A dedicated animal-rights activist and environmentalist, River was a strict vegetarian and a member of PeTA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). River was a talented musician as well as an actor, and he played guitar, sang, and wrote songs for his band, Aleka's Attic, which also included his sister Rain Phoenix, while living in Gainsville, Florida. Although the band never released its own album, their song "Across the Way" can be found on PeTA's "Tame Yourself" album, used to fight animal abuse. River was in the middle of filming Dark Blood, playing the character Boy when he died. The film couldn't be finished due to too many unfilmed crucial scenes. His mother was later sued.
The song "Transcending" on The Red Hot Chili Peppers album "One Hot Minute" is dedicated to River Phoenix. Sings a song on John Frusciante's album "Smile from the Streets You Hold." Ranked #86 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997] The 1994 R.E.M. album "Monster" is dedicated to River in the liner notes--he was friends with lead singer Michael Stipe. Born at 12.10 pm-PDT He was supposed to be the interviewer in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles but died. Christian Slater took his place, and donated his entire paycheck from the movie to all of River's favorite charities. He was almost definitely set to star as Izzy Singer in Safe Passage. Sean Astin got the part after River's death. Brother of Joaquin Phoenix, Summer Phoenix, Rain Phoenix and Liberty Phoenix. Was a vegan. Dated actresses Martha Plimpton, Samantha Mathis, and Suzanne Solgot. Natalie Merchant wrote a song, "River," which is in his memory. In addition, her song "Carnival" was inspired by him. Was set to star in Total Eclipse, the story of a young gay poet. After River died the part was given to Leonardo DiCaprio. His date to Johnny Depp's club the evening he died was actress Samantha Mathis. Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1986" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 38. Ashes scattered at family's Florida Ranch. The famous Brazilian singer and song writer Milton Nascimento wrote a song called "River Phoenix" years before River's death. Milton was quite impressed with his performance in Stand by Me, and he decided to write a song in reverence of River's talent. When he got to know about the song, he came to Brazil and spent some days in Milton Nascimento's country home. After that first contact, they became good friends. Born in a log cabin in Oregon. He disliked flying and traveled everywhere by car or by train. Nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work in Sidney Lumet's Running on Empty, Phoenix lost out to Kevin Kline for his performance in A Fish Called Wanda. At the time of the Academy Awards ceremony in March, 1989, Kline and Phoenix were filming the movie I Love You to Death. Sitting in the audience, Phoenix applauded enthusiastically when his co-star's name was announced as the winner. Phoenix, who'd been playing the guitar since childhood, had his own band with his sister, Rain Phoenix, called Aleka's Attic. My Own Private Idaho director (and close friend of River) Gus Van Sant published a novel in 1997 titled "Pink," which is a loosely disguised fantasy homage to his late friend. Van Sant's movie Even Cowgirls Get the Blues includes a dedication of to River during the opening credits. River recorded an album the summer before his death titled 'Never Odd or Even' (the title is a palindrome), which was released. A friend of his named Sasa Raphael (who worked with River on the album and played bass in River's band Aleka's Attic) almost succeeded in making the album available for free download on the Internet in the summer of 2000,on the anniversary of what would've been River's 30th birthday, but was later sued by the estate of River Phoenix for copyright reasons. His parents named him River after the river of life in Hermann Hesse's classic spiritual novel "Siddhartha"; and Jude, his middle name, after The Beatles' song "Hey, Jude." Ranked #69 on '100 Greatest Movie Stars' on Channel 4 (UK) River's last words (to the reporter trying to help him outside the Viper Room) were "No paparazzi, I want anonymity." His last request was not granted. The day before his cremation in Florida, a reporter broke into the funeral home, rearranged the body, and took a picture. This picture was later to be sold to the National Enquirer for $5,000. Was an involved environmentalist and bought up several hundred acres of rain forest in Costa Rica and Brazil, not to develop them, but to just keep them so they would not be cut down. Rufus Wainwright's song "Matinee Idol" is about him. Died on the same day as Federico Fellini. Collected baseball jerseys. Claimed he had a vision of his future wife and would meet and marry her in 2002. He carried a composite sketch of what he thought she'd look like. Often drank warm soda, such as Coke or Dr. Pepper, before going on camera. He was a very talented writer, songwriter, and sketch artist. Often wrote songs while he was driving to work. Was a classmate of singer Anastacia Is one of only three actors to have played the son of and the younger version of the same actor, by playing Harrison Ford's son and playing young Indiana Jones. The other is Bruno Kirby, who played Richard S. Castellano's son on The Super, and the young Clemenza in The Godfather: Part II. Logan Lerman played one of Mel Gibson's sons in The Patriot and the younger Nick Marshall in What Women Want. Two of his nephews have been posthumously named for him. His sister Liberty Phoenix gave birth to a son named Rio Everest Phoenix. Rio is Spanish for River. His other sister Summer Phoenix gave birth to a son, Indiana Affleck. River played Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. His death is listed as #16 in the top 101 events in E! Television's 101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment. In total thus far, he now has 4 nephews and a niece. Jonas Winter, born February 7th, 1993, to younger sister Rain Phoenix, Rio Everest Phoenix, born [12 June 1997], Indigo Orion Phoenix born [9 November 1999], to younger sister Liberty Phoenix, and Indiana August Affleck (May 31st, 2004) to youngest sister Summer Phoenix, and Scarlette Jasmine Phoenix-Asch born [2 July 2001] to sister Liberty Phoenix. Unfortunately, because of his early death, only Jonas had a chance to meet his uncle River, although both Liberty's oldest son Rio, and Summer's son Indiana are named after him. River died before ever having the chance to know three of his nephews and his niece. The band FenixTX was originally called River Fenix, but due to conflicts with the rights to his name, they were forced to change their name. Harrison Ford personally recommended him for the part of the young Indy in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade after working with him on The Mosquito Coast. Ford stated that of all the young actors who were working at the time, River was the one who looked the most like himself when he was that age. Was, to the day, 7 years older than ice-skater Nicole Bobek. Ironically, despite his reputation for healthy living, Phoenix was a chain smoker. Peter Bogdanovich recalled, "He'd say about meat, 'That's not good for you, man, that'll kill you.' And he'd be smoking a cigarette, and he'd look at it and say, 'I know, man, I know.'" Anonymous Australian alternative rock band TISM (an acronym of This Is Serious Mum) released a song in 1995 called "(He'll Never Be An) Ol' Man River" which dealt with celebrity deaths, specifically with the death of Phoenix and his drug habit which caused it. The main refrain of the song, which reportedly angered members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, was "I'm on the drug that killed River Phoenix". He and his brother Joaquin Phoenix are the first brothers to be nominated for acting Academy Awards. Mentioned by Norwegian Pop-Rocker Morten Abel in the song "River Phoenix". His final performance was in Dark Blood, a film which was abandoned three weeks from completion. The song "River" was dedicated to him in his memory.