His life came to a tragic end outside The Viper Room in Los Angeles where he experienced an overdose after taking a combination of heroin and cocaine.

As he suffered convulsions on the pavement outside the club his girlfriend, actress Samantha Mathis, looked on in horror, his sister Rain tried to give him mouth-to-mouth, and brother Joaquin called for an ambulance.

He was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Hospital, but doctors were unable to revive him, and he pronounced dead at 1.51am.

Phoenix was an acclaimed actor who made 14 films during his short career, two of them were released after his death. Dark Blood, the movie he was filming at the time of his death was not released until 2012, many years after his passing.

Phoenix got audience’s attention in early films including Explorers and Stand by Me, he acted opposite some of Hollywood’s biggest names including Sydney Poitier in Little Nikita, and Harrison Ford in The Mosquito Coast. 

He played a younger version of Ford when he appeared as the young Indiana Jones in a sequence that opens Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. He also had memorable roles in Running on Empty, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon. 

His greatest praise came for his leading role alongside Keanu Reeves in Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho. In the film he played a gay street hustler searching for belonging.

Back in the early 90’s both Phoenix and Reeves’ agents tried to dissuade them from taking on the roles, advising that playing a gay or bisexual character could have a negative effect on their careers. They both ignored the advice, and instead the world got one of the classic LGBTIQA+ themed films, and acclaimed performances from both the actors.

Actor David Ogden Stiers was born on this day.

Actor David Ogden Stiers, best known for portraying Major Charles Winchester III on the long running TV show M*A*S*H was born on this day in 1942.

Ogden Stiers joined the hit TV show in 1977 at the beginning of its sixth season, filling to void left by actor Larry Linville who had played the character of Frank Burns. He stayed with the show until its final episode in 1983.

Aside from his best-known work in M*A*S*H, the actor was also a successful voice actor lending his voice to many Disney productions including Beauty and the Beast, Lilo and Stitch, Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. 

During his career the actor appeared in many well-known TV shows including Charlie’s Angles, Murder She Wrote, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Matlock. The Practice and Frasier.

He also appeared in the landmark miniseries North and South. In the 1980’s he appeared in a series of Perry Mason TV movies, his character District Attorney Michael Reston repeatedly losing to Ramond Burr’s Mason.

The actor also appeared in several Woody Allen movies including Shadows and Fog, Mighty Aphrodite, Everybody Says I Love You and Curse of the Jade Scorpion.

In 2009 the actor shared that he was gay and said that he’d kept his sexuality a secret throughout most of his career out of fear that it would stop him getting roles on the family friendly TV shows he was best known for.

Ogden Stiers passed away in 2018 aged 75.

The post On This Gay Day | Remembering actor River Phoenix appeared first on OUTinPerth.

The Emmy Awards have wrapped with HBO and Netflix running neck and neck for the most wins this awards season.

The celebration of excellence in television marked its 70th year with Saturday Night Live‘s Michael Che and Colin Jost co-hosting the ceremonies.

Game of Thrones took out the big one for Outstanding Drama Series, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel beat out Netflix faves GLOW and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Claire Foy was awarded Best Lead Actress for her role as a young Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, while Matthew Rhys won in the men’s category for The Americans.

Ryan Murphy’s very queer The Assassination of Gianni Verscace took home the trophy for Outstanding Limited Series, with star Darren Criss also winning for his role as serial killer Andrew Cunanan.

RuPaul’s Drag Race made history, winning Outstanding Reality Competition Series and Best Reality Host in the same year.

Hannah Gadsby also made an appearance, presenting the award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series to an absent Stephen Daldry (The Crown).

The ceremony also paid tribute to those from the entertainment industry who we have lost over the past year including Aretha Franklin and out actors Jim Nabors and David Ogden-Stiers.

For a full list of winners and nominees, head to emmys.com

The post Darren Criss, Rupaul and more win big at 70th annual Emmy Awards appeared first on OUTinPerth.

Actor David Ogden Stiers, best known for portraying Major Charles Winchester III on the long running TV show M*A*S*H has died aged 75.

Ogden Stiers joined the hit TV show in 1977 at the beginning of its sixth season, filling to void left by actor Larry Linville who had played the character of Frank Burns. He stayed with the show until its final episode in 1983.

Aside from his best known work in M*A*S*H, the actor was also was a successful voice actor lending his voice to many Disney productions including Beauty and the Beast, Lilo and Stitch, Pocahontas  and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. 

During his career the actor appeared in many well known TV shows including Charlie’s Angles, Murder She Wrote, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Matlock. The Practice and Frasier.

He also appeared in the landmark miniseries North and South. In the 1980’s he appeared in a series of Perry Mason TV movies, his character District Attorney Michael Reston repeatedly losing to Ramond Burr’s Mason.

The actor also appeared in several Woody Allen movies including Shadows and Fog, Mighty Aphrodite, Everybody Says I Love You and Curse of the Jade Scorpion.

In 2009 the actor shared that he was gay and said that he’d kept his sexuality a secret throughout most of his career out of fear that it would stop him getting roles on the family friendly TV shows he was best known for.

Ogden Steirs died at his home in Newport, Oregon. He had been battling bladder cancer. He is survived by his son.

OIP Staff

The post M*A*S*H star David Ogden Stiers dead at 75 appeared first on OUTinPerth.