River Phoenix: Loved Ones Look Back, People Magazine, Nov 2019
“Meeting River was a revelation. As a person and an artist. His generous heart and shining spirit along with an intelligence, curiosity, wit and humor inspired. He seemed to hold the sadness and what was wrong in a worldly or beyond worldly way and just wanted to make it better, actively make it better. Whether it was in a conversation, a song, the character’s he played, the stories he told, his friendship, his family, his activism, his love. He was there. He tried. He was trying. A beautiful exceptional soul. Light”
— Keanu Reeves
“When I think about it, River introduced me to every experience that helped to form the direction I took in my life. He was always encouraging me and sharing everything he had”
— Joaquin Phoenix
“As well as being hilariously wild, sharp as the freshest razor, and the most eccentric and absurd dancer to ever shake his ass, River Phoenix was the kindest person I ever met. I didn’t know that sort of sensitivity, selflessness, thoughtfulness, compassion and understanding existed before I met him, and it changed my life forever. He raised the bar of humanity for me. He is a part of everything I do and every word I speak. Every atom still vibrates with his infinite presence and I sing his name out loud into the raw and open sky”
— Flea
“River loved music, art, creative people in general. The British band XTC hugely influenced his group Aleka’s Attic. His favorite singer of all time was the astonishing Freddie Mercury. He was obsessed with Terry Gilliam’s film Brazil, and its star Jonathan Pryce — he was so excited to introduce me to Jonathan on the set of Dark Blood. River had a love/hate relationship with fame — if fame could push the greater good or a good idea, he was in 1000%. Otherwise he didn’t have much time for it. His immediate family group was huge, there was always a communal spirit — and a profound sense of fairness, of equality”
— Michael Stipe
“River liked to tell stories and liked to listen to stories, the longer the better. You could tell him a story that would last an hour and he would be right there with you excited about every turn in the story, because it allowed him to know you better, and he liked to get to know people very well and consider them his close friends. He had a large number of very, very close friends”
— Gus Van Sant
“I was instantly taken by River’s spirit — he was so deeply passionate and excited to collaborate in the forum of film making, always seeking truth — and he approached his artistry as a musician the same way, as well as his activism, with the same commitment and zeal. His engage was infectious. And he introduced me to olives. Man, he loved an olive”
