At the time of his death in 1993, American actor, activist, and musician River Phoenix was worth $5 million. River Phoenix got his start in the industry on the TV series “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” and he went on to star in such films as “Explorers,” “Stand by Me,”
“The Mosquito Coast,” and “Running on Empty.” He made his cinematic debut in “My Own Private Idaho” and went on to star in “Sneakers” and “The Thing Called Love” while he was just a young adult. Phoenix overdosed on heroin and cocaine on Halloween 1993 when she was 23 years old.
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What is River Phoenix’s Net Worth?
| Net Worth: | $5 Million |
| Date of Birth: | Aug 23, 1970 – Oct 31, 1993 (23 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Madras |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Profession: | Actor, Musician, Singer-songwriter, Guitarist, Activist, Environmentalist |
| Nationality: | United States of America |
River Phoenix’s Early Life.
River Phoenix, whose given name is River Bottom, was born to itinerant hippie parents John Lee Bottom and Arlyn Dunetz on August 23, 1970, in Madras, Oregon. Inspiration for his given name came from the book “Siddhartha.” His mother’s side was Jewish and hails from Russia and Hungary, while his father’s side includes European countries including France, England, and Germany.
His four younger siblings, Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer, followed in his footsteps in the entertainment industry. The family moved to Caracas, Venezuela in 1973 to serve as missionaries for the religious cult Children of God. It has been claimed that a young Phoenix in the group was sexually assaulted.
River Phoenix Net Worth https://t.co/6a9uOzG8iP pic.twitter.com/2wgixTLjDI
— Mercy Johnson (@vnaij) December 4, 2019
River Phoenix’s Career Beginnings.
Moving back to the US, the Phoenix family settled in Los Angeles, California. In the city’s Westwood district, the youngsters would act on street corners for money to support their families. Phoenix was not educated in any conventional sense. Eventually, the youngsters were discovered by talent agent Iris Burton, who decided to represent them.
Since then, Phoenix has starred in TV spots for companies including Ocean Spray and Mitsubishi. Penny Marshall, a casting director at Paramount Pictures, soon signed him and his siblings. Phoenix and his sister Rain were audience warm-up performers on “Real Kids.”
River Phoenix’s Film Career.
Phoenix made his big screen debut as young scientist Wolfgang Müller in Joe Dante’s science fiction fantasy picture Explorers (1985). The following year, he played Chris Chambers in Rob Reiner’s coming-of-age drama “Stand by Me,” about four friends from boyhood in 1959 Oregon who embark on a quest to locate a boy’s body.
His co-stars in the critically acclaimed movie were Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell. Phoenix then portrayed Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren’s son in “The Mosquito Coast,” a 1986 film directed by Peter Weir. Phoenix starred in three movies that year: the coming-of-age drama “A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon,” the thriller “Little Nikita,” and the drama “Running on Empty.”
Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the older son of a fugitive countercultural family in the latter picture. A juvenile version of Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones, played by Harrison Ford, was portrayed by Phoenix in the smash action-adventure sequel “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” which marked the end of the 1980s.
With Kevin Kline, Keanu Reeves, Joan Plowright, and Tracey Ullman among its cast, the black comedy “I Love You to Death” marked Phoenix’s first film role of the 1990s. Later, in 1991’s critically praised coming-of-age movie “Dogfight,” he featured opposite Lili Taylor.
In the same year, he appeared alongside Keanu Reeves in the seminal work of New Queer Cinema, “My Own Private Idaho,” directed by Gus Van Sant. To wit: the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Picture Festival and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead both went to Phoenix for his work in the film, which was widely regarded as one of his finest performances to date.
After that, he appeared in the suspense picture “Sneakers” and the drama “The Thing Called Love,” the latter of which he finished filming just before his death. After their deaths, both Sam Shepard and George Sluizer saw the release of their respective films, “Silent Tongue” and “Dark Blood,” respectively.
River Phoenix’s Television Career.
In 1982, Phoenix made his television debut in the lead role in the CBS musical television series “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” which was adapted from the 1954 film of the same name. In 1983, after only one season, the show was discontinued.
Activism
In her activist work, Phoenix fiercely advocated for the protection of wildlife and the natural environment. He was a public face for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and contributed to many humanitarian and environmental groups.
River Phoenix’s Personal Life and Death.
After meeting on the set of “The Mosquito Coast” in 1986, Phoenix and Martha Plimpton began a romantic relationship. Later, they worked together on “Running on Empty.” They broke up in 1989, reportedly because of Phoenix’s drug use. In 1993, Phoenix dated Samantha Mathis, who he had worked with on “The Thing Called Love.”
According to reports, Phoenix and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante went on a drug binge in late October 1993. They had been using heroin and cocaine heavily and going without sleep for days.
At this time, Phoenix was a member of the band P, which often played at the West Hollywood club Viper Room. He let his bandmates know he wasn’t feeling well during the show, but he still wanted to play.
After a few minutes, Phoenix’s girlfriend Samantha Mathis discovered him having a seizure on the sidewalk. Paramedics took him to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead on October 31. He was 23. The Phoenix family ranch in Micanopy, Florida is where his ashes were scattered.
