Ethan Hawke says childhood costar River Phoenix was ‘struggling’ with Hollywood’s phoniness

Ethan Hawke is reflecting on his late pal, River Phoenix.

While at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, the actor, 54, spoke to Entertainment Weekly about meeting the late star, who died at age 23 in 1993, while filming “Explorers.”

Hawke and Phoenix starred together in the sci-fi film in 1985.

The “Dead Poets Society” alum got candid on the pressures of “a life in the performing arts,” and how Phoenix was “struggling” throughout his career.

“He was met with success much earlier than I was,” Hawke said, referring to Rob Reiner’s movie “Stand by Me,” which “launched this huge career at an extremely young age.”

The director explained that Phoenix was “vibrating off of how phony that was, whenever you’re getting a lot of accolades and you’re not even in control of your own art.”

Hawke noted that “people are trying to make money off you [and] if you’re self-aware at all, you understand how dangerous that is.”

But, it also “led him to do the best work of his short life with Gus Van Sant.”

Phoenix starred in 1991’s “My Own Private Idaho” opposite Keanu Reeves.

“In a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Mike Waters (Phoenix) is a gay hustler afflicted with narcolepsy. Scott Favor (Reeves) is the rebellious son of a mayor,” the synopsis read.

“He was punk rock as an actor when he took that job,” Hawke continued. “That was a really dangerous job for him to take — a gay hustler for a teen idol — and he was brilliant in that.”

The role led Phoenix to take home the prestigious Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival.

Phoenix overdosed on Halloween of ’93 while at the Viper Room. In 2013, which marked the 20th anniversary of his death, musician Bob Forrest described what his friend was going through that night.

At the time, author, 64, wrote in his memoir, “Running with Monsters,” that Phoenix was on a drug binge with Red Hot Chili Peppers’ guitarist John Frusciante in the days leading up to his passing.

“[River] stayed with John for the next few days, and probably didn’t get a minute of sleep,” Forrest penned. “The drug routine stayed pretty consistent for all of us. First, smoke crack or shoot coke directly into a vein for that ninety-second, electric brain-bell jangle. Then shoot heroin to get a grip and come down enough to be able to carry on a conversation for a few minutes before you start the cycle again.”

The night he died, “River and John stumbled in” to the Viper Room.

Phoenix’s brother, Joaquin, sister Rain, his girlfriend Samantha Mathis, Red Hot Chili Pepper Flea, and Depp were also at the club.

Cocaine was passed around.

“River was obviously wasted and was as unsteady as a boxer who had taken one too many headshots during a fifteen-round bout,” Forrest revealed.

While Depp’s band performed, Phoenix tapped the Thelonious Monster member on the shoulder.

“Bob,” he said, “I don’t feel so good. I think I’m OD’ing.”

Forrest wrote that Phoenix got a second wind and went back into the crowd but a few minutes later, someone shouted to call 911.

The actor was brought outside and eventually taken by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai Hospital.

When Forrest got to the hospital he saw Mathis, now 55, standing by herself in the hallway crying.

He wrote that, in that moment, he knew Phoenix was dead.

Forrest called Depp, who asked, “How’s your friend?,” not realizing that Phoenix was the one rushed to the hospital.

“Dude,” Forrest said. “River’s dead.” After a long pause, Depp responded, “Oh my God,” and hung up.