A Tribute to River Jude Phoenix

Some Words About River

CLICK ON THE CANDLES TO VIEW THE LOVELY COMMENTS FOR RIO!!! PLEASE LIGHT A CANDLE!!! River Phoenix ---

Early life
Phoenix was born as River Jude Bottom on August 23, 1970, in Madras, Oregon, the first child of Arlyn Sharon Dunetz and John Lee Bottom when living at Roy Nance's peppermint farm where they briefly were employed. Phoenix's parents named him after the river of life from the Hermann Hesse novel Siddhartha, and he received his middle name from The Beatles' song "Hey Jude". He was welcomed into the world with a roar of applause, no doctor was present.

In an interview with People, Phoenix described his parents as "hippieish". His mother was born in The Bronx, New York, to Jewish parents whose families had emigrated from Russia and Hungary. His father was a lapsed Catholic from Fontana, California. In 1968, Phoenix's mother left her family in New York City and travelled across the United States, meeting John Lee Bottom while hitchhiking in northern California. They married on September 13, 1969, less than one year after meeting. In 1973, the family joined a religious cult called the Children of God as missionaries. While living in Crockett, Texas, their second child Rain Joan of Arc Bottom was born on November 21, 1972. Their third child was born on October 28, 1974, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as Joaquin Rafael Bottom.

On July 5, 1976, Phoenix's sister Libertad Mariposa Bottom was born, after the family had settled in Caracas, Venezuela, where the Children of God had stationed them to work as missionaries and fruit gatherers. Although John Bottom was later designated the cult's "Archbishop of Venezuela and the Caribbean", their family received no financial support from the group. Arlyn and John eventually grew disillusioned with the Children of God; Arlyn would later tell a journalist that she and her husband were opposed to the cult's practice of Flirty Fishing, stating: "The group was being distorted by the leader, David Berg, who was getting powerful and wealthy. He sought to attract rich disciples through sex. No way." Fearing the cult was moving in a negative direction, the Bottom family left the group and stayed for a period with a church in Venezuela. It was during the last years in South America that the entire Phoenix family converted to veganism, encouraged by River and Joaquin, who had witnessed local fishermen's methods of killing their catch.

The family eventually made the trip back to the United States by stowing away on a cargo ship. Upon their return, they moved in with Phoenix's maternal grandparents in Florida. On December 29, 1977, Summer Joy Bottom was born in Winter Park, Florida. On April 2, 1979, the family officially changed their name to Phoenix, after the mythical bird that rises from its own ashes, symbolizing a new beginning.

Acting career
In Los Angeles, John Phoenix was working for a casting agent at NBC. He managed to secure his talented brood a meeting with top kids' agent Iris Burton, who was so charmed by the family that she agreed to take on all five Phoenix children. In 1980, Phoenix began to fully pursue his work as an actor, making his first appearance on a TV show called Fantasy singing with his sister Rain. In 1982, River was cast in the NBC short-lived TV series, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, in which he starred as the youngest brother, Guthrie McFadden. River, who arrived at the auditions with his guitar, promptly burst into a convincing Elvis Presley impersonation, charming the show producer.

Almost a year after Seven Brides for Seven Brothers ended in 1983, River found a new role in the 1984 made-for-TV movie Celebrity, where he played the part of young Jeffie Crawford. Although he was only on screen for about ten minutes, his character was a central role. Less than a month after Celebrity came the ABC Afterschool Special: Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia. River starred as a young boy who discovers he has dyslexia. Joaquin starred in a small role alongside his brother. In September, the pilot episode of the short-lived TV series It's Your Move aired. River was cast as Brian and only had one line of dialogue. He also starred as Robert Kennedy's son, Robert Kennedy, Jr. in the TV movie Robert Kennedy and His Times. After River's role in Dyslexia was critically acclaimed, he was almost immediately cast as a major role in his next made-for-TV movie, Surviving: A Family in Crisis. River starred as Philip Brogan alongside Molly Ringwald and Heather O'Rourke. Halfway during the filming of Surviving Iris Burton contacted him about a possible role in the film Explorers.


Phoenix and Martha Plimpton on the red carpet at the 61st Academy Awards, 1989In October 1984, River was informed that he had been cast as the geeky boy-scientist Wolfgang Müller in Joe Dante's large-budget science-fiction film Explorers and production began soon after. Released in the summer of 1985, this was River's first major motion picture role. In October 1986, Phoenix co-starred alongside Tuesday Weld and Geraldine Fitzgerald in the acclaimed CBS television movie Circle of Violence: A Family Drama, which told the tragic story of domestic elder abuse. This was Phoenix's last television role he filmed before achieving feature film stardom. He had significant roles in Rob Reiner's coming of age picture Stand by Me (1986) which first brought Phoenix to public prominence; Peter Weir's The Mosquito Coast (1986), where Phoenix played the son of Harrison Ford's character; A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (1988); and Little Nikita (1988) alongside Sidney Poitier. During this time, the Phoenix family continued to move on a regular basis and moved over forty times by the time Phoenix was 18. After completing his sixth feature film, Sidney Lumet's Running on Empty (1988) the family made their last move to Micanopy, Florida, near Gainesville, Florida in 1987. In early 1989, Phoenix was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (as well as for a Golden Globe) and received the Best Supporting Actor honor from the National Board of Review for his role in Running on Empty. That year he also portrayed a young Indiana Jones in the box-office hit Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In 1989 reportedly Phoenix wanted the role of Neil Perry, the main character of Dead Poets Society, but the role was instead given to Robert Sean Leonard.

Phoenix met actor Keanu Reeves while Reeves was filming Parenthood with Phoenix's brother, Joaquin. The two starred together for the first time (along with Kevin Kline, Tracey Ullman and Joan Plowright) in 1990's I Love You to Death and again in Gus Van Sant's avant-garde film My Own Private Idaho. In his review for Newsweek, David Ansen praised Phoenix's performance: "The campfire scene in which Mike awkwardly declares his unrequited love for Scott is a marvel of delicacy. In this, and every scene, Phoenix immerses himself so deeply inside his character you almost forget you've seen him before: it's a stunningly sensitive performance, poignant and comic at once". For his role in My Own Private Idaho, Phoenix won Best Actor honors at the Venice Film Festival, the National Society of Film Critics and the Independent Spirit Awards. The film and its success solidified Phoenix's image as an actor with edgy, leading man potential. Just prior to My Own Private Idaho, he filmed an acclaimed independent picture called Dogfight co-starring Lili Taylor and directed by Nancy Savoca, in which Phoenix portrayed a young U.S. Marine on the night prior to his being shipped off to Vietnam in November 1963. Phoenix teamed up with Redford and again with Sidney Poitier for the conspiracy/espionage thriller Sneakers (1992). A month later he began production on Sam Shepard's art-house, ghost western Silent Tongue (which was released in 1994); he also was beaten out for the role of Paul by Brad Pitt in A River Runs Through It. He then appeared in Peter Bogdanovich's country music-themed film, The Thing Called Love (1993), the last completed picture before his passing.

Music
Although Phoenix's movie career was generating most of the income for his family, it has been stated by close friends and relatives that his true passion was music. Phoenix was a singer, song writer and an accomplished guitarist. He had begun teaching himself guitar at the age of five and had stated in an interview for E! in 1988 that his family's move to Los Angeles when he was nine was made so that he and his sister "... could become recording artists. I fell into commercials for financial reasons and acting became an attractive concept ..." Prior to securing an acting agent, Phoenix and his siblings had attempted to forge a career in music by playing cover songs on the streets of the Westwood district of LA, often being moved along by police because of the gathering crowds who obstructed the pavement.

While working on A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon in 1986, Phoenix had written and recorded a song, "Heart to Get", specifically for the end credits of the movie. 20th Century Fox cut it from the completed film, but director William Richert put it back into place for his director's cut some years later. It was during filming that Phoenix met Chris Blackwell of Island Records, this meeting would later secure Phoenix a two-year development deal with the label. Phoenix disliked the idea of being a solo artist and relished collaboration; therefore he focused on putting together a band. Aleka's Attic were formed in 1987 and the line up included his sister Rain. Phoenix was committed to gaining credibility by his own merit and so he maintained that the band would not use his name when securing performances that were not benefits for charitable organizations. Phoenix's first release was "Across the Way", co-written with band mate Josh McKay, which was released in 1989 on a benefit album for PETA titled Tame Yourself. In 1991 River wrote and recorded a spoken word piece called "Curi Curi" for Milton Nascimento's album TXAI. Also in 1991 the Aleka's Attic track "Too Many Colors" was lent to the soundtrack of Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho a film which included Phoenix in a starring role. In 1996 the Aleka's Attic track "Note to a Friend" was released on the 1996 benefit album In Defense of Animals; Volume II and featured Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers on bass.

Phoenix was an investor in the original House of Blues (founded by his good friend and Sneakers co-star Dan Aykroyd) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which opened its doors to the public after serving a group of homeless people on Thanksgiving Day 1992.

Activism
Phoenix was a dedicated animal rights, environmental and political activist. He was a prominent spokesperson for PETA and won their Humanitarian award in 1992 for his fund-raising efforts. Also in 1990, for Earth Day, Phoenix wrote an environmental awareness essay targeted at his young fanbase, which was printed in Seventeen magazine. He financially aided a slew of environmental and humanitarian organizations and bought 800 acres (320 ha) of endangered rainforest in Costa Rica. River was also against school disecting frogs and other animals.

As well as giving speeches at rallies for various groups, he and his band often played environmental benefits for well known charities and also that of local ones around Gainesville, Florida.

***RIVERS PASSING - With all due respect I am stating the facts so there is no confusion on what transpired.

The Viper Room on Sunset Strip, where Phoenix collapsed.

On the evening of October 30, 1993, Phoenix was to perform with his close friend Michael "Flea" Balzary from the Red Hot Chili Peppers onstage at The Viper Room, a Hollywood night club partly owned at the time by actor Johnny Depp. Phoenix had returned to Los Angeles early that week from Utah to complete the three weeks of interior shots left on his last (and, as of late 2011, unfinished) project Dark Blood.His younger sister Rain and brother Joaquin had flown out to join him at the Hotel Nikko (now the SLS Hotel) on La Cienega Boulevard. Phoenix's girlfriend, Samantha Mathis, had also come to meet him, and all would be present at the scene of Phoenix's passing.

At some point in the evening, Phoenix went to the bathroom with various friends and dealers. It is frequently reported that an acquaintance or dealer offered him Persian Brown (a combination of heroin and methamphetamine, which is commonly snorted); however, his autopsy report revealed lethal doses of cocaine and morphine (which is what heroin metabolizes into and shows up as in the blood). His blood also contained diazepam, ephedrine and marijuana. Soon after consuming a combination of heroin and cocaine he became ill and asked what was in it. Somebody reportedly gave him diazepam, as it is commonly used to counter-act the effects of a stimulant overdose. However, because he had consumed heroin the treatment is thought to have been counter productive, as diazepam further enhances the effects of heroin. During the early morning hours of October 31, 1993, Phoenix collapsed outside the club from a drug overdose of heroin and cocaine (known as a speedball) further amplified by the administration of diazepam. He convulsed for a few minutes. When his brother Joaquin called 9-1-1, he was unable to determine whether River was breathing. Sister Rain Phoenix proceeded to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, to no avail.

During the episode, Johnny Depp and his band P (featuring Flea and Phoenix's friend Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers) were onstage. According to Haynes the band was in the middle of their song, "Michael Stipe", which includes the line "but we didn't have a part, not a piece of our heart, not Michael, River Phoenix or Flea or me", while Phoenix was outside the venue having seizures on the sidewalk. When the news filtered through the club, Flea left the stage and rushed outside. Paramedics had arrived on the scene and found Phoenix in a flatline state, and they administered drugs in an attempt to restart his heart. He was rushed to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, accompanied by Flea, via an ambulance. Further attempts to resuscitate Phoenix were unsuccessfulEmergency Room doctors tried to revive him—they even inserted a pacemaker. He was SADLY pronounced dead at 1:51 a.m. PST on the morning of October 31, 1993

The following day the club became a makeshift shrine with fans and mourners leaving flowers, pictures and candles on the sidewalk and graffiti messages on the walls of the venue. A sign was placed in the window that read, "With much respect and love to River and his family, The Viper Room is temporarily closed. Our heartfelt condolences to all his family, friends and loved ones. He will be missed. The club remained closed for a week. Depp continued to close the club every year on October 31 until selling his share in 2004. Phoenix was described by one writer as "the vegan James Dean", and comparisons were made regarding the youth and sudden deaths of both the actors.

At his mother’s request, the actor’s shoulder-length hair was cut and placed beside him in his casket. (His blonde tresses had been dyed black for the film on which he was working.) He was dressed in a black T-shirt emblazoned with the logo of his band. His mother also placed a single carnation in the coffin; as the mourners passed his coffin, many placed notes and necklaces in the casket.

Unrealized film projects
Phoenix's sudden death prevented him from playing various roles for which he had already been cast:

Phoenix was due to begin work on Neil Jordan's Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) two weeks after his death. He was to play Daniel Malloy, the interviewer, which then went to Christian Slater- who donated his entire $250,000 salary to two of Phoenix's favorite charitable organizations Earth Save and Earth Trust. The film has a dedication to Phoenix after the end credits.
Izzy Singer, the son of Susan Sarandon's character in Safe Passage (1994), which then went to Sean Astin. Joaquin and Rain Phoenix were in LA the evening Phoenix passed away because they each had auditions to play his siblings in the film that coming week.
Phoenix had signed onto the lead role in Broken Dreams, a screenplay written by John Boorman and Neil Jordan (to be directed by Boorman). The film was put on hold due to Phoenix's death and has yet to be made.
Gus Van Sant had gotten Phoenix to agree to play the role of Cleve Jones in Milk when he was originally planning on making the movie in the early '90s. The role was eventually played by Emile Hirsch.
In 1988, Phoenix was reported by a magazine to have been carrying around a copy of the 1978 memoir The Basketball Diaries. He had heard a movie version was in the works and wanted to play the role of Jim Carroll. The film was sent into hiatus on numerous occasions, with each occasion Phoenix being cited as the main contender for the role. The Basketball Diaries eventually went into pre-production in 1994 with the role going to Leonardo DiCaprio.
According to close friends and family, Phoenix had something of an obsession with the 19th century poet Arthur Rimbaud. At the time of his death he had been researching the poet for over a year in hopes of portraying him in the upcoming biopic Total Eclipse (1995) by polish director Agnieszka Holland. Phoenix died before the movie was in the casting stages, with the role eventually going to Leonardo DiCaprio.
In late 1992, Phoenix was contacted to play the leading role in The Crow (1994), but declined, giving way to Brandon Lee (who died exactly seven months before Phoenix, aged 28, mid-scene on the set of the film due to an accidental gunshot wound caused by a faulty prop revolver).
In a 1998 interview, James Cameron admitted that he had wanted Phoenix in the role of Jack Dawson in Titanic (which, again, went to Leonardo DiCaprio).


References in popular culture
River Phoenix's status as a teen idol, a promising young actor and subsequent premature death made him a frequent subject in popular culture media. He first gained references in music with Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento writing the song "River Phoenix: Letter to a Young Actor" about him after having seen Phoenix in The Mosquito Coast (1986). The song appears on the 1989 release Miltons. Phoenix's friends, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, wrote a few lines for him in the song "Give It Away" from the 1991 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik: "There's a River born to be a giver, keep you warm won't let you shiver, his heart is never gonna wither..."

Phoenix has been the subject of numerous tributes in song and other media. The band R.E.M. dedicated their album Monster to Phoenix, and their song "E-Bow the Letter" from 1996's New Adventures in Hi-Fi is said to have been written from a letter Michael Stipe wrote to Phoenix but never sent because of the actor's death. Musician Sam Phillips has the dedication "For River" on her album Martinis & Bikinis. Again, Red Hot Chili Peppers, paid tribute with the song "Transcending" on 1995's One Hot Minute being written about him. Other songs inspired by Phoenix include Dana Lyons' "Song For River Phoenix (If I Had Known)," Grant Lee Buffalo's "Halloween," Natalie Merchant's "River" for her 1995 album Tigerlily, Ellis Paul's song "River," found on his 1994 release Stories, Rufus Wainwright's "Matinee Idol", Nada Surf's "River Phoenix" and Stereophonics's "Chris Chambers." In her 1996 album Woman & A Man, Belinda Carlisle referenced River in the song "California". The song opens and closes with the line "I remember I was in a tanning salon, when I heard that River Phoenix was gone." In Jay-Z's album, Kingdom Come, the lyrics of "Hollywood" list him as one of the many fatalities of the pressures of Hollywood. New York band Japanther featured a song on their album Skuffed up my Huffy (2008) entitled "River Phoenix," which is about certain events in his life and delivers the chorus "River Phoenix didn't mean it".

Gus Van Sant, with whom Phoenix worked in the film My Own Private Idaho, dedicated his 1994 movie Even Cowgirls Get The Blues as well as his 1998 novel Pink to him. Experimental Santa Cruz filmmaker Cam Archer also produced a documentary called Drowning River Phoenix as part of his American Fame series. During performances on November 13 and November 15, 1993, and February 12, 1994, and one of Nirvana's last USA shows in Seattle on January 7, 1994, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana dedicated the song "Jesus Don't Want Me For a Sunbeam" to Phoenix (among other celebrities who died young), just a few months before Cobain's death. Tom Petty dedicated "Ballad of Easy Rider" to Phoenix when he played in his and Phoenix's hometown of Gainesville, Florida in November 1993.

A lesser known reference to River Phoenix was Final Fantasy VIII's main protagonist Squall Leonhart. Tetsuya Nomura, the lead character designer for the game, stated he modeled Squall on River's visage during development, and even gave Squall the same birthdate.

The scene of Phoenix's death also merits several mentions in William Gibson's book Spook Country.

Honors and rankings
Phoenix has been ranked numerous times on a number of lists recognising his talent and career. He was listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1986" in "John Willis' Screen World" (2004). Phoenix was voted at #64 on a "Greatest Movie Star of All Time" poll by channel 4 television in the UK. The poll was made up wholly of votes from prominent figures of the acting and directing communities. He was ranked #86 in Empire Magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list in 1997.

His life and death has been the subject of an E! True Hollywood Story, an A&E Biography and an episode of Final 24, which contains a dramatic reconstruction of his final hours and death. He was also referred to as "This Century's James Dean" in episode 10 (Mi Casa, Su Casa Loma) of the first series of Being Erica. In 2010, Phoenix was voted by GQ Magazine as one of the "50 Most Stylish Men of the Past Half Century

Actor James Franco dedicated " My Own Private River" exhibition to honor River because he was facinated by the on screen presence River had.

River's final movie DARK BLOOD will be released on DVD the end of September 2012. He passed away just weeks before the filming of the movie was completed. The film has been finished using computer graphics. Hopefully he will be nominated for a Academy Award and finally get a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.

PLEASE NOTE- In the past, present and future I ( the host of this website ) have been the editor of the River Phoenix webpage on WIKIPEDIA. This is essientially the same info with other information as well, Kind Regards

♥River Jude Phoenix was a brilliant, magical being... he is timeless. HE IS FOREVER!

QUOTES By River Phoenix
Vegetarianism is a link to perfection and peace. But it's a small link. There are lots of other issues: apartheid , vivisection, political prisoners, the arms race. There's so much going on in this world today, so much ignorance among people. That's not to say I'm not standing amongst everybody. But the point is, what can we do now? That's the thing about vegetarianism; it's an individual's decision and it's something you have control over. How many things do we really have control over?
Vegetarian Times (1988)
I don't want to get so lost in thinking about me and talking about me all the time in interviews. It's so nice to unwind and just look at other things and get out of yourself. It's hard to detach myself from myself without neglecting myself. You know what I mean? I don't want to get in to the habit of thinking about my career because when it comes down to it, it's not really that important. I could die tomorrow and the world would go on.
Sky Magazine (1988)
Sometimes I wish I wasn't as conscious as I am. It would be so much easier.
Premier (1988)
The press is always looking for a little twist to a story and what i've learned is that it all turns out very superficial. So you need to become what they want, you need to give what they put out.
E! Television (1988)
It really upsets me and i'm basically upset at myself for being so naive and gullible as i have been in the past as far as being intimidated by the stylists with the wardrobe and the hair-do's and the poses and the this and that and all that stuff that isn't me. What it does is it makes you an image, and they plaster you on all these magazines and sensationalize and they're all very nice and sweet and goody-goody but still, it's just false as far as, you know, the image that's portrayed; it's not me.
E! Television (1988)
I can't on my own change the regime in South Africa or teach the Palestinians to live with the Israelis, but I can start with me.
Sky Magazine (1988)
I welcome an end to this all if that's what should be, i don't mind that. In fact, I would rather quit while i was ahead. There's no need in overstaying your welcome.
E! Television (1988)
We need an extreme movement because what is happening to animals is so extreme. Some misinformed people claim that animal rights activists are terrorists, but these people are simply ignorant of who the real terrorists are - the companies and industries that torture literally billions of animals each year.
The Animals Voice Magazine (1989)
If I have some celebrity, I hope I can use it to make a difference. The true social reward is that I can speak my mind and share my thoughts about the environment and civilisation itself. There's so much shit happening with people who are exploiting their positions and creating a lot of negativity.
The Face (1989)
When i was younger, i was dressed up like a model, told to pose in certain ways; to tilt my head, push my lips out, suck in my cheeks. And i'd be tired at the end of the day so i'd just give the damned photographer what he wanted. It was the most mortifying experience. And the photographs were the ugliest, the most contrived...it wasnt me. then all the outtakes that you never want to see again in your life go through the teen magazines forever.
Vogue (1990)
Most actors possess an intuitive side. Actually, the further away I am from the character, the less work I have to do. It takes so much more energy to detach yourself from your own life references that might cross wires with your character's. I think it's cheating for me to ever use my life references in conjunction with my characters. It's my reaction transferred to the character, which isn't good. What I have to do is erase those things and then find something else. I can't stand in front of a camera and let anything of myself come through or I'm betraying the character's complete trueness. There are some actors who just use themselves. They can wear their ego on their sleeve and it looks great. I can't do that.
US Magazine (1991)
When you see the name 'River Phoenix' everywhere; you gotta, like, joke about it.
Rolling Stone (1993
It's really designed, I think, to strip you and blend you. It's like feeling like the invisible man. You just stand there, and you start disintegrating, and you can't see yourself, and you just feel like you're being absorbed into this big blob of glitter.
On Los Angeles, Rolling Stone (1991)
It's not about career. It's about believing in something, it's about prosperity. And it's about caring and empathizing and wanting to create the best, the most true to life, the most real.
VPRO, (1991)
The business always goes for what you do best. And I've just made myself do best in the way I've wanted to. So, if they get recognition like at the Venice film festival, the Toronto film festival, wherever it is, you know, in France, in Holland, when critics start speaking up and they believe in something, then you have the power to get blow-jobs basically from the corporate leaders. I mean, I've found myself being blown by America's film corporations. It's nice. I cum in their fucking lens.
VPRO, (1991)
Fame doesn't affect my relationships with people much because I've got my head on straight, but there is some sort of undertone that has a weird effect when you're trying to walk through life – I'm not interested in seeing "the media" manifest itself in my life. I don't even like to call acting a career. I prefer to think of it as a project, or else I'd start worrying about things like money. I like contributing to causes, people and the world around me. Just kind of sharing it all, that's what's important.
Hard Rock Times (1991)
Fame is what gets people to go watch your film. I'm just glad to be in a film i believe in. And if it take's fame to get people there, then it's my job. But i'd rather be a ghost writer than have my name down.
Details Magazine, (1991)
Sometimes I'll hear stuff like, 'Hey, man, where's your skateboard, dude,' from people who think I'm Christian Slater.
Movieline (1991)
I concider myself an atlas. Sort of an Arnold Schwarzenegger with a Nigel Tufnel twist. I walk close to edges; I kiss them with my toe.
Details (1991)
One of the things that was introduced to me at an early stage in life was to try to make stuff happen. But nothing ever worked that way for me. What I learned on my own was that to try and play God with your life will wreck your brain and your nervous system, and mess up your natural direction in the course that's already there...But look, I just don't want to read about me being made into a basket case because of my work. It's self-pity that I hate. I mean, it comes with the territory. An actor with any conviction goes the extra mile.
Movieline (1991)
Oh Yeah, we really are great people. I think Keanu and I are the nicest guys on the planet.. with the exception of George Bush and Ronald Reagan
Interview (1991)
It was very personal. Political comes from the viewing process. Nothing is ever political if it's genuine. In the reaction, yes, it can be political. But the motives were based completely on a deep need to communicate and share information. The film language has evolved enough that you should get people interacting with the film. It's exciting for us to exhibit it, and it's exciting for people to watch it...I think it's very important for the gay community to have random characters that represent nothing more than people...I think it's part of a wave that will set a precedent of some sort so that you will no longer need a label.
On My Own Private Idaho, The Face, (1992)
It might take a few of these films before there's, like, a natural stride with the whole issue and then maybe one day it won't even be an issue, which is what I'm hopeing.
On My Own Private Idaho, Empire, (1992)
I'm a minor, stupid talent compared to my brother (Joaquin).
Mademoiselle (1993)
We are taught to consume. And that's what we do. But if we realized that there really is no reason to consume-that it's just a mind set, that it's just an addiction, then we wouldn't be out there stepping on people's hands climbing the corporate ladder of success. I have my reasons why I want to be filthy rich. It's so I can buy the last first growth forest and turn it into a permanent national park. I just bought 800 acres on the border of Panama and Costa Rica.
Detour, (1993)
I woke up from a nap the other night. Everyone is cranky when they wake up. I thought to myself: 'I have no right to be cranky. I'm so lucky.' On my way to go to a restaurant, I get out of the car and I see this person on crutches. His sign says that he has AIDS and that his immune system is low. You know, he's broke, and his family won't talk to him because they can't eat because of the hospital bills. He didn't do this. The system did it - so that when someone has a chronic disease, it sucks him dry. He could have been in that same restaurant two years ago, eating and tipping big. I felt blessed that I could drop a fifty on him.
Detour, (1993
Quite often, when actors have such a strong charisma in real life, eventually it has to affect the characters they play. For myself I'm not charismatic in that way. I'm not a "performer". Ideally I would stay mute as River. That's the reason why, for a long time, I've said the opposite of what I really thought. In interviews, I've also played characters that I wasn't. I've lied and often contradicted myself to dumbfound people. It's all over now, because I have nothing left to hide. Eventually, I'm quite an ordinary person.
Last interview, Premier, (October 1993)
Songs which mention River Phoenix
And they told me
The times have changed
Cause' our parents had Hendrix, Janis and Jim
But what about River Phoenix and Kurt Cobain.
Sex, drugs and rock n' roll by Guns N Roses
There's a River born to be a giver
Keep you warm, wont let you shiver
His heart is never gonna wither
come on everybody time to deliver.
Give It Away by Red Hot Chili Peppers
And they say he's too young to surrender
And they cry out, and they call him by name.
Their graffiti tells how he's remembered.
Still, the River runs on just the same. Run River, run.
River by Ellis Paul
No...Please don't go...No...Please don't leave yet
You haven't heard my band yet
You haven't seen my house
You cannot understand yet
What it means to be old
River run
River deep
River come, So I can sing you to sleep.
River Run by Suddenly Tammy
Heroines followin' Marilyn hoppin' over the edge just like Janis Joplin,
River Phoenix, Jimi Hendrix, James Morrison
All of them ended by Hollywood.
Thank God for Hollywood,
Hollywood, Sure you want this baby?
Hollywood by Jay-Z
We didn't know Jackie O
She was one of the people that we did not know
Nor did we care about her hair,
Her pillbox hat or her savoir faire.
But still we thought we knew
Maybe you did too
River Phoenix
River Phoenix
Ian curtis
and River Phoenix and me and you
River Phoenix by Nada Surf
They had a crush on you, River
Blue suede jacket and boots, River
And your face shaped like a moon, River
You were like my own James Byron Dean
Private idaho was my east of eden
Hit me like a stone when you passed away
On Halloween
Halloween by Grant Lee Buffalo
I'm on the drug
I'm on the drug
I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix
He'll Never Be An Ol' Man River by TISM
I remember I was In the tanning salon
When I heard that River Phoenix was gone
They say that only the good die young
But that ain't true where I come from
California, California
California by Belinda Carlisle





♥♥♥♥♥ MORE RIVER QUOTES ♥♥♥♥♥

Everything is ironic to me. There are moments I find hysterical, but I'm probably the only one who would find that, except for a few people.
River Phoenix
We are taught to consume. And that's what we do. But if we realized that there really is no reason to consume, that it's just a mind set, that it's just an addiction, then we wouldn't be out there stepping on people's hands climbing the corporate ladder of success.
River Phoenix
Music is a whole oasis in my head. The creation process is so personal and fulfilling.
River Phoenix
I don't want to die in a car accident. When I die it'll be a glorious day. It'll probably be a waterfall.
River Phoenix
I try to lie as much as I can when I'm interviewed. It's reverse psychology. I figure if you lie, they'll print the truth.
River Phoenix
It still strikes me as strange that anyone could have any moral objection to someone else's sexuality. It's like telling someone else how to clean their house.
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
I'm really normal. I play football, go to the beach, drive. We have dogs. I can imagine people calling me a character, but I'm Joe Straight.
River Phoenix
I've been wanting to go into music ever since I can remember. I mean even before I became an actor. I just thought it would be a tough field to break into, so I became an actor instead.
River Phoenix
Music is my main goal, but I'm not going to rush a record out. There are so many actors who have come out with albums these days. I don't want to do it because it's the thing to do. I want to wait until the time is right.
River Phoenix
l Acting is like a Halloween mask that you put on.
River Phoenix
I did my best work in The Mosquito Coast. I know it wasn't such a big hit, but for me it was more meaningful than anything else I'd ever done.
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
I'd like to play every type of character, but only once. I like to expierence things.
River Phoenix
I would never, never do anything unless I believed in it.
River Phoenix
Vegetarianism is a link to perfection and peace.
River Phoenix
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
When I was old enough to realize all meat was killed, I saw it as an irrational way of using our power, to take a weaker thing and mutilate it. It was like the way bullies would take control of younger kids in the schoolyard.
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
Rich kids gave us their old clothes. They were the best clothes we ever had. We were these very pure, naive, poor children. The rich kids called us a lot of names but it never bothered us because we didn't know what the words meant.
River Phoenix Music is a hobby, because I'm not making any money out of it, but I put just as much conviction into that as I do into my acting.
River Phoenix
It's a great feeling to think that I can be a friend to so many people through my movies.
River Phoenix
I have a lot of chameleon qualities, I get very absorbed in my surroundings.
River Phoenix
I sometimes lie, especially about personal things, because what does it matter? I am a kind of minute commodity, my name is no longer my own.
River Phoenix
I wouldn't eat a hamburger for 40,000 dollars.
River Phoenix
Commercials were too phony for me. I just didn't like selling products I didn't believe in.
River Phoenix would rather quit while I was ahead. There's no need in overstaying your welcome.

I would just look at Harrison [Harrison Ford]; he would do stuff and I would not mimic it, but interpret it younger. Mimicking is a terrible mistake that many people make when they play someone younger, or with an age difference. Mimicking doesn't interpret true because you can't just edit it around. [on his interpretation of a young Indiana Jones in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"]

"I feel that there are great minds up there who would like to see what I can do with an Oscar nomination. I guess many people would change after a nomination in the way they see things. In my case it's really irrelevant in terms of what I do. Still, it was an incredible experience which I will put in my memories, like everything else." (On his Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for "Running on Empty" in 1989.)

If I have some celebrity, I hope I can use it to make a difference. The true social reward is that I can speak my mind and share my thoughts about the enviroment and civilisation itself. There's so much shit happening with people who are exploiting their positions and creating a lot of negativity.

Every day of my life since I finished "My Own Private Idaho", at some point in the day, I find the conversation somehow goes back to that film, because it was just such a great experience. I just start getting all joyous and start babbling about it. [on his feelings about "My Own Private Idaho" just after the film's release in 1991]

He was my brother and I loved him a great deal. It was just an awful, awful mistake. We fed off each other and learned a lot from each other. [R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe, speaking soon after River's death. He later called River's passing "the most shattering experience of my life."]

I wish sometimes that I wasn't as conscious as I am.

I just always loved the names Helen or Ashley, I don't know, they seem familar to me, like I need to be with them...

I love Sam Shepard, he is like a father to me. We don't even have to talk, we communicate without words.

Animals are not our playthings. We are on this earth to protect them. It's our duty.

I project a definite innocence. A lot of that is just the way I grew up.

We respect our parents and they respect us. Even when we were younger, it was never, 'Well, I'm the parent and you're the kid.' You wouldn't be held back because of your age. Just the opposite. My father used to say, 'The youngest gets to yell the loudest because they're never listened to!' My father talks to Summer [sister Summer Phoenix], who is the youngest, the way he talks to my grandfather or anyone else. They always gave us a fair shot.

In simplicity there is truth.

We all have our distinct things. Leaf [brother Joaquin Phoenix] was the family clown--very witty, very smart. Mom had to work a lot, so Rainbow [sister Rain Phoenix] was the mother and the older sister and trendsetter. Liberty [sister Liberty Phoenix] was always the most physical, like an acrobat, very nimble and strong, a really beautiful girl. And Summer [sister Summer Phoenix] was the youngest, the baby of the family, with big brown eyes and blonde hair, more American-looking.

"I want kids, a family of my own. I'd like to give them the first eight years of their lives in the country. Then I'd want them educated, which I wasn't formally, although I had a tutor once when I was twelve. At times I miss a formal education, but at others I thank God for everything else I have now. What I have got from my childhood aren't toys, but memories. And happy memories are better than any toy.

It's a great feeling to think that I can be a friend to so many people through my movies.

I'm having a kind of hard time keeping my head above water in this crazy business.

In "Stand by Me", I realized that what I was creating was going to live on far longer than anything of me as a person. The characters are more powerful than the person that creates them.

I would get songs sung to me, like 'Old Man River, 'or kids would call me Mississippi and things like that. At the time, I wished I had a name that blended in more with my surroundings. Now, though, I've really learned to love it. From fifteen, I really liked it. It felt appropriate. Before that, I don't think it quite fitted me. I had to grow into it .

Sometimes I hear stuff like 'Hey man, wheres your skateboard, dude?' from people who think I'm Christian Slater.

We need an extreme movement because what is happening to animals is so extreme. Some misinformed people claim that animal rights activists are terrorists, but these people are simply ignorant of who the real terrorists are - the companies and industries that torture literally billions of animals each year. (The Animals Voice Magazine - 1989)

I don't see any point or any good in drugs that are as disruptive as cocaine.

It still strikes me as strange that anyone could have a moral objection against somebody's sexuality, it's like telling someone else how to clean their house.

Addiction is not just for bad people or scumbags - it's a universal disease.

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.

Vegetarianism is a link to perfection and peace.

We are taught to consume. And that's what we do. But if we realized that there really is no reason to consume, that it's just a mind set, that it's just an addiction, then we wouldn't be out there stepping on people's hands climbing the corporate ladder of success.

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.

Rich kids gave us their old clothes. They were the best clothes we ever had. We were these very pure, naive, poor children. The rich kids called us a lot of names but it never bothered us because we didn't know what the words meant.

When I was old enough to realize all meat was killed, I saw it as an irrational way of using our power, to take a weaker thing and mutilate it. It was like the way bullies would take control of younger kids in the schoolyard.

I did my best work in The Mosquito Coast. I know it wasn't such a big hit, but for me it was more meaningful than anything else I'd ever done.

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.

Everything is ironic to me. There are moments I find hysterical, but I'm probably the only one who would find that, except for a few people.

Acting is like a Halloween mask that you put on.

Commercials were too phony for me. I just didn't like selling a product I didn't believe in.

Music is my main goal, but I'm not going to rush a record out. There are so many actors who have come out with albums these days. I don't want to do it because it's the thing to do. I want to wait until the time is right.

Music is a whole oasis in my head. The creation process is so personal and fulfilling.

Music is a hobby, because I'm not making any money out of it, but I put just as much conviction into that as I do into my acting.

It's a great feeling to think that I can be a friend to so many people through my movies.

I've been wanting to go into music ever since I can remember. I mean even before I became an actor. I just thought it would be a tough field to break into, so I became an actor instead.

I remember we'd roll into gas stations in our beat-up van and I'd tell the attendant, 'I'm going to be an actor!

I have twenty personalities on top of the ten I already have. So now I have thirty people in my head!

I like girls who are natural because I am natural in everything I do. If I meet a girl who is snobby and wants special treatment, she's not going to get it from me because she hasn't earned it. But I've been basically lucky because I've met mostly nice girls - and that's what attracts me.

I don't want to die in a car accident. When I die it'll be a glorious day. It'll probably be a waterfall.

I have a lot of chameleon qualities, I get very absorbed in my surroundings.

I sometimes lie, especially about personal things, because what does it matter? I am a kind of minute commodity, my name is no longer my own. I try to lie as much as I can when I'm interviewed. It's reverse psychology. I figure if you lie, they'll print the truth.

I would never, never do anything unless I believed in it.

I wouldn't eat a hamburger for 40,000 dollars.

I'd like to play every type of character, but only once. I like to experience things.

I'm really normal. I play football, go to the beach, drive. We have dogs. I can imagine people calling me a character, but I'm Joe Straight. I'm just a normal guy doing a job!

I really like acting because you can create a character. You can make someone who has never existed before. That's neat.

When I was younger, I was worried about how others viewed me and if I was good enough. I realize now that you can't mold an image or try to be something that you are not. As far as being an actor is concerned, your work really speaks for itself.

It might take a few of these movies before there's a natural stride with the whole issue. Then one day, it wont even be an issue - which is what I'm hoping. - On "My Own Private Idaho".

It's not about career. It's about believing in something, it's about prosperity and it's about caring and emphasizing and wanting to create the best, the most true to life, the most real. [on interview in 1991]


It's really designed, I think, to strip you and blend you. It's like feeling like the invisible man. You just stand there, and you start disintegrating, and you can't see yourself, and you just feel like you're being absorbed into this big blob of glitter.