River Phoenix Biography – Siblings, Girlfriend, Death & Net Worth

Best friend of Keanu Reeves, a role model of stars like Leonardo Di Caprio and many girls’ heart-throb. Calm, gentle, and resilient, just like his name as we talk about River Phoenix.

“I don’t want to die in a car accident. When I die, it will be a glorious day. It’ll probably be a waterfall.”

His death was surely unfortunate, and it raised outrage in media as the sudden demise of an invaluable star. He died at the young age of 23, leaving his loved ones bitter as a star who has been dead for longer than he lived.

Know in detail about River Phoenix’s personal life, age, career, net worth, and wiki-bio.

River Phoenix at an Academy Awards, 1989

Before we take a look at River Phoenix’s personal life, let’s take a glance at his quick facts!

River Phoenix: Quick Facts

Born	River Jude Bottom August 23, 1970 Madras, Oregon, U.S.
Died	October 31, 1993 (aged 23), West Hollywood, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Combined drug intoxication
Resting place	Cremated remains scattered in Micanopy, Florida, U.S.
Occupation	Actor Musician, Activist
Years active	1982–1993
Parent(s)	Arlyn Phoenix, John Lee Bottom
Relatives	Rain Phoenix (sister), Joaquin Phoenix (brother), Liberty Phoenix (sister), Summer Phoenix (sister)
Musical career
Genres	Alternative rock, Folk Rock
Instruments	Vocals, Guitar
Associated acts	Aleka’s Attic

River Phoenix Biography

River Phoenix, Originally named River Jude Bottom, was born on August 23, 1970, in Madras, Oregon. He was the eldest son of Arlyn Dunetz and John Lee Bottom.

River’s parents named him after the river of life from the Hermann Hesse novel ‘Siddhartha,’ and his middle name was from the popular Beatles song ‘Hey Jude.’

His family was involved with the controversial new Christian movement, called Children of God, as missionaries. They had settled in Caracas, Venezuela, where they were picked as missionaries and fruit gatherers.

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River rarely talked about his childhood during those days. But after a few years, he opened up about the sexual harassment he experienced since the age of 4.

Soon after, his parents left the cult and, as a symbol of a new beginning, officially changed their surname to Phoenix, to the mythical bird that rises from its own ashes.

Phoenix’s early childhood was spent in poverty and uncertainty. Often he and his younger sister would sing in the streets for money and food to support their family. Due to their economic condition, he never attended school and had no deep root knowledge about history and literature despite being able to read and write.

Career

The people of Los Angeles loved the river and his siblings, and soon he started doing commercials for Mitsubishi, Ocean Spray, and Shanks Fifth Avenue.

In 1980, River began to pursue his acting career, making his first TV appearance in a show called Fantasy Singing with his sister Rain.

After that, his acting career started to take a turn for good as he landed many roles after roles. He finally had his career-breaking role in the movie Stand By Me(1986), directed by Rob Reiner.

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River Pheonix played the role of 15 years old delinquent named Chris Chambers, which made him a household name. He shined through this role as he resonated with the character’s upbringing and difficult life.

Phoenix soon was on the list of every Hollywood acclaimed directors and producers. With then-recent success and earning, and from his contribution, his family condition also improved.

Late American actor River continued to appear in many movies in the following year. The Mosquito Coast(1986), Little Nikita(1988), and Running on Empty(1988) are some of his critically acclaimed movies.

Awards and Achievements

Stand By Me actor was also nominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (also in Golden Globe Award) for his extraordinary performance in Running on Empty (1988), making him the youngest candidate ever.

But his most acclaimed role was in My Private Idaho(1991), where he played a gay male hustler with epilepsy. He played opposite Keanu Reeves and became a best friend since then.

Personal Life

Initially, the Stand By Me actor River dated the first love of his life, Martha Plimpton, after playing the on-screen romantic couples in the 1988 movie Running on Empty. In fact, the duo fell in love on the set of the production.

The lovebirds appeared together in several events together. Above all, the pair was seen together holding hands in Rock Against Fur’s backstage at the Palladium on February 24, 1989.

Later, their romance didn’t work out well, and the duo parted their ways in 1989. After that, Phoenix leaned onto his next girlfriend, Samantha Mathis. The duo, Phoenix, and Samantha met while on the set of The Thing Called Love (1993).

Samantha dated a few other men after her ex’s untimely demise, including Christian Bale, and most recently Collin Hanks in 2009.

Activist River Phoenix Took A Break From Industry Due To Mockery

Aside from his acting, he was also a musician, devoted animal activist, and vegetarian.  He was also an active member of PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals).

Pheonix often voiced for the animal rights and violence they suffered. He refused to wear fur or any animal-related products. And also advised others to do so.

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So much that once he left the restaurant crying, seeing his girlfriend, Martha having crab. His own peers and colleagues often mocked his unusual name and his Vegan habit.

But despite all the backlash, he continued to thrive. He took a break from the movie Hollywood industry for a while and focused on his music career.

At that time, he was also an active member and vocalist of Aleka’s Attic, a five-member band including his sister Rain Phoenix. He has often said that he preferred music overacting, but being the bread-earner for his family, he could not.

So, he occasionally toured with Aleka’s Attic and sang in various rallies and also in pubs. They weren’t huge, but they had a loyal fan base who followed their every activity.

Death of an “Unwritten Legacy”

Since his days in My Private Idaho, River was rumored to be taking drugs. He was such a perfectionist that to play his role perfectly, he often hung with male hustlers and took drugs.

His family and his own girlfriend Martha tried to change him, but he was in too deep. Unable to change his mind Martha broke up with him, and he chose drugs to drown his loneliness and pain.

And on the night of Halloween, his habit took the best of him. On October 31, 1993, he died in front of Viper club surrounded by his loved ones, family, and his girlfriend Samantha Mathis.

The 5 ft 10 inch tall 23 years old actor River Phoenix was pronounced dead at 1:29 A.M. with a drug overdose. The media and fans were outraged and in complete chaos from the star’s sudden death.

What happened to Aleka’s Attic after River Phoenix’s death?

River Phoenix died at the young age of 23. No one could believe that the star who was on the road to stardom and big projects would die so young. Soon after his death, Aleka’s Attic also disbanded, and his sister Rain went solo.

Aleka’s  Attic

The following day the fans and loved ones made a makeshift shrine to honor his untimely demise with flowers, candles, and murals.

Johnny Depp, owner, and friend of River, also closed the Club temporarily. But his image of squeaky clean, humanitarian was thrashed by media as a drug addict adult who was unable to control his urges.

Phoenix was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at his family ranch in Micanopy, Florida. Even after 25 years of his death, he is still remembered by his loyal fans.

River Phoenix’s recent net worth is estimated to be $5 Million. But there’s no doubt that he would have been big and influential if he had been still alive.