Brad Renfro starred in The Client alongside Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones at age 11, but the promising Hollywood actor’s life was tragically cut short at just 25
Hollywood’s child stars have sometimes met tragic and premature fates. Actors such as Stand By Me’s River Phoenix, Descendants’ Cameron Boyce, Poltergeist’s Heather O’Rourke and Diff’rent Strokes’ Dana Plato all died far too young, leaving fans heartbroken.
Another name added to this heartbreaking list is Brad Renfro, who burst onto the scene at just 11 years old with a leading role in Joel Schumacher’s American legal thriller The Client – alongside Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. Tragically, he died on 15 January 2008, aged only 25.
Speaking to El Pais last year on the anniversary of his death, Carlos Montero, the creator of hits such as the TV series Élite, said: “For me, Brad was the heir to the fascination I felt for River Phoenix. Brad was an actor with an undeniable animal appeal. And a look in which all his inner turbulence could be sensed […] You could sense he was a kamikaze in his way of approaching the characters, and also no doubt in his way of living. And that has always attracted me a lot.”
During his brief career, he managed to complete an impressive 20 films, with his final appearance in 2008’s The Informers, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Winona Ryder.
READ MORE: ‘Wrenched from my mothers arms in a convent – nuns said I was taken for her sins’
As Brad’s celebrity status grew and he matured, he unfortunately had several run-ins with the authorities. In 1998, he was arrested for possessing marijuana and cocaine.
Two years later, in 2000, he was arrested and given two years probation for attempting to steal a 45-foot yacht in Florida with a mate. Brad lashed out at journalists who attempted to interview him, saying, “You can just feel the slime on them”, and branded film critics “the fat kids in high school that nobody liked, so they’re out there to get you”.
In 2005, he faced charges for driving under the influence, and just weeks afterwards was caught in a police sting attempting to purchase heroin – he admitted guilt and entered rehab. In 2008, Brad’s drug issues came to a head when his girlfriend discovered him unresponsive in his LA flat after a night out with mates.
In her heartbreaking call to emergency services, she said when asked what had occurred: “I’m not sure. I mean, I think he might have taken a couple of pills last night. … He had an audition at 1 o’clock this afternoon. I’ve been trying to wake him up to get ready and he just won’t move.”
Assistant director Fernando Altschul who worked on 1998 psychological thriller Apt Pupil, believes Hollywood isn’t a suitable place for young children to grow up in, previously telling BuzzFeed: “I feel like we’ve failed children like Brad in some ways. “Maybe there should be someone who says a person in his situation isn’t psychologically ready to be on such a volatile place as a film set. I don’t know how you make that judgment, and if you’re offering somebody money, [how] they’re going to say no to it.”
An autopsy concluded that Brad’s death was accidental, resulting from acute heroin/morphine intoxication. Brad, who grew up in a trailer park and lived with his grandmother, was cast in The Client despite having no acting experience. The casting director was seeking a ‘tough kid’ and found Brad after screening 5,000 boys across the USA.
The film became one of the top-grossing films of 1994. He went on to feature in Tom And Huck, Sleepers – where he played the younger version of Brad Pitt’s character, Telling Lies In America, Apt Pupil and other films.
Source: Mirror
Leave a Reply