Many children dream of being an actor, attending premieres, winning awards, and being famous because of an ability to seamlessly shapeshift into different characters. Yet, as magical as Hollywood seems on the surface, with its dazzling red carpets and glamorous events, there is a darkside that has affected many promising stars, like River Phoenix.
Drug and alcohol abuse is the norm in Hollywood, with many stars experimenting with substances as a way to deal with the pressures of the spotlight. While some actors become addicted, sinking deep into dependency, others accidentally get swept up in an alluring world of easily available drugs and parties. Phoenix was a staunch activist against animal abuse and promoted a healthy lifestyle, but he dabbled in class As from time to time. Many of his friends – actors and rock stars – were seasoned drug users, yet it was Phoenix who tragically died from an overdose when he was just 23.
His mother, Arlyn Phoenix, told Esquire that Phoenix wasn’t the kind to buy into the glamorous and hedonistic lifestyle championed by many Hollywood stars. “He often said he wished he could just be anonymous. But he never was. When he wasn’t a movie star, he was a missionary. There’s a beauty in that – the man with the cause, the leader – but there’s also a deep loneliness,” she said.
Phoenix never possessed the image of a drug-using reckless star, instead dedicating himself to performances that were wise beyond his years. From Stand By Me and Running on Empty to Dogfight and My Own Private Idaho, Phoenix was an astoundingly good actor who would have likely gone on to appear in many more acclaimed movies and perhaps scooped up a few Oscars.
So, how did River Phoenix die?
Sadly, on Halloween night in 1993, Phoenix’s life came to an end after he went to the Viper Room in Los Angeles, a club owned by Johnny Depp and Sal Jenco. While Phoenix and his girlfriend, Samantha Mathis, were just planning on dropping off his siblings, Rain and Leaf (now Joaquin), the night took a quick turn when Phoenix decided he wanted to stay, too. He ended up getting involved in a performance with some of his friends, including Depp and Red Hot Chili Peppers members Flea and John Frusciante, who were performing in a band named P.
It didn’t take long for the unthinkable tragedy to occur. Phoenix did various drugs at the bar before realising he had overdosed. He stumbled outside while the band were playing the song ‘Michael Stipe’, which proved to be a strange and ominous warning. The band sang, “Him and River Phoenix were/ Leaving on the road tomorrow.” Unfortunately, Phoenix really was leaving, heading towards his untimely death as he lay on the pavement outside, Mathis crying out in horror.
According to Bob Forrest, Phoenix had been taking a lot of drugs in the days before his death, getting sucked into a world that he had previously been far removed from. Unfortunately, with the popularity of drugs in Hollywood and the music industry, it wasn’t hard for Phoenix to get his hands on substances like heroin and cocaine, leading him to fatally overdose on a cocktail of drugs.
While Joaquin was quick to call for an ambulance, his older brother was unable to recover from the overdose that left him convulsing outside of The Viper Room. He died in the early hours of the morning, leaving behind a small but highly impactful legacy as a Hollywood icon.
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