Actor. Born August 23, 1970 in Madras, Oregon. River Phoenix was one of the most promising young actors in Hollywood at the time of his death in 1993, at the age of 23. A member of a "second wave" of so-called Brat Packers, Phoenix's name was often mentioned alongside those of Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, and Martha Plimpton, a group that had been very successful as teenagers and held promise for even better work. River Phoenix is remembered as much for his small but impressive body of work as for his tragic death. Breaking onto the big screen in 1986 with Stand By Me, Phoenix also appeared that year in Mosquito Coast opposite Harrison Ford. In 1988, he starred with Martha Plimpton in the drama Running on Empty. He went on to win audiences with his mature performance as a male prostitute in Gus Van Sant’s gritty drama My Own Private Idaho (1991), costarring Keanu Reeves, and his swashbuckling athleticism in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), costarring Harrison Ford and Sean Connery. Other noteworthy films included I Love You To Death (1990), costarring Kevin Kline, Tracey Ullman, and William Hurt; Dogfight (1991) with Lili Taylor; and Sneakers (1992), with Robert Redford and Sidney Poitier. Phoenix came from a large, deeply religious, activist family. Born in a log cabin in Oregon, young River moved with his parents, John and Arlyn, to South America, where they were to minister for a religion called Church of God. However, John and Arlyn broke with the sect over dogmatic differences and soon the family was just scraping by. At that time River had a sister, Rain, with whom he sang in the streets of Caracas, Venezuela, to earn food money when both were under 10 years old. The other Phoenix siblings are Joaquin (once known as Leaf), who is a successful actor in his own right, Summer, and Liberty.

Over the years, River came to be known for his sensitivity, intensity, and dedication to living without hurting fellow creatures. A devout vegan, he refused to wear leather, eat eggs or dairy products, and once lectured fellow actor Christine Lahti for drinking a Diet Coke. Despite the healthy appearance of his lifestyle, Phoenix was a regular at the Viper Room, a private club owned by actor Johnny Depp. The Viper Room had been created as a place where celebrities could escape autograph-seekers. Rumor had it that it was also a place where celebrities could buy and use drugs in private, in a special back room.