River Phoenix

River Phoenix

River Phoenix rose to fame as the character of Gordie in classic coming-of-age movie Stand by Me, and developed into a teen heartthrob and a promising actor. Following his breakout film role, the oldest Phoenix brother moved into more mature territory with his Academy Award-nominated role in Running on Empty as well as box office hits like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The young idol had something of a squeaky-clean image as an activist and charity worker, which is why, perhaps, it was so shocking to the general public when, on October 30, 1993, he was found suffering from seizures on the sidewalk outside Hollywood’s Viper Room, after taking large amounts of cocaine and heroin (as well as other drugs such as diazepam, ephedrine). The actor was rushed to hospital but could not be resuscitated and was pronounced dead, aged just 23. Who would have thought that Gordie would end up in such straights?