In the second episode of “Variety Confidential: The Life and Legend of River Phoenix,” the podcast shifts its focus from the actor’s explosive rise to the pivotal moment when his life began to unravel. Joining host Tatiana Siegel is a roster of close collaborators and friends, most notably “Dogfight” director Nancy Savoca and Matthew Ebert, a confidant on the set of “My Own Private Idaho,” where the actor’s dramatic descent began.
Savoca, who worked with Phoenix during the spring and summer of 1990 while filming “Dogfight,” describes him as a 19‑year‑old phenom with extraordinary empathy and potential. She remembers how Phoenix’s sensitivity, the same trait that made him magnetic onscreen, also made him vulnerable off it, particularly under the weight of fame and fan adoration. She chronicles a telling incident in Seattle when a local parade came to a stop as fans chased him in a frenzy reminiscent of Beatlemania. This experience left him disturbed by how his presence affected others.
Savoca also recounts the first day of filming “Dogfight,” during which Phoenix quietly inhabited his role with such precision that she initially doubted whether he had followed her direction. Only when reviewing the dailies did she realize he had matched her vision perfectly, demonstrating a rare on‑set awareness of both character and camera.
The episode pivots to “My Own Private Idaho,” Gus Van Sant’s indie drama about street hustlers that marked both a career triumph and a personal turning point. Ebert, who met Phoenix during “Dogfight,” shares how close they became, bonding over activism, art and a mutual belief in meaningful creativity. Ebert describes his friend’s activism — his environmental projects, veganism and involvement with PETA — and reminisces about his effortless warmth and openness.
That warmth, however, intersected with the chaotic subculture emerging around the film’s production, one rife with drug use. Ebert recalls how Phoenix entered that world with curiosity, justified as “research” for his role. Within weeks, Ebert says, many involved with the film, including Phoenix himself, were caught in a spiral of crystal meth and heroin use. Ebert, too, eventually became entangled but stopped by 1992; Phoenix never got that chance.
Despite the personal toll, the late star’s performance in “My Own Private Idaho” remains a defining moment in cinema — a raw, nuanced portrayal of a narcoleptic youth yearning for identity and connection. Critics hailed his depth. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman reflects during the episode that Phoenix represented the new wave of serious indie artistry in the 1990s, offering presence and emotional complexity rarely seen from twentysomething performers during the previous decade.
Yet, as Ebert explains in the episode, the very “independent spirit” that made Phoenix such a powerful artist also exposed him to self‑destructive temptations. The film’s gritty production and atmosphere normalized drug use and the actor fell fast. Simultaneously, his career was taking off, and he had become both the family breadwinner and the rising star upon which independent filmmakers depended. Ebert looks back with regret at his inability to intervene, saying, “I felt ashamed that I hadn’t worked harder to get him out.”
“Variety Confidential,” distributed by iHeart Podcasts, is available on the iHeartRadio app, Variety.com, as well as other major podcast platforms. “Variety Confidential” was created by Dea Lawrence, Variety’s COO and CMO, and Steve Gaydos. Season 2 is executive produced by Dea Lawrence and Tatiana Siegel.
Sources and Citations
Additional Resources
30 Years On: The Death of River Phoenix | DARK SIDE OF THE 90s, VICE TV, Oct. 31, 2023
Running on Empty, Warner Bros., September 1988
Dogfight, Warner Bros., September 1991
My Own Private Idaho, New Line Cinema, September 1993
Siskel & Ebert at the Movies, Sept. 27, 1991
Norman Reedus’s Closet Picks, CRITERION, Dec. 16, 2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GAcaHKcqZY
