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PHEONIX R - River Pheonix (1970-1993) River Jude Pheonix was born on August 23rd, 1970 in Madras, Oregon. The first of five children, including his brother leaf (whom later changed his name to Joaquin), and three sisters Rain Joan of Arc, Liberty Butterfly and Summer Joy.
In 1985, he made his debut in Joe Dante's Explorers. 1986 he played Chris Chambers in Stand By Me this was the film that made him famous.
Films that followed were Mosquito Coast, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, I Love You To Death, and Dogfight.
Named Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his starring role as a narcoleptic street hustler in My Own Private Idaho.
1988, at age 17, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor following his role in Running on Empty.
Over the next year or two he became seriously depressed and started to use drugs.
In the early hours of 31st October 1993, he started convulsing outside Johnny Depp's Viper Room in L.A.
He was rushed to the hospital and died an hour later of a cocaine and valium overdose.