Brad Renfro

Infobox actor

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imagesize =
caption =
birthname = Brad Barron Renfro
birthdate = birth date|1982|7|25|mf=y
birthplace = Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
deathdate = death date and age|mf=yes|2008|1|15|1982|7|25
deathplace = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
occupation = Actor
yearsactive = 1994–2008

Brad Barron Renfro (July 25, 1982 – January 15, 2008) was an American actor. He made his movie debut in 1994 in the title role of "The Client". He acted in 21 movies, several short films, and one television episode during his career. Much of his later career was marred by a pattern of substance abuse. He died January 15, 2008, from an accidental overdose of heroin.

Early life and career

Brad Renfro was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, the son of Angela and Mark Renfro, who was a factory worker. [ [http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800212911/bio "Brad Renfro Biography"] . Yahoo! Movies.] [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/14/Brad-Renfro.html Brad Renfro"] Film Reference.com.] He was raised from the age of five by his paternal grandmother, Joanne Barron Renfro, a church secretary.cite news|last=Weinraub|first=Bernard|coauthors=|title=For 'Client,' a Survivor, Age 10|pages=|publisher=The New York Times|date=1994-07-12|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9902E4DE123FF931A25754C0A962958260|accessdate=2007-12-10] Renfro fathered one child, a son named Yamato Renfro, born in 2003. [ "Obituaries - Brad Barron Renfro," "Knoxville News Sentinel," January 20, 2008, webpage: [http://www.legacy.com/KnoxNews/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=101570815 Obit-BBRenfro] .] The boy lives in Japan with his mother. [ "Brad Renfro spent several days with secret son before he died", "Now Magazine", January 24, 2008, webpage: [http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celeb_news/Brad_Renfro_spent_several_days_with_secret_son_before_he_died_article_175831.html] .]

Renfro was discovered by Mali Finn, a casting director for Joel Schumacher, when he was 10. His only previous acting experience was as a dealer in an anti-drugs workshop school production. Cast by Finn for Schumacher's "The Client", Renfro acted alongside Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. Based on the bestselling John Grisham novel, it became one of the top-grossing films of 1994. In 1995, he won "Hollywood Reporter"'s "Young Star" award, and was nominated as one of "People"'s "Top 30 Under 30". That year, he played Huckleberry "Huck" Finn in 1995's "Tom and Huck" with Jonathan Taylor Thomas. [cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23061263-5012974,00.html|title=Young star Brad Renfro dies at 25|date=2008-01-16|publisher=Herald Sun|accessdate=2008-05-18]

In 1996, he was cast in "Sleepers", based on the novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra. The film was directed by Barry Levinson and also starred Robert De Niro, Kevin Bacon, Dustin Hoffman and Brad Pitt.

In 1998, he starred opposite Ian McKellen in "Apt Pupil", directed by Bryan Singer. That same year, he played Leon S. Kennedy in a live-action preview of "Resident Evil 2". Renfro went on to act in other films, including 2001's "Ghost World", 2002's "Confessions of an American Girl" (in which he played a gay teenager), "Bully", and 2005's "The Jacket". He also appeared in an episode of "" and completed filming on the unreleased film "The Informers," co-starring Winona Ryder and Billy Bob Thornton. Brad is the cousin of 10 Years lead singer Jesse Hasek,Fact|date=September 2008 and was featured inthe first version of 10 Years Wasteland video.

Arrest and rehabilitation

In December 2005, he was arrested by LAPD officers during an undercover drug sweep of downtown's skid row and was charged with attempted possession of heroin. A photograph showing him in handcuffs made the front page of the "Los Angeles Times". Renfro admitted to a detective that he was using heroin and methadone. In court, he pleaded guilty to the charges, and was sentenced to three years' probation. [Winton, Richard. [http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-renfro17jan17,1,1611159.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california "Renfro autopsy planned for Thursday"] . LA Times. January 17, 2008.] In 2006, he spent 10 days in jail for convictions of driving while under the influence and attempted heroin possession. [ [http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/15/renfro.obit.ap/index.html "Actor Brad Renfro found dead in Los Angeles home"] CNN.com. January 15, 2008.] In June 2007, a judge found him to have violated his probation by not enrolling in a long-term drug treatment program. He subsequently went into a drug rehabilitation program.

Death

Renfro was found dead on January 15, 2008 in his Los Angeles apartment. [cite web |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20171939,00.html |title=Brad Renfro Dies at 25 |accessdate=2008-02-08 |author= Breuer, Howard|coauthors=Lehner, Marla|date=2008-02-08] On February 8, 2008, the Los Angeles County Coroner's office ruled that Renfro's death was accidental, attributing it to acute heroin/morphine intoxication. [cite web |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20177159,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines |title=Coroner: Brad Renfro Died of Heroin Overdose |accessdate=2008-02-08 |author= Silverman, Stephen M.|coauthors=Aradillas, Elaine |date=2008-02-08]

His body was returned to East Tennessee, where he was buried on January 22, 2008 north of Knoxville, at Red House Cemetery in the small community of Blaine. [http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8053771]

Less than two weeks later, his grandmother Joanne – who had raised him and accompanied him regularly during his early acting career – died at her home at the age of 76. [ [http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/feb/03/brad-renfros-grandmother-76-dies/ Brad Renfro's grandmother, 76, dies : Local News : Knoxville News Sentinel ] ] Local officials stated that she died of natural causes. [ [http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=54164 WBIR.com | Knoxville, TN | Brad Renfro's grandmother dies ] ]

Filmography

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0000605|name=Brad Renfro
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article3206731.ece Obituary in "The Times", January 18, 2008]
* [http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jan/27/brad-renfro-end/ Brad Renfro: The End, January 27, 2008]
* [http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/01/brad-renfro-rip.html Remembering Brad Renfro]
* [http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jan/27/renfros-death-pains-director-who-helped-make-him-s/ Renfro’s Death Pains Director Who Helped Make Him A Star, January 27, 2008]
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Persondata
NAME= Renfro, Brad
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Renfro, Brad Barron
SHORT DESCRIPTION=American actor
DATE OF BIRTH= July 25, 1982
PLACE OF BIRTH= Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
DATE OF DEATH= January 15, 2008
PLACE OF DEATH= Los Angeles, California, United States