River Phoenix would have been, in my opinion, among the best, if not the best, actors of his generation. In fact, I think he already was when he died tragically at the tender age of 23, in 1993. In his short career he impressed with his natural talent and it is hard not to imagine the actor he was becoming. He was nominated to the Academy Awards for his role in Running on Empty (1989) when he was only 19. From Stand by Me and Running on Empty, to I Love You to Death, Dogfight and My Own Private Idaho, he had an arresting presence in every role I’ve seen him in. There was something mysterious about him, something quiet yet powerful that easily caught your attention and often held the screen. His untimely death deprived us not only of a great actor, but of a future style role model too. He came to define the grunge generation, but he knew how to wear a tuxedo as well.
I believe he would have chosen his movies wisely, steering away from what was mainstream. “I’m so glad that it didn’t happen, because I don’t want to make music for the masses. I just want to make it for my friends and the people I play with” is what River was saying about Aleka’s Attic, the band he’d formed with sister, Rain, when it didn’t hit it big. I believe he would have applied the same philosophy to his filmography. Which would only have made us appreciate him more. In a Hollywood that has lost the real meaning of a movie star, he would have been one.
Today was his birthday.
photos: ©Lance Staedler/CORBIS OUTLINE, 1987
An undying figure of 80’s and early 90’s cinema! We all miss him…
Unforgettable in every role he played. I often wonder how he would have evolved in Hollywood. He was too sensitive for it all. I loved him in Stand By Me, Little Nikita and Sneakers, to name a few, and I love that he got to sing in The Thing Called Love. Like Robin Williams, I am so grateful we have the memories captured on film.
Heidi, I watched The Thing Called Love last evening and I loved that I got to hear him sing too. I’ve just read that he even toured with the Red Hot Chili Peppers once. And I agree, Little Nikita and Sneakers are two other movies worth mentioning… He was good in every single role.
that was such a devastating loss. i remember when he died i was in such shock, i had grown up with him, watched him in movies and we all knew he was good, even in his not so good movies. he was really good. in a sea of not so great young actors at the time. he wasn’t only a good young actor, he could outshine just about everyone, but really he didn’t, everyone seemed to act better than they ever had around him too. like you said ‘captivating.’ such a tragedy.
he was a great actor, but there is a reason why we become so obsessed with people who die young. it’s easy to assume that his whole life would have been an inspiration, but with extremely talented people like him the chances of him falling to pieces were as big.
Yes, it is easy to imagine, because that last part you mention, that’s what did happen. The untimely death of talented young people is what keeps our fascination with them alive, it’s natural, like in the case of James Dean.
I’m with Petra on this one. I loved River a lot and was really upset when he had passed away. The way he died, on the stoop of Johnny Depp’s Viper Room with desperate brother Joaquin at his side. Joaquin is still doing great some weird things aside, I find understandable. But look at Johnny Depp these days?
It’s a disappointment to see Johnny Depp’s movie choices these days. Such a big step back from his early films and talent (he still has I hope). Maybe River’s filmography would have taken an unfortunate path as well, but we will never know. I choose to believe in the other version. It’s sad enough when we lose talented, beautiful, wonderful young people, and I am not talking just about famous figures, I think they deserve us to imagine they would have had a bright future.
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