Every now and then, as I search through what to watch on Netflix, I stop and remember that the ’80s and ’90s gave us some really fun, great movies as well as memorable actors. Unfortunately, some of the most talented young men and women are chased down by their personal demons until they can no longer put up a fight. For some of us in our very late 20s and early to mid 30s, these are some familiar names and faces. Their images stretched before us on the big screen or kept us company whenever we popped in a VHS tape. (What’s that, you ask?)
River Phoenix
River Phoenix
I fear that some of our readers might be too young to know about this heartbreakingly handsome actor. Here’s a quick list of movies he did before dying just outside The Viper Room in Hollywood back in 1993 at the age of 23:
Stand By Me (Classic. Precursor to The Sandlot and Now And Then)
The Thing Called Love (romantic/country music inspired flick with Samantha Mathis and Sandra Bullock)
Explorers (Ethan Hawke is in this one too)
Dogfight – Not sure if it’s still available on Netflix, but it was recommended on Hello Giggles as a great instant watch.
Brad Renfro
Brad Renfro in Ghost World as Josh
Brad starred in the movie The Client, which if you’ve never seen, I highly recommend that you do. It stars Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon as well as a very young Renfro. He also played the role of Josh in the movie Ghost World alongside Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson.
Odd detail pulled from IMDB: Brad died one week after Heath Ledger. Both had auditioned for the part of Gabriel Martin in The Patriot. The role went to Heath.
Unfortunately, Brad struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. He died in 2008 of a heroin overdose.
Corey Haim
I best know Haim from his role in one of my favorite movies, The Lost Boys. That movie also stars Corey Feldman, who was his best friend.
Corey Haim starred in many movies with his best friend Corey Feldman
Like many other young stars of his time, Haim struggled with drug abuse. He and Feldman starred in an A&E show called “The Two Coreys” in which they lived together while Haim tried his best to regain his career. Haim died in 2010 in a manner similar to that of Brittany Murphy: flu-like symptoms and prescription medicine formed some kind of deadly cocktail.
Brandon Lee
I’m still haunted, as many of us probably are, by his extraordinary role in The Crow, a tragic love story based on the comic book by James O’Barr which was inspired by O’Barr’s own life after the loss of his girlfriend to a drunk driver.
The sequels never quite hit the nail on the head but the effectiveness of Lee’s performance lingers in many of our memories just as strongly as the line, “Mother is the name for God on the lips and hearts of all children” (a Thackeray quote). Son of the famous martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, Brandon died during filming when he was shot and struck by real bullet fragments that remained inside a prop gun. If by any chance you’re thinking of Heath Ledger right now, you’re not alone. Just as many folks dressed up as Ledger’s interpretation of The Joker for Halloween, many young guys did the same with Lee’s Eric Draven.
Brandon Lee
Jonathan Brandis
Brandis’s death stung a little because he was my secret crush. At one time (deep in the heart of the 90′s and the Boy Meets World era), I had my walk-in closet lined with Bop and Teen Beat posters of Rider Strong, but it was Brandis’s autographed picture that I held as my one true teen treasure.
He was Bastian in The Neverending Story II. He also starred in Ladybugs with Rodney Dangerfield as a boy who plays soccer in drag. He was in Sidekicks with Chuck Norris and in the TV show Seaquest. I’ve always been a fan of horror, so I was doubly excited when I learned he was also in Stephen King’s It.
Some of the many things that made Brandis so visually alluring were his striking blue eyes, sweet pouty lips, and dirty blonde hair that fell over his eyes so perfectly. I hope he never reads this, but my boyfriend Rider Strong would never forgive me for how many times I cheated on him with Brandis (in my imagination).
Brandis in a flannel shirt. Be still my heart.
Did you know he dated Tatyana Ali for three years?
Brandis died in 2003 at age 27 in Cedars Sinai hospital from injuries caused after he hung himself in his apartment. His friends believed he was depressed about his career. He left no suicide note.
Images via IMDB.com, Buzznet.com, and Wikipedia.
Featured Image via RiverPhoenixBlog
Wow I never realised that Jonathan Brandis in Seaquest (shameful young crush) was one and the same as Bastian (call my name!). Very tragic to have actually taken his own life what a waste.
:’( River, Brad, Brandon and Jonathon are the ones that I was all about. I didn’t know about Jonathon until a year ago or so. Sad that his passing went under the radar like that. SeaQuest was my show!!!!
And I don’t think it was on for very long. I mean, it was OKAY. Interesting show.
I used to turn in my homework signed L Pheonix when I was in the sixth grade. I cannot believe there are people who don’t know who River Pheonix is.
I had no idea Jonathan Brandis passed away! Ladybugs was my favorite movie in the world when I was a kid and I had the biggest crush every on him. So sad.
Just wanted to add that River also played young Indiana Jones in the Last Crusade.
He sure did! I am not really sure why I held back from including that. Figured someone would get curious and check IMDB. Ugh he was so good looking.
I was 11 when River Phoenix died. I really didn’t know who he was, but he was ridiculously gorgeous. My biggest crush was on Jonathan Brandis. I was absolutely gutted over his suicide.
I still get chills watching Stand By Me. The character and him portraying it just pulls at my heart strings. And I had no idea about Jonathan Brandis. About a month ago I got in a very heated argument with my husband. He claimed he’d never seen Sidekicks, and I claimed I could never be married to someone who’d never seen, and loved, Sidekicks. Reflecting on actors who have passed always makes me so sad because yeah, they’re complete strangers I never met. But they were my childhood. I have memories about going to the local video store, renting Sidekicks, watching it in the living room with my brother, and then a hundred times again until it had to go back. Celebrities are important to us more than they realize, but it’s a shame their view on us has to be tarnished by paparazzi and stalker fans. I don’t wanna sell your picture or “have your babies” I just wanna thank you for giving me positive memories from my childhood that have lasted this long. I can think about each of those actors and smile so they’ve clearly managed to impact my life.
This was the best story in a comment thread ever.
13 year old Me was convinced that Brad Renfro was my future husband! I was gutted when he turned out to be a drug addict, and worse when he died! Sleepers made me believe that he’d really grow up to be Brad Pitt:(
River Phoenix’s death still upsets me. You forgot to mention My Own Private Idaho, his most adult and impressive role I believe. I love it. A 90′s movie must watch.
Oh my gosh I am such a huge fan of The Crow! March 31st still puts a bit of a damper on my day. Oh Brandon Lee…
Jonathan Brandis hanging himself was so shocking. I love the Neverending Story II and he was so talented.
I will never forget River Phoenix dying. It was, at the time, the saddest celebrity death I’d ever experienced. Oddly enough, when Heath Ledger passed away, all I could think of was River. Both so talented.
Brad Renfro dying still breaks my heart… Tom and Huck people..