River Jude Bottom, later known as River Phoenix, was born in Madras, Oregon, to Arlyn (Dunetz),a Bronx-born secretary, and John Bottom, a carpenter. The couple met in California in 1968 and spent several years as itinerant fruit pickers before joining the Children of God religious group. As River grew up, his parents, who were originally Catholic and Jewish, respectively, left the group and moved to South America, where John became the Archbishop of Venezuela.
By the time River was two, his family had moved to the United States, where they settled in Florida with his maternal grandparents. His parents encouraged their children to pursue careers in the entertainment industry, and River began acting professionally on television at a young age. His film debut came in 1985 with the movie Explorers, followed by box-office successes in Stand by Me (1986),The Mosquito Coast (1986),and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).
River's breakout role came in 1988 with his portrayal of Danny Pope in Running on Empty, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He went on to star in My Own Private Idaho (1991),a role that many consider his best.
