River Jude Phoenix was born on August 23rd, 1970 in the small town of Madras, Oregon. He was the first of five children born to John Bottom and Arlyn Dunetz, sixties flower children who had married a year earlier and wanted anything but to lead a monotonous life. After River’s birth, the family joined a religious cult, Children of God, and began traveling extensively to spread the word of God.

By the age of four, Rivers parents had moved them to Venezuela and they had welcomed 2 other children into their family by then. Rain, his sister, and Joaquin Rapael, his brother who changed his own name to Leaf when he was four. The family, no longer with the Children of God, found it hard to make ends meet. Especially with the arrival of their fourth child, Libertad Mariposa, or Liberty Butterfly. The family’s need for money was what initially led River into performing. He and Rain, would often be found singing and playing music in the streets of Venezuela for change.

The family moved back to the States in 1977 and changed their last name to Phoenix, the bird that symbolizes rebirth. Their fifth child, Summer Joy, was born in Florida shortly after. The next move for the family was to California and while in Los Angeles, River’s love of performing and his talent landed him parts in commercials for products like Ocean Spray and Saks Fifth Avenue. However, he quickly learned he didn’t like the idea of endorsing products he didn’t believe in, so he quit doing commercials to move on to bigger and better acting jobs.

After performing with Rain as guests on shows such as “Real Kid’s” and “Fantasy” in 1980, he was cast in the television series “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.” The series only ran from 1982-1983 but gave him the experience he needed to further his career. It also led to parts in “It’s Your Move,” “Hotel,” “Family Ties,” and was cast as JFK Jr. in the TV mini-series “Robert Kennedy and His Times.”

Joe Dante’s “Explorers,” co-staring Ethan Hawke and Jason Presson, marked River’s first feature film in 1985. Next he was cast in the sleeper hit of the year, Rob Reiner’s “Stand By Me.” He stared opposite Harrison Ford in both “The Mosquito Coast,” and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” He also stared in “I Love You to Death,” “Dogfight,” and “A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon.” He was cast in “Running on Empty” as Danny Pope and gave what is probably the best performance of his career. His brilliant talent didn’t go unnoticed and he earned an Academy Award nomination for it. He was also named Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his starring role as a narcoleptic street hustler in “My Own Private Idaho.”

This talented young actor and one of the best actors of his generation was lost Halloween weekend of 1993 to one of Hollywood’s biggest killers – drugs. River Phoenix , girlfriend Samantha Mathis, Rain and Leaf went out to Johnny Depp’s Viper Room. There River took a lethal dose of mixed drugs which included cocaine and heroin. He died on the sidewalk outside shortly after and was pronounced dead at 1:51am. He was only twenty-three years old.