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Heath Ledger, River Phoenix, and the Hollywood System That Keeps Producing the Same Tragedy

Apr 5, 2026, 10:11 AM UTC

River Phoenix was twenty-three, standing outside the Viper Room on the Sunset Strip, and then he was on the sidewalk and dying. That was October 1993.

Recommended read: Last Night at the Viper Room by Gavin Edwards

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Heath Ledger, River Phoenix, and the Hollywood System That Keeps Producing the Same Tragedy

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March 2026

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