LEONARDO DICAPRIO ABOUT RIVER PHOENIX

River Phoenix


Superstar Leonardo Dicaprio is regretting not introducing himself to River Phoenix at a Halloween party, because hours later, Phoenix lost his life outside a Los Angeles California nightclub. DiCaprio was at the beginning of his Hollywood career when he spied his longtime hero Phoenix was at a party on Halloween night. The up and coming star, who was 18 at the time, was desperate to corner his idol for a chat but didn’t have time to approach Phoenix before he left the bash. And DiCaprio will always remember the missed opportunity, because 23-year-old Phoenix collapsed and died from a drug overdose outside the Viper Room a few hours later. He tells Esquire magazine, "When I was eighteen, River Phoenix was far and away my hero. Think of all those early great performances - My Own Private Idaho, Stand by Me. I always wanted to meet him. One night, I was at this Halloween party, and he passed me. He was beyond pale - he looked white. Before I got a chance to say hello, he was gone, driving off to the Viper Room, where he fell over and died.

Editors Note: I met River Phoenix at Gay night at the Limelight nightclub. He was not so nice. He was with friends and they were all wasted to the hill. I asked for his photo and he was so nasty and he gave me some wild drugged out photo with his hands like claws. Was yelling "Is this what you want." He and his friends then went into the gay sex backroom, behind the VIP area. Those were the days when anything went in New York City. Over the years, I kept misplacing the pic, it was like bad karma. It is once again missing. So Leonardo, since you were beginning your career, and if you were introduced to River, he either would have been nasty or thought you were cute and been super nice.
Photos By: Walter McBride/Sara De Boer/Retna

Comments

SiriusMoore said…
omg was River gay?? i was wondering about him and keanu.....
Anonymous said…
No River Phoenix was NOT Gay! And just remember, River isn't here to defend himself!!
James Edstrom said…
I stand by my story. I have nothing to gain by making anything up.
Anonymous said…
You may have nothing to gain by MAKING ANYTHING UP, but that also dosen't mean your NOT trying to ruin River's REPUTATION! Like I said, River isn't here to defend himself!! And lets just leave it at that.
Anonymous said…
strange "editors note"... seems to me we learn far more about the character of the editor.
James Edstrom said…
Yes, you learn that I tell it like it is.

James
Anonymous said…
I tell it like it is too!!
Anonymous said…
River never denied being gay or bi.... so y is the editor so bad and who cares if he was he was talented either way!!!
Unknown said…
whatever youre such a liar ! there is no basis of truth whatsoever to what youre saying only person who can truly answer that question of sexual orientation is river himself so really all this what your saying is just that gossip no trutth to gossip for the most part i believe river was 100 percent straight and so do a good majority of people so this bull is just what your name entailss gossip buh bye
James Edstrom said…
what would you know, you have never met him....end of story!
celebrate the man he was and mourn his loss....as for his sexuality....its not important because we do not love, hate, respect or judge the character of a man by his needs but by his deeds.
Anonymous said…
Sorry to say it but River was lost and as such... a druggie and into anything and everything sexually. While many would say that he was not self destructive he WAS living on the edge and went over it. Unfortunately his full potential will never be know. What his know is that he did NOT make it. He died.
Anonymous said…
Dead? He will live on as long we remember him. don't really care if he was gay or not. But how would that ruin his reputation? I was so upset that we lost him to an addiction that he could not overcome. Hate the sin not the sinner. lol everybody.
Anonymous said…
funny how the photo is missing.
Anonymous said…
Defend himself? Being gay is not a bad thing, any more than being left handed is a bad thing.
shevablade said…
Being gay is a mental illness period and he was not gay all his realationships was with women none with men was proven.
Anonymous said…
Being gay isint a bad thing, not at all. And to me he will forever be around us, he is a hollywood legend and will live on, but people, even if he was gay, that doesnt matter, and if he isint, that doesnt matter either! This is river we're talking about! And he is not here to defend himself so, let's not judge. Love river!!:))
Anonymous said…
Perhaps he couldn't be arsed having his photo taken? I think the earlier poster meant that he wasn't here to defend himself about being "not so nice" not about being gay, no reason to defend against those claims because he's more than entitled to be gay just like everyone else. Being gay is a mental illness?! Get a grip on reality whoever said that, anybody who thinks being gay is a mental illness is mentally ill I'm afraid. I do think he was gay and probably ashamed unnecessarily, that was a different time unfortunately. I also think he was a beautiful talented person with a difficult past which led to his untimely death. He is still missed by millions regardless of sexuality :)
Anonymous said…
Ther is no proof River was stright.
Anonymous said…
I couldn't care less if he was gay or not. I'm upset about the editors note.
James Edstrom said…
why upset about editors note? I tell it like it was.
Anonymous said…
Honestly; Its very touching that all of his fans still take Rivers side after all these years, and through all of his mistakes.. Thats very loyal of everyone, and I think if River was still here today(may he rest in peace) he would be both flattered and touched.
As for Rivers family, I think they would also feel the same if they seen all of the lovely supporters comments. Think about it; how would you feel if it was YOUR family member who passed, and years later, people who didnt even know him, still took his side.
Touched.

Now, i came across this artical and decided to read it.. Which lead me to become a little hurt that non-sense is still being posted about the late actor River Phoenix. Really?
Why do you think he started drugs? Maybe like the reat of the young hollywood actors/actresses, to get away from reality. I strongly disagree with their, and Rivers decion as to go to drugs; but maybe that was there only excape from the screaming fans and the flashing cameras. They had NO privacy, and every little mistake that they did reflected on the rest of ther career. Imagine the pressure it took.. You had to hide away, just because people wanted to have the newest picture of you, for the fromt cover. Its highly unfair!
And maybe, just maybe, we can never be sure.. But my theory is that River had resorted to drugs, like many celebritys, because he couldn't handle having to be that 'perfect' hippee boy everyone wanted him to be. Maybe it wasn't the drugs that killed him(in mind), but society.


It was no ones fault for his death of course, that was purely accidental and Rivers choice to have taken the drug. But he just couldn't handel being hollywoods 'it' boy, i guess.

And for him being gay? I honestly dont think so.. But thats for you all decide, since it seems some people are so comvinced of his sexual orientation without evening speaking to him. I dont think River was gay. He played a gay charcter (mike) in my own private idaho, but thats purely acting.. His job.
And so what if he is gay? Does that make him any less talented? Does that make him 'bad' if he's gay or bisexual?
He is River Jude Phoenix for god sake! Think of what your saying!
He is talented either way, and will forever live on and be with us in our hearts. For the picture being taken in the night club, the author of that article cleary states that he looked to be drunk; so his actions could have been reflected on his state of mind, and if he were taking drugs that night.
Also, maybe he was sick of people wanting an artigraph and a picture, maybe he just wanted to have a night to him and his friends.. But fans see him and swarm around him, because he is who he is. River Phoenix.

Oh, and just because he went into a gay sex bathroom, doesnt nessarily mean anything happened to River. Ever thought about that??
Well, this is my thoughts on things, I love River and will no matter what!:) he was amazing, and forever a great person.

We love you River, you rock!
Rock that 6-string(guitar) in the clouds<3
Anonymous said…
Actually there is; River was in a straight public realtionship with 3 or more females from the age 16-23. He has not been in any realtionship with a man, that has been documented. And honestly, I don't think River was gay.
Just because you call his movie 'my own private idaho' proof that he was gay(his charcter was gay), doesn't mean anything. It was a powerful role, and river stepped into it and decided he wanted to take a changeling part.
It was his job, not his life.

While playing the role of my own private idaho, it was documented River did research for his charcter; which was simply interviewing boys like his charcter, with the same lifestyle, etc. Nothing more..


If river phoenix was gay, it would be a HUGE surprise.. But i guess we'll never know.


Anonymous said…
Not to be ignorant, but how would you know who has met who?
Anonymous said…
No, River was not gay. It hadn't been documented as i explained in my many comments/replies to this article.

That was a movie role, my own private idaho, where he was to play a more challenging and heartfelt role of a gay street boy named Mike, who was romantically in love with kneau's charcter Scott. It was a role he had to do, it was his job, not his life.
He did do research for his charcter, only interviewing people like his charcter mike, just to be able to get into charcter more.. Nothing more. He was not gay, but even if he was, does that change anything? He was talented and is a Hollywood legend. He will forever live in our hearts:)
James Edstrom said…
O come on, what is with all this mental illness stuff? Being gay is normal, it is not mental illness.
Anonymous said…
I don't want to come off as rude, because I'm not trying to be.. How ever I have one and just one question, What was the point of this article?

Just wondering because it seems pretty stupid to me why someone would be trying to "Expose Rivers Sexuality" even though he was a great and talented person anyways.. Rip Rio
Anonymous said…
A mental illness...? I'm openly gay and live in a same-sex-relationship, and there's no history of mental illness in my family or in my life. River Phoenix concerned... get your facts straight and so some more research.
Anonymous said…
No, he was gay...or at least in gay relationships.
Unknown said…
That is not proof that he's straight! Ricky Martin, Lance Bass, Matt Boomer, and many other gay men had girlfriends...
Anonymous said…
Proof?
Anonymous said…
.. Whether or not he was "Gay" is really none of our concern and quite frankly we will never know for sure because lets not forget ; River is dead, his stardom a long with his story will forever live on, yes, but the man is dead.. Please let him rest in peace and stop worrying about whether or not he was gay!
Unknown said…
to claim any substantive insight into River's character from your brief encounter at Limelight is ridicules. He was a kind soul. If he was out with friends that night he was just trying to have fun like anyone else there. You intruded and singled him out which he was always uncomfortable with in those situations. If you'd approached the group like you might approch anyone else at the club, instead of acting like a paparazzi sticking a camera in his face, the reaction would have been different. He was never comfortable with the way he was treated outside work. He didn't wear expensive clothes, he didn't own a big house or flashy car. He wasn't into possessions and trying to impress people or calling attention to himself. He got into acting and performing because he was good at it and he used his success in film as a means to help support his extended family and to fund the many environmental and humanitarian causes that they had either started or adopted. He had three long term relationships with women and many close lifelong friendships with all kinds of people, some straight and some gay. He was as strong advocate and voice in support of the gay community long before that was fashionable. If you'd taken the time to meet him in a less disruptive way, instead of trying to snatch yet another image of him, you likely would have ended up with a better understanding of who he was.
Anonymous said…
I met River in Florida way before and he was a wonderful friend. He was a sensitive 'old soul" - kind, loving, thoughful, and extremely talented. All I will say is that he was open minded, but into girls. He was not gay.
There was a reason River acted irrational that horrible night. I won't elaborate, but what I will say is that River's so called "friend" lied to him and double crossed him that night - which really hurt him deeply. He was in such pain and embarrassed from being lied to by someone he trusted.
Those who knew him knew the wonderful man he was. Those how didn't know him well can only speculate. About River, the actor - his work speaks for itself. His physical beauty (and image) was and still is, undeniable.
He was one of a kind...
James Edstrom said…
Very nice comment, and you are right, his work was so great!