River Phoenix's Mother and Sister Post Tributes to the Late Actor on the 30th Anniversary of His Passing
This week on Halloween, October 31, 2023, it marked the 30th anniversary of the death of River Phoenix. The actor was best known for starring in the 1986 classic Stand By Me, as well as the films The Mosquito Coast, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Running on Empty (a favorite film of mine), My Own Private Idaho, and Sneakers. He passed at the young age of 23 due to a drug overdose, and has been sorely missed by his family, as well as friends, fans, and the acting community.
This week, in his remembrance, Phoenix’s mother and sister posted tributes to him on social media. His mother, Heart, wrote the following:
“Today marks 30 years that have come and gone since River passed away at the age of 23. From the first song he ever wrote at five years old seeing a kid being bullied:
"Why do people fight, Why do people cheat,
Why do people destroy the love in our world?
I want to give my life for them, I know it won't be easy my friend.
If I could show them God's, they will receive joy and peace from above"
He was a voice for the voiceless and had the courage to use his celebrity to make a difference. Whether it was for human rights, animal rights, women’s rights, racial justice, environmentalism, or any wrong that needed to be righted, he was there.
Rain said it so eloquently..."River was not about telling people how to live their lives, he was about doing his part and encouraging others through his example, through his art. It’s just who he was as a person, his generosity, his spirit, his compassion."
He was devastated by the state of the world then and even with the many changes that have happened, we are still at war with ourselves everywhere. I often think that he, like many of the young people of today, would be so confused that with all our incredible brilliance and advancements in all fields, we still haven't found the ability to rectify these huge issues that continue to destroy the better nature of ourselves and all that live here.
When will we be brave enough to transform all of the issues of separation and move on to reparation, peace by peace, in order to live and celebrate our one common humanity? It's not too late. 💖”
River’s sister, Rain, shared footage from the actor’s career, as well as photos, and artwork from fans of his over the years. She also included quotes from the actor, revealing his stance on life, saying:
“30 years 🕊️🙏🏼Celebrating River’s life today 🙏🏼🕊️
“It’s the smaller things, that make the bigger things, seem so much more rewarding. We’re all in this together. We can all do our part.” - River
Sincerest gratitude to River’s fans! #givers4river
And to the amazing artists who created these images of River, thank you. (I don’t know exactly who to tag so, please tag yourselves in the comments.) “River” album art @chris.tucci “Lost in Motion” painting @jackcoulter Aleka’s Attic album cover photograph @michaelstipe
LOVE is more powerful than hate. We can all do our part. More love. Less hate. Peace. Peace. PEACE.
xxx Rain
🤍🕊️🤍🕊️🤍🕊️🤍🕊️🤍🕊️🤍🕊️🤍🕊️🤍🕊️🤍
“I’ve learned that if you can’t get it all together to accomplish this thing called peace, you do at least your part in your life, because that’s where you can truly make an immediate difference.” ~ River Phoenix
“Vegetarianism is a link to perfection and peace. But it’s a small link. There are lots of other issues: apartheid, vivisection, political prisoners, the arms race. There’s so much going on in this world today, so much ignorance among people. That’s not to say I’m not standing amongst everybody. But the point is, what can we do now? That’s the thing about vegetarianism; it’s an individual’s decision and it’s something you have control over. How many things do we really have control over?” ~ River Phoenix
“It still strikes me as strange that anyone could have any moral objection to someone else’s sexuality. It’s like telling someone else how to clean their house.” ~ River Phoenix
“We’re all worth it, man. We’re all worth millions of planets and stars and galaxies and universes.” ~ River Phoenix
“Although I can’t stop all cruelty to living creatures on the planet, I can be kinder to every living creature in my life.” ~ River Phoenix
“I would never, never do anything unless I believed in it.” ~ River Phoenix
“Run to the rescue with love and peace will follow” ~ River Phoenix
🙏🏼🕊️🤍🕊️🤍🕊️🤍🕊️🤍🕊️🤍🕊️🤍🕊️🤍🕊️🙏🏼”
Though it has been 30 years since River Phoenix passed, he is still missed. Check out the posts with photos below, and share your favorite River Phoenix role in the comments.