Quotes by River Phoenix

“Most actors possess an intuitive side. Actually, the further away I am from the character, the less work I have to do. It takes so much more energy to detach yourself from your own life references ...”

“When you see the name 'River Phoenix' everywhere; you gotta, like, joke about it.”

“It's really designed, I think, to strip you and blend you. It's like feeling like the invisible man. You just stand there, and you start disintegrating, and you can't see yourself, and you just fee...”

“It's not about career. It's about believing in something, it's about prosperity. And it's about caring and empathizing and wanting to create the best, the most true to life, the most real.”

“The business always goes for what you do best. When critics start speaking up and they believe in something then you have the power to get blow-jobs basically, from the corporate leaders. I mean, I...”

“Fame doesn't affect my relationships with people much because I've got my head on straight, but there is some sort of undertone that has a weird effect when you're trying to walk through life – I'm...”

“Fame is what gets people to go watch your film. I'm just glad to be in a film i believe in. And if it take's fame to get people there, then it's my job. But i'd rather be a ghost writer than have m...”

“Sometimes I'll hear stuff like, 'Hey, man, where's your skateboard, dude,' from people who think I'm Christian Slater.”

“I consider myself an atlas. Sort of an Arnold Schwarzenegger with a Nigel Tufnel twist. I walk close to edges; I kiss them with my toe.”

“One of the things that was introduced to me at an early stage in life was to try to make stuff happen. But nothing ever worked that way for me. What I learned on my own was that to try and play God...”

“Oh Yeah, we really are great people. I think Keanu and I are the nicest guys on the planet.. with the exception of George Bush and Ronald Reagan”

“It was very personal. Political comes from the viewing process. Nothing is ever political if it's genuine. In the reaction, yes, it can be political. But the motives were based completely on a deep...”

“It might take a few of these films before there's, like, a natural stride with the whole issue and then maybe one day it won't even be an issue, which is what I'm hoping.”

“I'm a minor, stupid talent compared to my brother (Joaquin).”

“I woke up from a nap the other night. Everyone is cranky when they wake up. I thought to myself: 'I have no right to be cranky. I'm so lucky.' On my way to go to a restaurant, I get out of the car ...”

“Quite often, when actors have such a strong charisma in real life, eventually it has to affect the characters they play. For myself I'm not charismatic in that way. I'm not a performer. Ideally I w...”

“I don’t see any point or any good in drugs that are as disruptive as cocaine. I never tried heroin. I tried alcohol and most of the others when I was 15, and got it out of the way—finished with the...”

“There's a River born to be a giverKeep you warm, wont let you shiverHis heart is never gonna withercome on everybody time to deliver.”

“And they say he's too young to surrenderAnd they cry out, and they call him by name.Their graffiti tells how he's remembered.Still, the River runs on just the same. Run River, run.”