Born August 23, 1970, in Madrus, OR; died of a drug overdose, October 31, 1993, in Los Angeles, CA. Film and television actor and musician. In a relatively short career, Phoenix achieved considerable success and respect as an actor. He began acting in commercials as a child and, in 1981, graduated to the ill-fated television series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. It was his role inthe 1986 film Stand by Me, however, that earned Phoenix the attention of both movie critics and millions of viewers. The film spotlighted the actor's emotional range and depth and earned him a succession of leading parts. Among his subsequent film appearances are Little Nikita, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and 1988's Running on Empty, for which he received both an Academy Award nomination and a National Board of Review award. In the later years of his life, Phoenix essayed diverse characters in such films as My Own Private Idaho, Sneakers, The Thing Called Love, and his last completed film, 1994's Silent Tongue. At the time of his death he had been working on the feature DarkBlood, which folded production following his demise, and he was slated to appear in the film adaptation of Anne Rice's novel Interview with the Vampire. In addition to his acting, Phoenix was a musician, playing guitar and singingin the band Aleka's Attic with his sister Rain. Phoenix was also a dedicatedvegetarian and environmentalist who lent his support to such organizations asEarth Trust and Earth Save and often spoke on environmental issues in publicservice announcements and at schools.
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