Summary
When he first came to Hollywood, River Phoenix had been known as one of the most clean-living stars, embracing veganism and declining alcohol and drugs. A few years later, a drug overdose ended this Oscar-nominated actor's promising career. Born to offbeat parents, River began acting at a young age to help support the family after his father was injured. His talent soon became apparent, and after a string of TV appearances, he was cast in the Rob Reiner film Stand by Me, which earned him wide recognition as an actor. But it was his role in Sidney Lumet's Running on Empty that earned him an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor and cemented Phoenix's status as an up-and-comer to be watched. As the roles kept pouring in, River found an outlet in music, and some blame the L.A. music scene for his eventual drug addiction. Still, others place the blame squarely on too much fame too soon for the young actor, who, until this point, had led a sheltered life. Read in River Phoenix about this talented actor who died too young.