Leonardo DiCaprio Remembers Seeing River Phoenix the Evening He Died

Quentin Tarantino’s new film As soon as Upon a Time in Hollywood celebrates the bygone period of 1960s Tinseltown, which is far completely different than at present. Star Leonardo DiCaprio got here up within the 90s period, which can be fairly a bit faraway from the fashionable day world of filmmaking. Whereas speaking about his personal early experiences in Los Angeles, making an attempt to make it as a teen star, he recalled seeing his idol River Phoenix on the identical day that the actor died.

Leonardo DiCaprio has revealed that he was one of many final individuals in Hollywood to see River Phoenix alive however the probability encounter was quick lived, and DiCaprio did not really get to talk to Phoenix, who was thought-about among the finest actors of his era. Leo describes the second as ‘ominous and unhappy’ and has carried it with him by his personal profession as a cautionary story of what to not change into. He says this concerning the day River Phoenix died on Halloween evening, 1993, at Johnny Depp’s notorious membership The Viper Room.

“I grew up revering River Phoenix as the good actor of my era, and all I ever needed was to have simply a chance to shake his hand. And one evening, at a celebration in Silver Lake, I noticed him stroll up a flight of stairs. It was nearly like one thing you’d see in Vertigo, as a result of I noticed there was one thing in his face, and I would by no means met him – at all times needed to satisfy him, at all times needed to simply have an encounter with him – and he was strolling towards me and I sort of froze. After which the gang bought in my approach, and I seemed again and he was gone.”

DiCaprio continued to speak about his expertise on that Halloween evening. He had determined that he was going to talk to Phoenix or else, and was decided to seek out him. So he went trying.

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“I walked again up the steps and again down, and I used to be like, ‘The place did he go?’ And he was . . . on his solution to The Viper Room. It was nearly as if – I do not know find out how to describe it, but it surely’s this existential factor the place I felt like . . . he disappeared in entrance of my very eyes, and the tragedy that I felt afterward of getting misplaced this nice affect for me and all of my associates. The actor all of us talked about. Simply to have the ability to have that, at all times desirous to just-and I keep in mind extending my hand out, after which . . . Two individuals got here in entrance after which I seemed again, after which he wasn’t there.”

River Phoenix was an acclaimed actor who starred in such classics as Stand By Me, The Explorers, My Personal Personal Idaho and Indiana Jones and the Final Campaign. He died from a drug overdose exterior of that notorious Hollywood membership, which was on the time a Los Angeles landmark. Leonard DiCaprio claims that all of it got here full circle for him when he needed to fly to New Orleans to satisfy about Interview with the Vampire, presumably taking up the position that Phoenix had already signed onto play. The a part of the interviewer ended up going to Christian Slater.

Leonardo DiCaprio has stayed out of bother for many of his younger profession, and hasn’t had too many brushes with the paparazzi. River Phoenix’s demise shook him in a approach that set him on a straight and slim path. And he has since change into one of many greatest names in Hollywood. As soon as Upon a Time in Hollywood opens in theaters July 26 and stars DiCaprio alongside Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie. This interview was first revealed in Esquire.

Contributing author for Movieweb since 2001. Owns a canine who loves watching Milo and Otis on repeat.

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