Brad Renfro: 1982-2008

Rest in peace, Mr. Renfro.

by | January 17, 2008 | Comments

Brad Renfro, star of The Client and Apt Pupil, passed away Tuesday of unknown causes. He was 25.

According to the Los Angeles Times, friends of the actor have informed police that he was drinking in the hours before his death. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday. Renfro’s former attorney, Blair Berk, was quoted as saying, “Brad was a really gifted young man. It is a tragedy all the way around.”

After earning positive notices for his appearance opposite Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon in 1994’s The Client, Renfro became known more for his offscreen behavior than his acting. Though he continued to work, securing roles in films such as Ghost World and Bully, he ran afoul of law enforcement on multiple occasions. From the Times:

In the late 1990s, he was arrested for trying to steal a yacht in Florida. In December 2005, he was picked up by LAPD officers during an undercover drug sweep of downtown’s skid row. Police had taken a Times reporter and photographer along during the sweep, and a photo showing Renfro being arrested by two officers was featured on the paper’s front page.

Authorities have said they do not suspect foul play.

Source: Los Angeles Times