siblings are Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.
He and Ethan Hawke both made their film debuts in the 1985 sci-fi fantasy feature Explorers.
Quotes
“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.”
— River Phoenix
“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.”
— River Phoenix
“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.”
— River Phoenix
“When I was in first grade, everyone made fun of my name, of course. I think it’s kind of a big name to hold up when you’re nine years old. It seemed goofy. I used to tell people I wanted to change the world and they used to think, ‘This kid’s really weird’.”
— River Phoenix
“Commercials were too phony for me. I just didn’t like selling products I didn’t believe in.”
— River Phoenix