Renfro? Really? Him?
Has Brad Renfro received an upgrade in the legacy department? The troubled actor, who never quite lived up to his perpetual "rising star" status, has suddenly been thrust into the upper echelon Died-Young category, joining the likes of River Phoenix, Tupac, and Janis Joplin, and it all seems to be thanks to Heath Ledger. You see, with the tragic news of the actor's passing, media outlets have been compiling lists of major, iconic stars who have died before thirty, and while Ledger certainly deserves a spot on that list, Renfro's inclusion seems dubious. Clearly, he benefited from editors' guilt. After all, how could they not include him when he died just days ago? Still, I'm not sure that his death, while sad, rocked the world the way, say, Jim Morrison's did. So enjoy the upgrade now, Ghost of Renfro, because it won't be long before the editors slowly weed you off the list (cough, Jonathan Brandis, cough).
Am I a bastard?
• Gone Before 30: Stars Who Died Young [ABC News]
Yes, but that's why we love you.
Awww... thanks.
If you're a bastard, B-Side, so am I (well, I'm a girl, but you get my drift), because I was thinking that too. Though it was tragic about Brad Renfro, it was also easy to say, "I saw that coming," in light of his many arrests for drug possession, etc.
And yeah, he WAS very promising as a kid, but never did much of merit and had been out of the spotlight for several years (at least, that's what it seemed like).
Part of the tragedy of Heath is that his career was on the rise, he'd played at least one iconic role (Ennis Del Mar), and had just finished playing another one (the Joker). In addition, he seemed to be making good decisions career-wise, and never really sought the spotlight outside of films.
Anyway, that's my two cents. Love your blog!
Yes, i think you are right. He is also not included in the Famous Dead Database. Perhaps they think the same as you do?