River Phoenix
Known for Acting · 38 credits
- Born
- 1970-08-23
- Died
- 1993-10-31
- Place of birth
- Metolius, Oregon USA
- Also known as
- River Jude Phoenix · Rio Jude Phoenix · River Jude Bottom
Biography
River Jude Phoenix (née Bottom; August 23, 1970 – October 31, 1993) was an American actor, musician, and activist.
Phoenix grew up in an itinerant family, as the oldest brother of Rain Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, Liberty Phoenix, and Summer Phoenix. He had no formal schooling, but he showed an instinctive talent for the guitar, and he played and sang on the streets for money. He began his acting career at age 10 in a handful of television commercials. He starred in the science fiction adventure film Explorers (1985) and had his breakthrough role in 1986's Stand by Me, a coming-of-age film based on the novella The Body by Stephen King.
Phoenix made a transition into more adult-oriented roles with Running on Empty (1988), playing Danny Pope, the son of fugitive parents in a well-received performance that earned him a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (at age 18, he became the sixth-youngest nominee in the category), and My Own Private Idaho (1991), playing Michael Waters, a gay hustler in search of his estranged mother. For his performance in the latter, Phoenix garnered enormous praise and won a Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 1991 Venice Film Festival as well as Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead and National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor, becoming the second-youngest winner of the former.
Phoenix fought heroin addiction and died at age 23 from combined drug intoxication in West Hollywood in the early hours of Halloween, 1993, after unknowingly ingesting cocaine and heroin (a mixture commonly known as a speedball) at The Viper Room.
Known For
TV Shows (7)
Movies (31)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
1989
as Young Indy
Stand by Me
1986
as Chris Chambers
Sneakers
1992
as Carl
Explorers
1985
as Wolfgang Müller
My Own Private Idaho
1991
as Mike Waters
I Love You to Death
1990
as Devo Nod
The Mosquito Coast
1986
as Charlie Fox
Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford
2023
as Self (archive footage)
Little Nikita
1988
as Jeff Grant
Running on Empty
1988
as Danny Pope
The Thing Called Love
1993
as James Wright
Dogfight
1991
as Eddie Birdlace
A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon
1988
as Jimmy Reardon
Circle of Violence: A Family Drama
1986
as Chris Benfield
Indiana Jones: Making the Trilogy
2003
as Self (archive footage)
Dark Blood
2012
as Boy
Silent Tongue
1994
as Talbot Roe
Surviving
1985
as Philip Brogan
Walking the Tracks: The Summer of Stand by Me
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia
1984
as Brian Ellsworth
101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment
2003
as Self (archive footage)
Joaquin Phoenix: An Actor of Extremes
2024
as Self - Actor (archive footage)
My Own Private River
2012
as Michael "Mike" Waters (archive footage)
The Making of ‘Sneakers’
2003
as Self
Final 24: River Phoenix
2006
as Self (archive footage)
The Making of ‘My Own Private Idaho’
2005
as Self
Truth or Dairy
1994
as Self (archive footage)
This Road Will Never End
1996
as Self (archive footage)
Evolution's End?
1991
as Self
Flea Master Session
1992
as Self
The Phoenix Portal
2005
as Wolfgang Müller / Michael "Mike" Waters (archive footage)
About River Phoenix
River Jude Phoenix (née Bottom; August 23, 1970 – October 31, 1993) was an American actor, musician, and activist. Phoenix grew up in an itinerant family, as the oldest brother of Rain Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, Liberty Phoenix, and Summer Phoenix. He had no formal schooling, but he showed an instinctive talent for the guitar, and he played and sang on the streets for money. He began his acting career at age 10 in a handful of television commercials. He starred in the science fiction adventure film Explorers (1985) and had his breakthrough role… With 38 credits spanning from 1982 to 2024, River Phoenix has appeared in 31 films and 7 TV shows.
Fans searching for River Phoenix movies, River Phoenix filmography, or the latest projects starring River Phoenix can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular River Phoenix Movies
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) — as Young Indy
- Stand by Me (1986) — as Chris Chambers
- Sneakers (1992) — as Carl
- Explorers (1985) — as Wolfgang Müller
- My Own Private Idaho (1991) — as Mike Waters
Where to Watch River Phoenix Films
Most River Phoenix movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring River Phoenix, check our movies catalogue and browse page.