Born River Jude Bottom in Madras, OR. Gifted and serious young feature film actor from the mid-1980s to the early 90s. Though strikingly handsome, Phoenix largely eschewed typical teen idol roles. As he matured, he generally opted for parts that played to his strengths for conveying intelligence and sensitivity. The product of an unorthodox, nomadic childhood (his parents worked as migrant fruit pickers in the Northwestern US, and later, as Christian missionaries in South and Central America), Phoenix, age seven, earned his supper singing religious songs in the streets of Caracas. Back in the US, he won talent contests in the late 1970s and made his TV debut at age 12 in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (1982-83). A conscientious youth, Phoenix abandoned making commercials for ethical reasons -- he didn't actually use the products he was hired to sell. He was convincing as a bespectacled, brainy youngster in his feature debut, EXPLORERS (1985), a charming fantasy directed by Joe Dante. Phoenix gave an impressively mature performance as a knowing, tough kid in Rob Reiner's poignant coming-of-age drama, STAND BY ME (1986). That same year he played Harrison Ford's eldest son in Peter Weir's THE MOSQUITO COAST. In 1988 Phoenix played a socially ambitious teen whose plans are seriously altered in A NIGHT IN THE LIFE OF JIMMY REARDON, and, opposite Sidney Poitier, the initially unsuspecting son of Soviet agents in LITTLE NIKITA. Although he never acquired the commercial clout of some of his contemporaries, Phoenix became known for his nuanced and heartfelt performances. He received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor as a piano student on the lam with his fugitive 60s radical parents in Sidney Lumet's RUNNING ON EMPTY (1988) and captured the essence of Harrison Ford when he played a young Indiana Jones in the riotous prologue of INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989). He clearly emerged as the leading actor of his generation in Hollywood with his courageous portrayal of a gay narcoleptic street hustler in Gus Van Sant's MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO (1991). He also gave impressive performances as a mystical pizza man in Lawrence Kasdan's black comedy I LOVE YOU TO DEATH (1990) and a young Vietnam-bound Marine in Nancy Savoca's DOGFIGHT (1991). Also a talented musician, Phoenix formed the rock band Aleka's Attic with his sister Rain. He sang and played guitar in the country-western drama THE THING CALLED LOVE (1993). Phoenix's final credit was a metaphysical Western, SILENT TONGUE, written and directed by Sam Shepard. Phoenix collapsed and died under suspicious circumstances outside the Viper Room, a Los Angeles club owned by actor Johnny Depp. He was at one time romantically involved with actress Martha Plympton. Before his untimely death on Halloween night from drug-induced heart failure in 1993, Phoenix was set to play the interviewer in Neil Jordan's adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire. He had also nearly completed work on the independent thriller DARK BLOOD, with Judy Davis. His siblings Joaquin Phoenix, Summer Phoenix, Rain Phoenix and Liberty Phoenix are all actors.  Nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 1988: RUNNING ON EMPTY 1 nomination