Brad Renfro

Wednesday, January 16----------Actor Brad Renfro, whose career began promisingly with a childhood role in THE CLIENT (1994), but rapidly faded as he struggled with drugs and alcohol, was found dead Tuesday in his home in Los Angeles. He was 25. The cause of death was not immediately determined, but an autopsy could be conducted as early as today. The actor, who served time in prison in May of 2006 for pleading no contest to driving while intoxicated, has also been convicted of possession of heroin.

While the actor was known to be in drug rehab, he continued to drift into alcholism and drug abuse. A native of Knoxville, Tennesee, Renfro's film career began when he was 12, acting opposite Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones in  THE CLIENT. That performance won him the Young Artist Award in 1994. In 1998, his role in the Bryan Singer-directed APT PUPIL opposite Sir Ian McKellan won him the Best Actor prize at the Tokyo Film Festival. Other film credits include SLEEPERS, GHOST WORLD, DEUCES WILD, and THE JACKET. His final on-screen appearance is in the dramatic thriller THE INFORMERS, an adaptation of a Bret Easton Ellis novel, where he stars opposite Wynona Ryder, Mickey Rourke, Billy Bob Thorton and Kim Basinger. The film was produced and is being sold by Senator International, a German company, and does not yet have American distribution. Sleep in peace, young prince.

Sandy Mandelberger, In Memoriam Editor