Brad Renfro - RIP

[wcmartell]

>>LOS ANGELES - Actor Brad Renfro, whose career began promisingly with a childhood role in "The Client" but rapidly faded as he struggled with drugs and alcohol, was found dead Tuesday in his home. He was 25.<<

Only 25....

- Bill

[prescribe22]

That's awful news.

[WriteByNight]

Only 25. Rough. Doesn't seem he was ever grounded. Or perhaps he expected Hollywood to parent him.

[elephant1978]

Although the cause of death hasn't been released, it's likely drugs. It's a real shame to think of the wonderful opportunities he had and to see it all wasted away because of dope. And even more sad is the fact that he's not the first or last who will go this way. Pretty tragic.

Ele...

[CutteRug]

I hung out with him for a while at The Lava Lounge in Hollywood one night about 8 years ago. Now that I know his age, he was clearly waaaaaay underage, but he was drinking huge Jack 'n' Cokes in pint glasses (and high on God knows what else). Totally smashed.

I remember thinking at the time - "Man this guy's a trainwreck. He keeps going like this, he won't make it past 25."

Man, I hate being psychic. :(

RIP.

[j over]

Some of Brad's other credits of course include "Sleepers", "Apt Pupil", "Bully", "Ghost World", "Deuces Wild", "The Jacket" and "10th & Wolf".

[Signal30]

I hung out with him for a while at The Lava Lounge in Hollywood one night about 8 years ago. Now that I know his age, he was clearly waaaaaay underage, but he was drinking huge Jack 'n' Cokes in pint glasses (and high on God knows what else). Totally smashed.
That one baffles me... I put in a few years as a bartender up here in NorCal, and the ABC was always out to bust our balls, baiting us to serve a minor.

But SoCal has all these kids in the paparazzi flashbulbs wandering in and out of nightclubs, and nothing happens.

Go figure.

[winter dreams]

I wonder what percentage of child actors/performers go on to be trainwrecks. Seems pretty high.

Hate to make sweeping statements, but I have to wonder whether allowing your child to be an actor isn't a subtle form of child abuse ...

[Adam Isaac]

Wow!

Crazy sh*t.

[WriteByNight]

Hate to make sweeping statements, but I have to wonder whether allowing your child to be an actor isn't a subtle form of child abuse ...

It would be if parents begin looking at their child as the family cash cow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Coogan).

[Landis26]

Here is a posted message from his hometown newspaper (Knoxville News) after the article written about his death. The poster's daughter was friends with Brad until resently:

Posted by tkwa (http://www.knoxnews.com/users/tkwa/) on January 16, 2008 at 3:32 a.m. (http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jan/15/tmz-brad-renfro-dies/#c101058) (Suggest removal (http://www.knoxnews.com/comments/flag/101058/))
My 24-year-old daughter, a bright kid, a Bearden High student and half-way through college is a heroin addict. She has admitted to me that she and Brad would shoot up together at his grandmother's (former?) house a few years ago when he was in Knoxville. At that time I did not know they were users. When I asked her about his rumored drug use, of course they both denied it. And of course we didn't want to believe it existed for either of them. He seemed so bright, so nice. His family has to be devastated. I have spent years expecting to hear that my daughter has died from an overdose. I would rehearse her death in my mind to get ready for it. It's too bad Brad was not locked away for a very long time. It might have saved his life. Right now my daughter is in prison for bank robbery and will be gone for years. It's the best thing that could have happened to her--to get her clean in a place where she will be clean for a long time. It gives her a chance to start over...and at least I know where she is, that in the morning we won't find her dead. From what we knew, Brad tried to start over many, many times, but addiction is a living hell. Yes -- it's stupid choice, but still a hell --one of your own making. My daughter has told me that every addict she knows wishes they had never, ever started. If you do heroin for five years, you have a 95% chance of getting HIV or Hep C. You are almost certain to eventually OD if you can't kick it. What a talent has wasted in Brad Renfro. He gave us so much as an actor, he had so much potential. Maybe now he is finally at peace.

Sad all around.

[Ralphy W]

He was great in BULLY.

Damn. :(

[Pencey]

Truly sad. If you've never seen Bully (2001), check it out. It's one of his best performances. The guy was major talented.

Agree. His performance in that movie was totally overlooked because it was a Larry Clark film and Hollywood thinks he's a wacko. But he had some real talent there.

I was really sad to hear about this news because I have a script I think he would've been perfect for. Guess I won't be able to pitch that now...

[Dean]

It would be if parents begin looking at their child as the family cash cow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Coogan).

Whenever I'm watching a film or show depicting a child birth, I look at the baby, made up with fake blood and fluid, and I think how some parents rented their baby out to make a few bucks. How much did they make, a couple of hundred? Even worse when the child is crying their eyes out.

[Laura Reyna]

Very sad indeed. I remember seeing him as a kid & thinking he had a lot of potential.

And then hearing about all his troubles thru the yrs...

Yeah, I don't really approve of kids making a career out of acting. One or two movies here or there, but not a career.

But I'm also not one of these people who blames HW when an actor or celebrity has drug or alcohol problems. I've known plenty of F-ed up people, many of them related, and not one of them was in show business. Not one.