River Phoenix: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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'''River Jude Phoenix''' ({{né |'''Bottom'''}}; August 23, 1970 – October 31, 1993) was an American actor and musician. Phoenix was known as a [[teen actor]] before taking on [[lead role|leading roles]] in critically acclaimed films. He received numerous accolades including the [[Volpi Cup for Best Actor|Volpi Cup]] and the [[Independent Spirit Award]] as well as nominations for an [[Academy Award]], and [[Golden Globe Award]].

Phoenix grew up in an [[Wikt:itinerant|itinerant]] family, as the older brother of [[Rain Phoenix]], [[Joaquin Phoenix]], [[Liberty Phoenix]], and [[Summer Phoenix]]. He began his acting career at age 10 in television commercials.<ref name="NYTimes">{{cite news|last1=Weinraub|first1=Bernard|date=November 2, 1993|title=Death of River Phoenix Jolts the Movie Industry|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/02/us/death-of-river-phoenix-jolts-the-movie-industry.html|access-date=July 4, 2014}}</ref> His early film roles include ''[[Explorers (film)|Explorers]]'' (1985), ''[[Stand by Me (film)|Stand by Me]]'' (1986), and ''[[The Mosquito Coast (film)|The Mosquito Coast]]'' (1986). Phoenix made a transition into more adult-oriented roles earning a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for his role in the [[Sidney Lumet]] drama ''[[Running on Empty (1988 film)|Running on Empty]]'' (1988). He earned the [[Volpi Cup for Best Actor]] and the [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead]] for his performance as [[Mikey Waters|Michael Waters]], a gay [[Male prostitution|hustler]] in search of his estranged mother in the [[Gus Van Sant]] drama ''[[My Own Private Idaho]]'' (1991).

Phoenix died at age 23 from [[combined drug intoxication]] in [[West Hollywood]] in the early hours of [[Halloween]], 1993, having overdosed on [[cocaine]] and [[heroin]] (a mixture commonly known as [[Speedball (drug)|speedball]]) at [[The Viper Room]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Edwards |first1=Gavin |title=River Phoenix's Tragic Overdose: Dan Aykroyd Warned Him About Heroin Dependency |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/scandal/2013/10/river-phoenix-overdose-dan-aykroyd |magazine=Vanity Fair |access-date=April 19, 2022 |date=October 17, 2013}}</ref>