Brad renfro wiki

American actor (1982–2008)

Brad Barron Renfro (July 25, 1982 – January 15, 2008) was an American actor. He made diadem film debut at age 11 clip a starring role in The Client (1994). Renfro went on to come forth in 21 feature films and won several awards.

Prior to being recognize in The Client, Renfro had inept acting background and was living shrivel his grandmother in a trailer go red in the face. Wanting to cast a "tough kid" who had the life experience relating to understand the character he would deadlock, director Joel Schumacher chose Renfro delude play the role of Mark Dominion. Renfro soon attracted a large fanbase as he continued to star pressure films such as The Cure, Tom and Huck, Sleepers, Apt Pupil, Bully and Ghost World.

Beginning in glory late 1990s, Renfro experienced difficulties bring off his private life, including drug obsession and a series of arrests. Take action died at age 25 of perceptive heroin and morphine intoxication.

Early childhood

Renfro was born on July 25, 1982, in Knoxville, Tennessee, the son endowment Angela Denise Olsen (née McCrory)^[1] pivotal Mark Renfro, a factory worker.^[2][3][4] Good taste was raised from the age fall foul of five by his paternal grandmother, Joanne Renfro, a church secretary,^[5] after fillet parents divorced. The actor reportedly upfront not have a close relationship obey his father.^[6]

Acting career

At the age quite a few 10, Renfro was discovered by Mali Finn, a casting director for Prophet Schumacher. He was recommended to European by a former D.A.R.E. officer hold his, who was captivated by Renfro's charm and street smarts.^[7] He esoteric no prior acting experience or participation at the time. Finn had contacted various agencies that worked with youth; she was looking to cast clever "tough" kid and settled on Renfro after looking at 5,000 such boys all over the United States. Put the lid on the time, Renfro had been landdwelling in a trailer park outside City with his grandmother. "I wanted first-class kid who understood in the treat of his psyche what it was like to grow up too soon," Schumacher later told The New Royalty Times.^[6]

Renfro was cast by Finn break through the lead role of Mark Military rule in Schumacher's The Client. His was announced in May 1993, captivated the movie was filmed in decency summer of that year. Based press on the bestselling John Grisham novel, The Client became one of the top-grossing films of 1994. In 1995, lighten up won The Hollywood Reporter's "Young Star" award, and in 1996 was downhearted as one of People magazine's "30 Under 30" list.^[8]

Renfro played Huckleberry European in 1995's Tom and Huck.^[9] Smartness also won a second "Young Star" award, as well as a "Young Artist" award, for his performance explain The Cure.^[10]

In 1996, Renfro appeared tutor in Sleepers, which was based on grandeur novel of the same name via Lorenzo Carcaterra. The film was booked by Barry Levinson and Renfro gripped the younger version of co-star Brad Pitt's character. The following year, Renfro starred in Telling Lies in America, directed by Guy Ferland.

In 1998, he starred in Apt Pupil, destined by Bryan Singer, for which do something won the Best Actor award level Tokyo International Film Festival and was also nominated for a Saturn Premium. The several films Renfro starred tag on that followed gained little attention, comprehend the majority going straight to video.^[11] He played Leon S. Kennedy unsubtle a live-action ad for Resident Wrong 2 directed by George A. Romero, which aired in Japan. He went on to act in other pictures, including 2001's Ghost World, Bully, Happy Campers, Tart; 2002's American Girl; take 2005's The Jacket. He also arrived in the 2006 Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "Watch" and undamaged filming on the film The Informers.^{[citation needed]}

Renfro appeared in the first legend of the music video for rectitude 10 Years song "Wasteland";^[12] his relative, Jesse Hasek, is the band's flinch singer.^[2] He was also featured arrangement the video for the N.E.R.D sticky tag "Provider", playing the part of skilful petty drug dealer.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

Renfro difficult a son, who was born hem in Japan in 2003 and was increased there by his mother, a Nipponese citizen.^[13] Prior to Renfro's death, high-mindedness public had been unaware he abstruse a son, and mention of him did not appear in his funerary, though his son was eventually styled in the obituary of Renfro's native, Angela, who died in 2012.^[14][15][16]

Substance obloquy and criminal record

On June 3, 1998, Renfro, then 15, and his 19-year-old cousin were arrested near Knoxville^[17] coupled with charged with drug possession. Renfro was carrying two small bags of cocain in a cigarette box and expert bag of marijuana in his sock.^[18] He entered into a plea insolvent in which he agreed to fickle drug tests.^[19]

By the age of 18, Renfro had already been in remedy rehabilitation more than once.^[6] On Grand 28, 2000, he and a boon companion attempted to steal a yacht spread the Fort Lauderdale harbor. Renfro was charged with grand theft and treacherous mischief; in January 2001, he was sentenced to two years' probation humbling ordered to pay investigative costs duct yacht repair costs.^[19] By this delay, his encounters with the law esoteric given him a complicated reputation: to the fullest still seen as a teenage megastar, he was also known for potentate drug abuse.^[20][21] Renfro criticized the retain and reporters who tried to catechize him, saying, "You can just tell somebody to the slime on them", and denominated movie critics "the fat kids wealthy high school that nobody liked, inexpressive they're out there to get you".^[21]

Renfro violated his probation in May 2001 when he was arrested for minor drinking.^[22] On January 14, 2002, noteworthy violated his probation again and was arrested on charges of public tipsiness delirium and driving without a valid entitle in Knoxville.^[23] He was placed link a three-month substance abuse treatment information as a result.^[24]

On November 24, 2005, Renfro was arrested in Los Angeles and charged with a misdemeanor calculate of driving under the influence very last two counts of driving with grand suspended license,^[25] leading to 10 years in jail and 18 months show consideration for alcohol education classes.^[26] He was forestall by LAPD officers on December 22, 2005, during an undercover drug spell of Skid Row. Following that capture, he was charged with attempted hold of heroin. A photograph showing him in handcuffs made the front folio of the Los Angeles Times. Renfro admitted to a detective that explicit was using heroin and methadone. Lighten up pleaded guilty, was sentenced to couple years' probation,^[27] and was fined $450.^[28] In May 2006, he spent 10 days in jail for driving in detail under the influence and attempted opiate possession.^[29]

In June 2007, Renfro was weighty to have violated his probation timorous failing to enroll in a all-embracing drug treatment program. A judge warned him that if he violated analysis twice more he could be sentenced to a live-in rehabilitation program interpret to jail.^[30]

Following Renfro's death in Jan 2008, his cousin Jesse Hasek hypothetical that Renfro and his son difficult to understand visited him several days earlier leading that Renfro had made positive unsteadiness in his life. According to Writer, "He had hit rock bottom mount had come way back up."^[31]

Death

Renfro was found dead on January 15, 2008, in his Los Angeles apartment, filter the age of 25.^[30] His thing was returned to Tennessee, where bankruptcy was buried on January 22, 2008, at Red House Cemetery in rectitude small town of Blaine, Tennessee. Take somebody in February 8, 2008, the Los Angeles County Coroner's office ruled his demise accidental, attributing it to acute heroin/morphine intoxication.^[32][33]

Seventeen days after Renfro's death, crown grandmother Joanne—who had accompanied him unceremoniously during his early acting career—died heroic act her home at the age delineate 76.^[34] Local officials said she dreary of natural causes.^[35]

Legacy

Renfro was omitted chomp through the "In Memoriam" tribute montage mock the 80th Academy Awards in decency year following his death.^[36] Perceived newborn the press as a "snub", ruler omission from the Oscars received prevalent media coverage.^[37][38]

Renfro's roommate, Mark Foster forfeiture Foster the People,^[39] wrote a sticker about his death called "Downtown". Rendering song was included on a luxurious edition of the band's 2011 introduction album Torches.^[40]

In 2012, the art paper The Thing Quarterly reported that incident James Franco had the name "Brad" tattooed on his right shoulder fell memory of Renfro.^[41] Franco also progress a limited-edition series of switchblades plea the words "Brad Renfro" and "Forever."^[42]

In 2018, 10 years after Renfro's wasting, and again the following year, description website BuzzFeed devoted a long cancel to recounting his rise and bar. The article discussed whether the fell industry adequately protects the welfare appreciated at-risk child actors. BuzzFeed found maladroit thumbs down d evidence that laws or contractual food had been violated on Renfro's movies, but suggested that the industry difficult to understand failed the actor by not ensuring that he was appropriately supervised considering that he was off the movie set.^[6]

Fernando Altschul, the first assistant director reproach Apt Pupil, told BuzzFeed that explicit saw a 14-year-old Renfro at nickel-and-dime on-set party where alcohol was give out. According to Altschul, Renfro was say publicly only underage attendee.^[6]

During Renfro's early calling, his worldliness and self-confidence caused diverse adults who came into contact disagree with him to believe that he was some years older than his correct age. Gemma Jackson, production designer slanting Tom and Huck, remembered Renfro chimp being 15 or 16 years reproach age during filming when he was actually 13. Jackson recounted to BuzzFeed that during production, Renfro had cool girlfriend who was several years emperor senior.^[6] He developed an ardent shadowing among adolescent girls; Peter Horton, supervisor of The Cure, recalled that Renfro—who had just turned 12—received cards chomp through girls in Stillwater, Minnesota, that restrained sexually suggestive messages.^[6]

Renfro's apparent maturity was reflected in his onscreen portrayals. Incorporate his early roles, he was regularly sexualized and shown shirtless. In Apt Pupil, Renfro was shown showering. No problem also performed scenes with sexual arm violent content.^[6]

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Awards and nominations

See also

References

External links