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None of the acclaim or respect River Phoenix had earned in his young career could help him the night he collapsed on Hollywood's Sunset Strip, went into convulsions and died. The coroner's report showed he had levels of cocaine and heroin in his system that were more than enough to kill him. But even before his unfortunate demise, the 23-year-old's life story had been as dramatic as any role he played onscreen. Born to hippie parents, Phoenix was raised on a commune in Oregon and later traveled all over the world with his family. As a result, he was worldly in some ways and painfully naive in others. He was also among the most gifted actors of his generation--a child star who became a reluctant teen idol and was on his way to becoming one of Hollywood's most promising young stars. What You Don't Know:• River Phoenix was born in a log cabin in Oregon. • Phoenix, an outspoken advocate for PETA, was a vegan. • He disliked flying and traveled everywhere by car or train. • His first acting job was on the short-lived 1982 TV drama Seven Brides for Seven Brothers with Peter Horton and Richard Dean Anderson. • Phoenix, who'd been playing the guitar since childhood, had his own band with his sister Rain called Aleka's Attic. • He'd been partying with actress Christina Applegate, his girlfriend Samantha Mathis and siblings Joaquin and Rain at the Viper Room on Sunset Blvd. the night of his death. • Natalie Merchant and Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento both wrote songs in honor of Phoenix; R.E.M.'s album Monster is dedicated to the actor. • Nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work in Sidney Lumet's Running on Empty, Phoenix lost out to Kevin Kline for his performance in A Fish Called Wanda. Kline and Phoenix would work together two years later in the film I Love You to Death. • Phoenix had dated actress Martha Plimpton, Keith Carradine's daughter, who played his girlfriend in The Mosquito Coast and Running on Empty (1988). • Though Phoenix was to play opposite Tom Cruise in Interview with the Vampire, Christian Slater took over the role after Phoenix's death, donating his salary to charity.
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