River Phoenix

River Phoenix (1970–1993) was an American actor and musician. Born in Madras, Oregon, he began acting as a child and gained wide recognition for his role in *Stand by Me* (1986). Phoenix earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for *Running on Empty* (1988). He later starred in Gus Van Sant’s *My Own Private Idaho* (1991), alongside Keanu Reeves, and appeared in films including *Dogfight* (1991) and *Sneakers* (1992). As a musician, he played guitar and sang, and was a member of the band Aleka’s Attic. Phoenix died in Los Angeles at age 23.