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September 13 1993 River Phoenix
"You shouldn't smoke it's not good for you" as he lights up his own.
Interviewer
"is that right?"
River Phoenix
"Well you know, one pack a day" he snickers.
Interviewer
"Yeah, do you smoke alot?"
River Phoenix
"haha, do you smoke alot? It's a crazy world out there, you gotta do something normal"
Interviewer
"Do you mind if I get down to the good stuff?"
River Phoenix
"What's the good stuff , do you know something about me I don't?"
Interviewer
"Actually I am hoping you know something about you knowone else does, and you will tell me"
River Phoenix
"Well, ask me something , I think that's how these things work, right?" Smiles
Interviewer
"Well first off, you are working on a new film, Dark Blood? Why don't you tell us a little bit about it?"
River Phoenix
"Well first off (winks), I play guy who becomes a hermit after his wife dies, so he decides to pack it up and move to a wasteland in the Utah Desert. One day he helps this couple whose car has seized up, and a love triangle develops"
Interviewer
"For a second there , you were describing, your last film Silent Tongue"
River Phoenix
"(laughs) You are right it does kind of sound the same. But it really isn't, I am working with some really amazing actors, Um Johnathan Pryce and Judy Davis. They play the couple whose car broke down. "
Interviewer
"little bit of an age difference, yes?"
River Phoenix
"Just a little"
River laughing pauses for a moment and puts out his ciggarette.
River Phoenix
"and the film is Directed by George Sluizer , you may have seen his last film The Vanishing?"
Interviewer
"I saw both actually, he directed the Second yes?"
River Phoenix
"Yeah that's the one!"
Interviewer
"Is it true you actually didn't wish to do the film when you first read the script?"
River Phoenix
"No , my agent read the script before I had a chance too and he didn't think it was suitable. I had not seen the script at that time. But later, I think after he saw The Vanishing he showed it to me. And we went on from there."
Interviewer
"So you don't choose your films?"
River Phoenix
"Well, I don't have time to read everything, so some things get waded out before they come into my hands. My agent gives me what he thinks I would like to read and then I choose what I do and don't wish to do. You aren't an actress are you?"
Interviewer
"Should I be?"
River Phoenix
"I think you should be whatever you want to be."
Interviewer
"Did you want to be an actor"
River Phoenix
"Honestly , no."
Interviewer
"Why not? You are great at it"
River Phoenix
"Thank you! Well, it was fun in the beginning , but it was also because I had to do it, I had no choice. My family and I were living out of the back of a van and well we needed money. It just sort of happened before I got a chance to know what I really wanted to do"
Interviewer
"If you had a chance to think about it now, what would you want to do?"
River Phoenix
"I would want to be an activist, I would want to help people. I mean I do that somewhat now, but I would like to do that and just that. It's too late for that now."
Interviewer
"Many people have quit acting, why don't you just quit?"
River Phoenix
"Because it's just not that easy. I have thought about it, but it isn't possible. I have people relying on me, my fans, and um..well you know, it just isn't possible."
Interviewer
"What would you say to people who are in the same position you were in when forced to become an actor?"
River Phoenix
"I would say, it isn't worth it. You have to be who you are and what you want to be from the beginning. Because if you bury yourself too deep in something you may not be able to claw your way out."
Interviewer
"Thank you!"
River Phoenix
"Are we done? That's too bad"
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