Brad Renfro dead at 25

[mrpayroll]

http://www.tmz.com/2008/01/15/brad-renfro-dies/

Posted Jan 15th 2008 6:34PM by TMZ Staff

TMZ has learned actor Brad Renfro is dead.

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tmz.com/media/2008/01/0115_brad_renfro_ex_02.jpg

The 25-year-old actor was found dead at his Los Angeles home this morning. The cause of death has not been determined, however, Renfro had a history of drug abuse.

Sources tell us Renfro, who had starring roles in "The Client" and "Apt Pupil" had been working valiantly to stay clean, especially since this summer. Renfro had been convicted of several drug offenses, including attempted heroin possession.

Renfro had been filming a movie with Winona Ryder and Billy Bob Thornton. The movie, "The Informers," just wrapped.

Renfro has had a rough time personally since moving from Tennessee to Los Angeles. His parents split, and we're told he did not have real guidance from adults as he tried navigating the treacherous movie industry.

Story developing ...

Chris

[PopcornTreeCt]

Wow. RIP

[KillerCannibal]

I actually thought this thread was an older one because I thought he was already dead. Must've confused him with Jonathan Brandis.

Oh well, R.I.P.

[scott1598]

wow. sad. he was good in "Bully" and the limited stuff that i saw of him actually.

[DonnachaOne]

Heroin kills and he was stupid.

[True_Story1011]

talent wasted

[BullGooseLoony]

I actually thought he was dead, too. He looked like he was getting there, sorry to say. This is definitely sad news; that is way too young.

[conscience]

This is very weird - I was looking at his IMDB profile literally yesterday scrolling through the people who were in Ghost World (since I watched it again just yesterday!)

No doubt he was a very good actor.

RIP

[EdTheRipper]

That sucks. I liked him in The Client and Apt Pupil. RIP

[Zee]

He and Jonathan Brandis were two big childhood crushes of mine. Sheesh.

[Brack]

Yep, he definitely was gifted, I'd never seen him give a bad performance. What a shame.

[animatedude]

OMFG! :( such a great actor.i saw the trailer of 10th & Wolf a few days ago and i was thinking my god what a great actor...i loved this actor and i've always hoped his career would get better.

R.I.P

[Nick Martin]

Sad, but not remotely surprising in the slightest.

[Eplicon]

He crashed and burned all too quickly. Like with River Phoenix's death, one feels robbed at losing talent like this so early through their own stupidity.

[monkey]

Not shocking, but disheartening all the same.

[harpo787]

Just heard this on the radio...such a shame.

[Michael Corvin]

That sucks. I liked him in The Client and Apt Pupil. RIP

Add Sleepers to that. He was a decent actor. Such a shame.

[Doughboy]

Great young talent wasted on drugs. Just like River Phoenix. R.I.P. Brad


BTW, anyone notice how the older he got, the more he looked like John Cusack?

[DarkEye]

I suppose this saying is true after all: "The Light that Burns twice as bright burns half as long", I know it might sound a little inappropriate but in some cases, I find it to have some truth to it.

[Cellar Door]

He was great in Telling Lies in America. It's a shame he's gone.

[riotinmyskull]

Dueces Wild!

[RichC2]

I blame Winona, this is the second movie she "just finished" where somebody has up and died, the other was 2 year ago, I expect another in 2010.

Sucks hes dead, I kind of liked him as an actor, can't say it's unexpected though.

[chris_sc77]

Sad but not unexpected.
RIP

[Geofferson]

Yikes.

RIP

[fashionvictim86]

AHHH no way! He was my FAVORITE actor as a teenager! Me and him shared the same EXACT birthday! Sleepers is still one of my all time favorite movies.

Actually, I'm a web designer. My first website ever was when I was 13, and it was a dedication to Brad Renfro.

RIP. :(

[troystiffler]

Hrpmh. I just watched Bully for the first time the other night (on IFC). And I actually thought he looked familiar, and looked him up online. Of all the times I could have possibly done that - strange.

Anyways, I didn't know he was a drug addict. I was shocked for a minute. But then read that he did lots of drugs. So it's not such a shocker now.

Ah well. Could have been a big actor. Guess we'll never know. Hrmph.

[Mr. Cinema]

He was good in Ghost World also.

[marty888]

Anyone who can hold his own acting for an entire movie with Sir Ian obviously had a lot of talent - what a waste!

[Charlie Goose]

Another person shitting his life and talent away on drugs.

[Gcomeau]

Great young talent wasted on drugs. Just like River Phoenix. R.I.P. Brad


BTW, anyone notice how the older he got, the more he looked like John Cusack?

That's what I thought when I heard, but I think he looked more like Haley Joel Osment. This is sad though. 25 my god:(

[fashionvictim86]

That's what I thought when I heard, but I think he looked more like Haley Joel Osment. This is sad though. 25 my god:(


John Cusack is another one of my favorite actors....never thought they looked alike though.

[matome]

Sad to hear when people go so young, but when you're fucked up on drugs like he was, it's not as big a shocker. Next in line: Natasha Lyonne

[Groucho]

Thanks to this guy, nobody will get 100% on their death pool this year.

[jpoppe]

RIP

loved him in Bully & Ghost World

[uncle-frank]

only thing i saw him in was tom and huck, which with my son. r.i.p.

[Giggles]

Really sad. R.I.P. Brad

[mikelowry]

Too bad. He was great as the kid in The Client. What a waste.

[Nick Martin]

For being the only one to say what he did was stupid, I was "removed from the discussion" at the HTF.

Here, several people said it and nothing was done about it. Interesting how restrictive opinions have to be in certain places.

[Brack]

For being the only one to say what he did was stupid, I was "removed from the discussion" at the HTF.

Here, several people said it and nothing was done about it. Interesting how restrictive opinions have to be in certain places.

being a drug addict isn't smart, but I'm betting intelligence had little to do with it.

[zombiezilla]

Thanks to this guy, nobody will get 100% on their death pool this year.

Wow. I'm not even a big fan of Renfro's, but ...wow. If you are a DVD Talk Hero, I hope I never make it to that designation here.

[Mercury&Solace]

Who?

[Nick Martin]

being a drug addict isn't smart, but I'm betting intelligence had little to do with it.

Of course not. People don't have to be stupid in order to do stupid things, obviously.

[Brack]

Of course not. People don't have to be stupid in order to do stupid things, obviously.

my point was that this kid seemed pretty powerless to this shit, and whether or not it's stupid is irrelevant.

[Drexl]

Thanks to this guy, nobody will get 100% on their death pool this year.

Someone on alt.obituaries actually listed him. :eek:

[Alan Smithee]

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb251/8traxrule/BradRenfro.jpg