Last Night at the Viper Room: River Phoenix and the Hollywood He Left Behind

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Description

In Last Night at the Viper Room, acclaimed author and journalist Gavin Edwards vividly recounts the life and tragic death of acclaimed actor River Phoenixa teen idol on the fast track to Hollywood royalty who died of a drug overdose in front of West Hollywoods storied club, the Viper Room, at the age of 23.

Last Night at the Viper Room explores the young stars life, including his childhood in Venezuela growing up under the aegis of the cultish Children of God. Putting him at the center of a new generation of leading men emerging in the early 1990s including Johnny Depp, Keanu Reeves, Brad Pitt, Nicolas Cage, and Leonardo DiCaprioGavin Edwards traces the Academy Award nominees meteoric rise, couches him in an examination of the 1990s, and illuminates his lasting legacy on Hollywood and popular culture itself.

Reviews

"Twenty years after his death, River Phoenix remains as enigmatic and elusive as ever. Last Night at the Viper Room tells the heart-shredding story of how this haunted actor left such a big impression in such a brief time." -- Rob Sheffield, New York Times bestselling author of Love Is a Mix Tape "What Edwards does do impeccably is reveal the life of an extraordinary young man, whose idealism and dedication to his family, despite crippling childhood conditions, set him apart from the rest of the rising star pack." -- USA Today

Author Bio

Gavin Edwards is the New York Times bestselling author of eleven books, including The Tao of Bill Murray, Last Night at the Viper Room, The World According to Tom Hanks, and the wildly successful 'Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy series of misheard-lyrics collections. A longtime contributor at Rolling Stone, he has written for the New York Times, Wired, Billboard, Details, and GQ; and appeared on television programs including the Today show, Entertainment Tonight, and Jeopardy! He's also moonlighted as a game designer, a photographer, and a demolition derby driver. Gavin lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife, museum curator Jennifer Sudul Edwards, and their two sons.