Was the burden of fame too much? He was called "one of the most gifted actors of his generation." His work in films like The Mosquito Coast, Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, and My Own Private Idaho made him a favorite of critics and the public alike. But all that promise would soon come tragically to an end. In 1994 outside a Hollywood club called The Viper Room, River Phoenix lay dying from a drug overdose. His tragic death at the age of twenty-three shocked America, who had known him as a strict vegetarian, close to his family and committed to saving the environment. Learn the truth about how: - He lost his virginity at the age of four - He financially supported his parents and four siblings in his mid-teens - He felt burdened to save the world - and believed his fame was a platform to do it - He shunned his image as a teenage heartthrob - and was shy around girls - He secretly turned to drugs and alcohol to numb his pain Veteran journalist John Glatt delivers an intimate portrait of River Phoenix, whose noble ideals and raw talent could not protect him from the pressures of fame.

Publication Year: 1996