Brad Renfro Dies at Age 25

Allie @ Gone Hollywood | Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Actor Brad Renfro has been found dead.

The 25-year-old actor was found dead at his Los Angeles home this morning. The cause of death has not been determined, however, Renfro had a history of drug abuse.

Sources tell us Renfro, who had starring roles in “The Client” and “Apt Pupil” had been working valiantly to stay clean, especially since this summer. Renfro had been convicted of several drug offenses, including attempted heroin possession.

Renfro had been filming a movie with Winona Ryder and Billy Bob Thornton. The movie, “The Informers,” just wrapped.

Renfro has had a rough time personally since moving from Tennessee to Los Angeles. His parents split, and we’re told he did not have real guidance from adults as he tried navigating the treacherous movie industry.

Brad Renfro Biography:

Renfro was ten when he was discovered by Mali Finn, a casting director for Joel Schumacher, director of The Client. He played the title role in the film, adapted from a best-selling John Grisham novel, opposite Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. The suspense/drama was one of the top-grossing films of 1994. Renfro went on to act in other films including 2001’s Ghost World and Bully and 2005’s The Jacket with Keira Knightley and Adrien Brody. He also played Huck Finn in Tom and Huck with Jonathan Taylor Thomas. In 1995, he won Hollywood Reporter’s “Young Star” award and was nominated as one of People magazine’s “Top 30 Under 30″. Renfro also appeared in “Watch”, an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Recently he completed filming his role in the upcoming film The Informers.

source: Actor Brad Renfro dead at 25 [msnbc]