‘He was incredibly talented’: 17 years ago this iconic actor could have become the new Brad Pitt, but fate decided otherwise

It is July 20, 1994 in the United States. After a remarkable freefall, Joel Schumacher returns behind the camera with the tense police thriller: The Client. Veterans Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon lead the film with a mostly young 11-year-old actor: one Brad Renfro.

A memorable first role

A young man plays the character of Mark Sway; The latter, along with his little brother Ricky, witness the spectacular suicide of lawyer Jerome “Romy” Clifford. Before killing himself, Clifford reveals a terrible secret to him.

He knows where the body of Senator Boyette lies, murdered and then secretly buried by assassin Barry “The Butcher” Muldano (Anthony LaPaglia), the nephew of powerful godfather Johnny Solar (Ron Dean). Fearing elimination, Clifford chose death over clan revenge.

Caught against his will in the heart of a deadly spiral, Mark becomes the target of both the FBI and the Mafia. Harassed, frightened, but determined to survive, he turns to a lawyer with a troubled past, Regina “Reggie” Love (Susan Sarandon), who agrees to defend him for a token dollar. Very quickly, the case took on a national dimension.

Attorney General Roy Foltrig, a.k.a. “The Reverend” (Tommy Lee Jones), known for his pleading Bible verses, sees the case as an opportunity to shine in the spotlight. Between manipulation, pressure and threats, young Mark finds himself in a ruthless duel between justice and organized crime.

At the time, Brad Renfro beat out Macaulay Culkin, star of Mom, I Missed the Plane, for the role of Mark. However, the author of the original novel, John Grisham, preferred to hire a new director rather than an established Hollywood figure. It turns out that it was thanks to casting director Mali Finney that Brad Renfro landed his first movie role, and no less!

A meteoric rise

His magnetic presence and his instinctive and visceral playing put the young artist at the fore. Two years later, he appeared again in the dark and twilight work, Barry Levinson’s The Sleepers. He portrays Michael Sullivan, a boy who was sexually assaulted by his guards at a correctional facility. This adult character will be played by Brad Pitt.

Brad Renfro excels in a highly complex role, bringing a poignant and melancholic dimension to this remarkable character. For the actor, it’s an opportunity to answer the holy monster of cinema: Robert De Niro. At the age of 14, he was already one of the most promising actors of his generation.

In 1998, he confirmed his status as a future big star by landing the lead role in The Gifted Student, a new film from Bryan Singer, the director of The Usual Suspects. Brad Renfro this time plays a troubled teenager who discovers that his neighbor, played by Ian McKellen, is a former Nazi war criminal. He will then maintain a strange and unhealthy relationship with this old man.

going to hell

This work will further prove the popularity of Brad Renfro, who will unfortunately sink into the demons of drugs. At the age of 15, he and his cousin were arrested by the police with bags of cocaine and cannabis. Subsequently, at the age of only 18, he has already completed several rehabilitations.

Later, he was arrested on charges of possession of heroin, and his photo on the front page of the Los Angeles Times ended up in handcuffs. He was also arrested by law enforcement in Florida for driving under the influence and attempting to steal a yacht.

Because of his addiction and escapism, he can’t seem to find important roles like when he started. However, we can mention his participation in Ghost World, an iconoclastic work with a young Scarlett Johansson, which was released in 2002 in France.

He also featured in Bully directed by Larry Clark. He plays Marty, a teenager who is chased by a gang of youths. Marty is especially victimized by the bully Bobby (Nick Stahl). The boy finds no other way out of his martyrdom than to kill his executioner friend. The vulnerability that comes out of this character echoes Brad Renfro’s own journey, making this guy very disturbing.

The broken fate of Brad Renfro

Brady’s career ends up in a steady decline after his many run-ins with the law. On December 22, 2005, in Los Angeles, the actor tried to buy drugs… not knowing that he was dealing with an undercover cop. The following year, Brad Renfro received 3 years probation for possession of heroin; He is logically forced to undergo a new detoxification treatment.

He then tried to break into music by forming the band Frodad, then starred in his last film before his death: Informers, alongside Billy Bob Thornton, Winona Ryder, Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger. Unfortunately, he will not be able to see the finished film. Brad Renfro was found dead in his Los Angeles apartment on January 15, 2008. He was only 25 years old.

The actress succumbed to a heroin overdose following the tragic fate of another drug star, River Phoenix, who died in 1993 of a multiple drug overdose at the age of 23. We can also compare his journey to that of Heath Ledger, who died a week after Brady at the age of 28 from drug poisoning.

A potential new Brad Pitt

Ironically, Renfro was scouted for the casting of The Client, which launched his career after appearing in drug prevention plays. “It was clear to all that she was the sweetest and most incredibly talented young actress to come along in quite some time. My deepest condolences to the family on their tragic loss.”, – said Susan Sarandon.His partner at Le Client.

The young man, with his favorable physique and visceral performances, could become the new Brad Pitt. It’s also not insignificant that Renfro played a young Pete in Sleepers, the two artists have a lot in common, acting and physically. Unfortunately, fate wanted otherwise.

“I saw Brad Renfro kick a football for the first time. He was a kid who had fun, and I’ll always remember him that way. But he was so much more. He was a real actor. When we worked together, he was determined to be recognized as one. He was only 25, and it’s scary to think that we’ll never see all that he could do.”said Digital Spy His “gifted student” partner, Ian McKellen.