As of today, we still often hear about celebrities in the entertainment industry who had a bright future ahead, but due to an unpredictable tragedy, had their careers cut short in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, River Phoenix was one of them.
Born River Jude Bottom on August 23rd, 1970, inside a log cabin in the state of Oregon, this young man had an unusual, yet extraordinary way of life from the beginning. His parents were John Bottom and Arlyn Dunetz, who would later change her name to Heart Phoenix.
Both met while hitchhiking in California and were married a short time after. They traveled along the West Coast, picking fruits and vegetables along the way, and it was around that time that their first son, River, was born. He was named after the river of life from Hermann Hesse’s novel Sidhartha, and his surname came from The Beatles’ song “Hey Jude”.
River was the older brother of siblings Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer. All of them had nature-inspired names, except Joaquin, who was born in Puerto Rico as Joaquin Rafael Bottom, and for a brief period took on the name of “Leaf” because he wanted to have a name that was like those of his siblings. The girls were named Rain Joan of Arc, Liberty Butterfly (Libertad Mariposa), and Summer Joy.
From the ages of 3 to 7, River lived in Venezuela, where he taught himself to play the guitar and sang with his younger sister Rain on the streets of Caracas to earn money. At the time, their parents were missionaries working for the controversial cult Children of God. The family also lived for some time in Mexico and Puerto Rico. After growing disillusioned with the cult´s practices, they returned to the United States, where their youngest child, Summer, was born in Florida.
In the USA, the family legally adopted the surname “Phoenix” and embraced veganism as their new diet and lifestyle. During his artistic career and short period of life, River was a strong advocate for animal rights and environmental issues, in a time when the subject was not so well discussed. In one of his famously reasonable sayings, he stated:
“It’s not about a career. It’s about believing in something… it’s about caring and emphasizing and wanting to create the best, the most true to life, the most real”.
The beginning of a notorious career
Upon returning to their country of origin, Arlyn got a job as an executive secretary for NBC. She later went on to hire agent Iris Burton to represent her five children. Instead of enrolling them in school, she opted to have her children pursue careers in the entertainment industry.
Hence, River never had any formal schooling. Besides being considered one of the preeminent talents of his generation, River was also a passionate singer and accomplished guitar player, which he mainly showed through his band “Aleka’s Attic”, where his sister Rain also participated doing vocals. In a film career that spawned both theatrical and television works, here are some of his most famous roles:
- Stand by Me (1986)
This 1980s film, adapted from Stephen King´s novella The Body, introduces us to four boys who set out to find the body of a missing boy during a holiday. Together they share moments of friendship, grief, and self-discovery in this classic coming-of-age story, which will be celebrating its 40th anniversary next year.
- The Mosquito Coast (1986)
Released in the same year as the previous film, The Mosquito Coast is based on the novel of the same name by Paul Theroux and follows the life of an inventor and family man who becomes disillusioned with the American capitalistic concept of life. By that, he decides to move with his family to the jungles of Central America to build his own utopia, but consequences come with it.
- Running on Empty (1988)
Nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, here River Phoenix plays the older son of a counterculture couple on the run from the FBI due to an anti-war protest, leaving a man severely wounded, and he has to choose between living his own life or staying with his parents.
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
We’ve all heard of this famous raider, but not everyone knows that another actor filled his shoes for a brief cameo at the beginning of this film. River Phoenix portrays a young Indy and was personally recommended for the role by Harrison Ford after they had worked together on The Mosquito Coast. Ford said to director Steven Spielberg that, of all the young actors in the industry at that time, Phoenix was the one who looked most like him.
- My Own Private Idaho (1991)
In this independent production directed by Gus Van Sant, River co-stars with Keanu Reeves playing Mike, a gay street hustler who has narcoleptic episodes and navigates the rough business with Reeves, who portrays his best friend as their search for Mike’s biological mother. The film is considered a landmark of New Queer Cinema, with Phoenix winning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his role.
After working together, Phoenix and Reeves became best friends in real life.
One specific thing not all people know is the friendship River Phoenix formed with Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento. It all began when Milton was on tour in the United States and saw Phoenix through his films Stand by Me and The Mosquito Coast, and became impressed with his performances. Then Nascimento composed and recorded the song “River Phoenix (Carta a um Jovem Ator)”.
An impact left on others
River Phoenix’s unexpected death left a number of people with sadness, combined with mutual respect and admiration. Even nowadays, some of his co-stars or even others who hadn’t worked with Phoenix still speak of him in a bittersweet manner about how he served as an inspiration either in or out of the business.
Ethan Hawke, River’s co-star on Joe Dante’s 1985 film Explorers, has sung his praises more than once in interviews.
Wil Wheaton, River’s scene partner in Stand by Me, has said numerous times about the friendship they both had during filming and for a period after, but mostly how he felt then and still feels now about his death.
Weeks before Phoenix’s sudden death, he was originally set to star in the adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, playing the young interviewer. Christian Slater ended up taking the role on the condition that he donated his salary to the charitable organizations supported by Phoenix.
Gone, but not forgotten
River Phoenix may have left the world too soon, but the messages he left and the emotions felt when people watch his films are irreplaceable. His memory is carried in the minds and hearts of those who knew him, and even those who didn’t, but one thing is certain: while he wasn’t perfect, he was out of the ordinary.
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The article above was edited by Isabelle Bignardi.
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