Rain Phoenix
Encyclopedia
Rain Phoenix is an American
actress, musician
, and singer. Phoenix has four siblings: two brothers, actors Joaquin
and the late River Phoenix
, and two sisters, Summer
and Liberty.
, the second child of John Lee Bottom and Arlyn Sharon
(née
Dunetz). Her mother was born in the Bronx
, New York
to Jewish parents from Hungary
and Russia
. Her father was a lapsed Catholic
from Fontana, California
. In 1968, Phoenix's mother left her family and moved to California, meeting Phoenix's father while hitch-hiking. They married in 1969 and joined Children of God and worked as missionaries in South America
. It was there, at the age of three, that Phoenix (accompanied by elder brother River on guitar) first began to sing. Soon the other Phoenix children joined them and they would perform on the streets of Caracas
, Venezuela
for loose change while handing out Christian
flyers to passers by. The family set out for California
in order for the children to enter the entertainment industry. In West Los Angeles
, Phoenix and her siblings would perform on the streets for crowds of people. Arlyn took a job at NBC
and eventually secured all five Phoenix children with an agent.
Phoenix sang with brother River as an audience warm up act on the show Real Kids (1982). It was around this time, Phoenix changed her name to "Rainbow", deeming "Rain" to be "too dreary". She returned to her original name as a teenager. Various bit parts followed in TV shows including Amazing Stories
in 1986 and Family Ties
in 1987. Also in 1987, Phoenix landed a part in the feature film Maid to Order
alongside Ally Sheedy
.
At 15, Phoenix returned to her roots in music and formed the band Aleka's Attic
with then 17 year old brother River. River, along with bass player Josh McKay, wrote music and lyrics and Phoenix sang backup. The band secured gigs in and around their home town of Gainesville, Florida
By this time, River's career had taken off and so the band was often put on hold for River's demanding schedule. In 1988, Aleka's Attic were signed to a development deal with Island Records and in 1989 released the track "Across The Way" on a benefit album for the animal rights group PETA
. In 1991, they made a tour of east coast clubs and colleges. At this time, Phoenix joined her brother River on the set of his tenth movie, My Own Private Idaho
. She met director Gus Van Sant
to whom River suggested she would be perfect for a role in his upcoming project, a film adaptation
of Tom Robbins
's cult novel, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. She was cast as head cowgirl Bonanza Jellybean, alongside Uma Thurman
.
with her brother Joaquin
to meet River during a break in his 14th project Dark Blood. On the evening of October 30, 1993, they set out, joined by River's girlfriend Samantha Mathis
, for a night at the LA club The Viper Room, part owned by Johnny Depp
. It would be the last evening Phoenix would spend with her brother; he died later that night from heart failure attributed to an overdose of heroin and cocaine
, a concoction called a "speedball".
Not only did Phoenix have to deal with the loss of her older brother, but also the media circus that followed. Aleka's Attic, by that time consisting a different line-up, had been working on an album that River had been funding himself. The album was near completion and so Phoenix began the long task of mixing and producing the scraps of recordings. The album has never been released.
in the studio to record backup vocals on the song "Bang and Blame", to be released on the 1995 album Monster, an album dedicated to River. In 1995 Phoenix joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers
as a backup singer on their One Hot Minute
tour. Chili Peppers bassist Flea was close friends with River and there the night he died. The band wrote their song "Transcending" as a tribute to River.
In 1997, Phoenix joined the punk
/new wave
band The Causey Way
, which also included her younger sister Summer
. They disbanded in 2001 after the release of three albums.
Phoenix returned to acting in 1998 with parts in I Woke Up Early the Day I Died
(1998), O
(2001), Harry and Max (2004) and Hitch
(2005).
in 2003 and is lead singer and lyricist. Their self-titled EP was released in 2004 and their first album, Vidalia, in 2006. Guest musicians include Phoenix's younger sisters Summer and Liberty, as well as actor Dermot Mulroney
, Libby Lavella, and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
, who also was a guest musician on tracks for Aleka's Attic
in the '90s.
Phoenix continues to split her time between writing, recording and performing with the band and working on various TV and film projects. It was announced in 2010 that Papercranes will be releasing their latest record Let's Make Babies In The Woods on Manimal Vinyl
in January 2011.
on the board of directors for The Lunchbox Fund
, a non-profit organization which provides a daily meal to students of township
schools in Soweto
of South Africa
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, and singer. Phoenix has four siblings: two brothers, actors Joaquin
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix , formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is an American film actor. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and his family returned to the continental United States four years later...
and the late River Phoenix
River Phoenix
River Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials...
, and two sisters, Summer
Summer Phoenix
Summer Joy Phoenix is an American actress and model. She is the youngest sibling of the late River Phoenix, Rain Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, and Liberty Phoenix, and is married to actor Casey Affleck.-Early life:...
and Liberty.
Early life
Phoenix was born Rain Joan of Arc (according to the State of Texas Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 Ancestry.com) in Crockett, TexasCrockett, Texas
Crockett is a city in Houston County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,141. It is the county seat of Houston County.- History :...
, the second child of John Lee Bottom and Arlyn Sharon
Arlyn Phoenix
Arlyn Sharon Phoenix , commonly known as Heart Phoenix, is the mother of actors River Phoenix, Rain Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, Liberty Phoenix, and Summer Phoenix. She is on the Board of Directors of , an organization which supports the creation of a United States Department of Peace.-Biography:She...
(née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Dunetz). Her mother was born in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Jewish parents from Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Her father was a lapsed Catholic
Lapsed Catholic
A lapsed Catholic is a person who has ceased practicing the Catholic faith, in the sense of attending Mass. Such a person may still identify as a Catholic.-"Lapsed Catholic" and "ex-Catholic":...
from Fontana, California
Fontana, California
Fontana is a city of 196,069 residents in San Bernardino County, California. Founded in 1913, it remained essentially rural until World War II, when entrepreneur Henry J. Kaiser built a large steel mill in the area...
. In 1968, Phoenix's mother left her family and moved to California, meeting Phoenix's father while hitch-hiking. They married in 1969 and joined Children of God and worked as missionaries in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. It was there, at the age of three, that Phoenix (accompanied by elder brother River on guitar) first began to sing. Soon the other Phoenix children joined them and they would perform on the streets of Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
for loose change while handing out Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
flyers to passers by. The family set out for California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in order for the children to enter the entertainment industry. In West Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Phoenix and her siblings would perform on the streets for crowds of people. Arlyn took a job at NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and eventually secured all five Phoenix children with an agent.
Phoenix sang with brother River as an audience warm up act on the show Real Kids (1982). It was around this time, Phoenix changed her name to "Rainbow", deeming "Rain" to be "too dreary". She returned to her original name as a teenager. Various bit parts followed in TV shows including Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...
in 1986 and Family Ties
Family Ties
Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young...
in 1987. Also in 1987, Phoenix landed a part in the feature film Maid to Order
Maid to Order
Maid to Order is a 1987 comedy/fantasy film starring Ally Sheedy.-Plot:Rich and spoiled twenty something Jessie Montgomery winds up in jail after a life of wild partying...
alongside Ally Sheedy
Ally Sheedy
Alexandra Elizabeth "Ally" Sheedy is an American film and stage actress, as well as the author of two books. She is best known for her roles in the Brat Pack films The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire.-Early life:...
.
At 15, Phoenix returned to her roots in music and formed the band Aleka's Attic
Aleka's Attic
Aleka's Attic were an alternative folk/rock band from Gainesville, Florida formed by River Phoenix and his sister Rain.-History:The original line up of Aleka's Attic included River as lead singer and played guitar; his younger sister Rain sang, but, contrary to many incorrect reports, did not play...
with then 17 year old brother River. River, along with bass player Josh McKay, wrote music and lyrics and Phoenix sang backup. The band secured gigs in and around their home town of Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
By this time, River's career had taken off and so the band was often put on hold for River's demanding schedule. In 1988, Aleka's Attic were signed to a development deal with Island Records and in 1989 released the track "Across The Way" on a benefit album for the animal rights group PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
. In 1991, they made a tour of east coast clubs and colleges. At this time, Phoenix joined her brother River on the set of his tenth movie, My Own Private Idaho
My Own Private Idaho
My Own Private Idaho is a 1991 independent drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant, loosely based on Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V, and starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves...
. She met director Gus Van Sant
Gus Van Sant
Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He is a two time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, both of which were also nominated for Best Picture, and won the...
to whom River suggested she would be perfect for a role in his upcoming project, a film adaptation
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (film)
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues is a 1993 American comedy-drama-romance film based on the 1976 Tom Robbins novel of the same name. The film was directed by Gus Van Sant, Jr. and starred Uma Thurman, Lorraine Bracco, Pat Morita, Angie Dickinson, Keanu Reeves, John Hurt, Rain Phoenix, and Grace...
of Tom Robbins
Tom Robbins
Thomas Eugene "Tom" Robbins Thomas Eugene "Tom" Robbins Thomas Eugene "Tom" Robbins (born July 22, 1936 is an American author. His best-selling novels are serio-comic, often wildly poetic stories with a strong social and philosophical undercurrent, an irreverent bent, and scenes extrapolated from...
's cult novel, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. She was cast as head cowgirl Bonanza Jellybean, alongside Uma Thurman
Uma Thurman
Uma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and model. She has performed in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action movies. Among her best-known roles are those in the Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill...
.
River Phoenix's death
A few months after the film's completion, Phoenix flew to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with her brother Joaquin
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix , formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is an American film actor. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and his family returned to the continental United States four years later...
to meet River during a break in his 14th project Dark Blood. On the evening of October 30, 1993, they set out, joined by River's girlfriend Samantha Mathis
Samantha Mathis
Samantha Mathis is an American actress. The daughter of actress Bibi Besch, Mathis made her film debut in Pump Up the Volume , opposite Christian Slater...
, for a night at the LA club The Viper Room, part owned by Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
. It would be the last evening Phoenix would spend with her brother; he died later that night from heart failure attributed to an overdose of heroin and cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, a concoction called a "speedball".
Not only did Phoenix have to deal with the loss of her older brother, but also the media circus that followed. Aleka's Attic, by that time consisting a different line-up, had been working on an album that River had been funding himself. The album was near completion and so Phoenix began the long task of mixing and producing the scraps of recordings. The album has never been released.
Late nineties
In 1994, Phoenix joined R.E.M.R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
in the studio to record backup vocals on the song "Bang and Blame", to be released on the 1995 album Monster, an album dedicated to River. In 1995 Phoenix joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
as a backup singer on their One Hot Minute
One Hot Minute
One Hot Minute is the sixth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 12, 1995, on Warner Bros. Records...
tour. Chili Peppers bassist Flea was close friends with River and there the night he died. The band wrote their song "Transcending" as a tribute to River.
In 1997, Phoenix joined the punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
/new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band The Causey Way
The Causey Way
The Causey Way was a punk/new-wave group formed in 1997 in which the underlying theme was that of a cult operating as a band . The live shows were energetic and in the style of revivalist evangelism. With releases on Fueled By Ramen and Alternative Tentacles, they broke up in 2001...
, which also included her younger sister Summer
Summer Phoenix
Summer Joy Phoenix is an American actress and model. She is the youngest sibling of the late River Phoenix, Rain Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, and Liberty Phoenix, and is married to actor Casey Affleck.-Early life:...
. They disbanded in 2001 after the release of three albums.
Phoenix returned to acting in 1998 with parts in I Woke Up Early the Day I Died
I Woke Up Early The Day I Died
I Woke Up Early The Day I Died is a camp comedy film written by Edward D. Wood, Jr.. The film, directed by Aris Iliopulos, stars Billy Zane, Tippi Hedren, Ron Perlman, and Christina Ricci, among many others.-Production:...
(1998), O
O (film)
O is a 2001 American drama film, and a loose modern adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello.The film's intended release date was April 1999, but due to the Columbine High School massacre, the film was shelved for two years by its original distributor, Miramax Films. Ultimately, it was sold...
(2001), Harry and Max (2004) and Hitch
Hitch (film)
Hitch is a 2005 romantic comedy film directed by Andy Tennant and starring Will Smith. The film, which was written by Kevin Bisch, co-stars Eva Mendes, Kevin James, and Amber Valletta. Smith plays a professional matchmaker who makes a living teaching men how to woo women...
(2005).
Papercranes
Phoenix formed the band PapercranesPapercranes (band)
Papercranes is a Los Angeles-based band which features actress/singer Rain Phoenix on vocals. Her younger sister Summer Phoenix also occasionally plays piano/keyboards with the band. Their debut full-length album was released in 2006.-History:...
in 2003 and is lead singer and lyricist. Their self-titled EP was released in 2004 and their first album, Vidalia, in 2006. Guest musicians include Phoenix's younger sisters Summer and Liberty, as well as actor Dermot Mulroney
Dermot Mulroney
-Early life:Mulroney was born in Alexandria, Virginia, the son of Ellen, a housewife and amateur actress originally from Manchester, Iowa, and Michael Mulroney, a law professor at Villanova University School of Law, originally from Elkader, Iowa. He has a sister, Moira, and three brothers, Conor,...
, Libby Lavella, and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
, who also was a guest musician on tracks for Aleka's Attic
Aleka's Attic
Aleka's Attic were an alternative folk/rock band from Gainesville, Florida formed by River Phoenix and his sister Rain.-History:The original line up of Aleka's Attic included River as lead singer and played guitar; his younger sister Rain sang, but, contrary to many incorrect reports, did not play...
in the '90s.
Phoenix continues to split her time between writing, recording and performing with the band and working on various TV and film projects. It was announced in 2010 that Papercranes will be releasing their latest record Let's Make Babies In The Woods on Manimal Vinyl
Manimal Vinyl
Manimal Vinyl is a Los Angeles based record label founded in 2006 by fashion stylist, Paul Beahan. They are known for releasing underground and experimental pop music. They were originally known as a folk label that makes annual tribute records for worldwide charities, having eventually switched to...
in January 2011.
Social initiatives
Phoenix is, together with her brother Joaquin PhoenixJoaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix , formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is an American film actor. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and his family returned to the continental United States four years later...
on the board of directors for The Lunchbox Fund
The Lunchbox Fund
The Lunchbox Fund, founded in 2005, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a daily meal for extremely poor and at-risk students in South African town ship high schools. The daily meal boosts the children’s nutrition and ability to learn...
, a non-profit organization which provides a daily meal to students of township
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
schools in Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Filmography
- Maid to OrderMaid to OrderMaid to Order is a 1987 comedy/fantasy film starring Ally Sheedy.-Plot:Rich and spoiled twenty something Jessie Montgomery winds up in jail after a life of wild partying...
(1987) - Even Cowgirls Get the BluesEven Cowgirls Get the Blues (film)Even Cowgirls Get the Blues is a 1993 American comedy-drama-romance film based on the 1976 Tom Robbins novel of the same name. The film was directed by Gus Van Sant, Jr. and starred Uma Thurman, Lorraine Bracco, Pat Morita, Angie Dickinson, Keanu Reeves, John Hurt, Rain Phoenix, and Grace...
(1993) - To Die ForTo Die ForTo Die For is a 1995 dark comedy film, made in a mockumentary format, directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Buck Henry, based on the novel of the same name by Joyce Maynard, which in turn was based on the Pamela Smart story. It stars Nicole Kidman, Matt Dillon, and Joaquin Phoenix...
(1995) - OO (film)O is a 2001 American drama film, and a loose modern adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello.The film's intended release date was April 1999, but due to the Columbine High School massacre, the film was shelved for two years by its original distributor, Miramax Films. Ultimately, it was sold...
(2001) - Stranger InsideStranger InsideStranger Inside is a television drama film directed by Cheryl Dunye that premiered on cable television in 2001. The story primarily concerns African-American lesbians in prison. Michael Stipe, the lead singer of R.E.M., helped to produce it...
(2001) - Harry and Max (2004)
- HitchHitch (film)Hitch is a 2005 romantic comedy film directed by Andy Tennant and starring Will Smith. The film, which was written by Kevin Bisch, co-stars Eva Mendes, Kevin James, and Amber Valletta. Smith plays a professional matchmaker who makes a living teaching men how to woo women...
(2005) - Kids in America (2005)