"Why is it that the original thinkers like River Phoenix and Heath Ledger die, ... Perry signed on to film “Almost Heroes,” a 1988 comedy co-starring Farley. 4.

The role seems so different from what I understand River Phoenix’s actual personality to be. It was obviously a huge change from the kinds of sensitive young men that he’d been playing.

But River Phoenix, who died 20 years ago Thursday of a drug overdose at age 23, has a legacy more meaningful than the sum of its relatively few parts.

It's been 30 years since the tragic death of River Phoenix, known for films like "Stand By Me." Over the years, friends and family have shared memories of the actor and that fateful night.

On Oct. 31, 1993, River Phoenix’s life was tragically cut short when he died of a drug overdose at 23. Despite his young age, Phoenix already had an Oscar nomination, several impressive films… ...