How tall was River Phoenix

Ian Vector said on 21/Oct/21
179 cm.

slim 6'1 said on 14/Jan/21
178.5-179 looks like the better listing

Slim 6'1" said on 31/Dec/20
Give a half inch upgrade

Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 14/Oct/20
He'd be 50 now....try to process that


Strong 5ft10 from me aswell

Miss Sandy Cowell said on 23/Aug/20
Tragic River Phoenix was born 50 years ago today.

He passed on at the tender age of 23, from a heroin overdose. Such are the pressures of fame.....😢

5ft10.5

RIP River Phoenix 🕯️
23/8/1970 - 31/10/93

Slim 6'1" said on 3/Aug/20
179cm, rip river forever

Aldar said on 15/Jul/20
River was closer to 5'9 than 5'10. Here's a picture with Kevin Bacon, who's listed here as 5'10 and a pic with Keanu, where River looks to be 3.5 to 4 inches shorter. But, Keanu is wearing some big sneakers.

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Sina james Paulson said on 8/Jul/20
I just see dogfight the other night and i think 179 cm seems correct. Im 6 ft he's not that much shorter me.

Rylan said on 12/Dec/19
Rob, are sure he's not more like a strong 5'10? 179 cm?
He's not that much shorter than Keanue Reeves & Kevin Kline, maybe around 2-3 inches shorter only.

Nik Ashton said on 5/Oct/19
R.I.P River Phoenix.

trumbo said on 11/Aug/18
The coroner listed him 5'10 on the death certificate. Unlike a drivers license, a death certificate is pretty accurate. Somewhere between 5'10 and 5'11.

Y07 said on 26/Jul/18
But yes, they don't have to measure you when issuing a Driver's licenses, government issued ID, etc. When i issued my government issued ID, they asked for my height, i gave them my claim, Done! It probably might depend on where you live or how ridiculous the claim sounds. If you claim to be minimum either 3-6 inches taller or shorter than you actually are for your license, they might bat an eye on you like you're nuts and they may have to measure you. Idk, i never tried that but would like to know.

Y07 said on 26/Jul/18
Hey Rob, i want you to erase that driver's license claim. I might've made a mistake, and i realized that it possibly could be a fake driver's license, even if it does look pretty convincing (I typed in that address on Google Maps and it leads to a middle of the intersection, possibly the address of one of the two gas stations. Either it's fake, the home got demolished, The home is nearby that intersection but Google Maps mislocated it (it does happen, believe it or not), or somebody edited a fake house address in there, etc.). So if it's real or not. His claim of 5'11" will remain unknown. It's possible he could claim he was 5'11", according to the date of his learners he was almost 18 at the time when it was issued and he could be either very close to his adult height or already at his adult height of your estimation at 5'10". There is quite a share of 5'9" and 5'10" guys claiming to be 5'11". But either way his claim at 5'11" should remain unknown for now. I recall in some of his interviews (while he was still alive) or possibly documentaries, that he and his family might have resided in Florida (can't remember which video sadly) to "find their dream home". But either way, this photo possibly might need some investigation.

Debbie said on 4/Jul/18
ALSO, when laying on the slab, you’re taller too. Why hasn’t anyone said that yet?

As for his driver’s license, I added an inch and a half to mine. Rarely do they pull out a measuring stick at the DMV.

176cm guy said on 10/Mar/18
Hey Rob, how much difference do you think there is between Him and Sidney Poitier?
Click Here
Click Here

Note: River was 17 or possibly 16 during filming, so he might still be growing during that time.

Storm Callitoeko said on 7/Mar/18
If I like an actor, height doesn't matter, maybe it's because I'm only 5'2" :); Keanu Reeves is 6', that's great!

Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 24/Feb/18
Richard Harris looks a good 4in taller

Click Here

Samuel said on 16/Feb/18
What is the shortest you can see River, Rob?

I think he was probably a solid 178.
Like 5'10.25. A flat 179 at most.

NameNotNecessary said on 27/Nov/17
I don't have a Florida driver's license but my state lists the weight along with the height and others things. So maybe that one is fake or a fan card or something.
Anyway, people write in their own height on the application to get/renew a driver's license. As long as it's somewhere within the realm of possibility it wouldn't be questioned by the Sec of State worker.
His autopsy lists him at 5 feet 10. Mistakes do happen but I believe the 5 feet 10 to be accurate.

James said on 21/Nov/17
He looked 5'8" in "Silent Tongue". Six foot Richard Harris was much taller, even at 61.

Joshua said on 14/Nov/17
I think more than 5’10, maybe 5’11

Slim said on 18/Sep/17
I'm fine with 5'9"-9.75" for river, his classic film sucked.

176cm guy said on 28/Jul/17
It is possible he could've measured around the 5'11" mark first thing after a good night sleep. Inch claims are not so bad, unless he says something like 5'11" before bed.

James said on 26/Jul/17
If Richard Harris was six foot there is no way Phoenix can have been 5'10".

even said on 19/Jul/17
around 5 10

Arch Stanton said on 16/May/17
Richard Harris was wearing lifts in that film James :-)

James said on 16/May/17
He can't have been anywhere near six foot because he was so much shorter than Richard Harris in "Silent Tongue".

Strong 5ft9 said on 8/Apr/17
Hey Rob, would you add his Driver's license. It says "5-11" on it. Click Here:

Canson said on 6/Mar/17
@Joe: one thing to do that but then to inflate and claim others downplay and go out of their way to insult is even worse

joe### said on 5/Mar/17
Canson
It's sad to know that a person does this.

Megan Wilson said on 27/Feb/17
There is a picture of his driver's license which says he is 5'11", so that's what I'd go with.

joe### said on 15/Feb/17
Wiles Pucko
lol

Peter said on 15/Feb/17
River was not 5'10... Here he is with 5'7.5 Johnny Depp: Click Here
Looks like max a 0.5 inch taller which would put him at 5'8.

James said on 13/Feb/17
He never looked anywhere near 5'10".

Wiles189 said on 8/Feb/17
This listing is off by 1cm, River was 179

James said on 1/Feb/17
Wiles189 should be Banned for trolling.

Wiles189 said on 30/Jan/17
You are useless James, you can't even provide pictures and evidence, or even have a decent argument. "He is 5'8" "She is 5'5" "He is not 6ft" "He wears lifts"


Go back to kindergarten

James said on 29/Jan/17
He looked 5'8" in some films.

Strong 5ft9 said on 27/Dec/16
On his California drivers license before he was turning 16 at the time. They put his height at 5'8" (but most likely he probably claimed he was 5'8" at the time or they measured him.) Click Here
Then in his Florida's drivers license, before turning 18. It's probably proof that he did claim 5'11" at the time. Click Here
But overall, he definitely looked around the 5'10" area when he finished growing.

James said on 18/Dec/16
He was hardly a great actor. He killed himself before he could move on. He was 5'9".

Sandy Cowell said on 13/Dec/16
Poor boy passing so young.
RIP River

Aza said on 10/Nov/16
Total dude! Yep he was 5'10.

Sarah said on 26/Oct/16
Over 5'10", but not by much. Probably 5'10.25" or so. Great actor.

Anon said on 3/Sep/16
A little over 5'10".

Arch Stanton said on 2/Sep/16
He did look 5 ft 10 range when fully grown, though in some of the 80s films not easy to know if he was fully grown or not and exact age of filming so could seem smaller. Talented actor and a good looking kid. Had he lived longer I think he could have really become one of the acting greats.

James said on 23/Aug/16
5'10 for River is laughable. He was 5'7 or 5'8 at most.

Pucko said on 9/Jul/16
Are there any scenes in Dark Blood where River is standing next to Jonathan Pryce? It would be interesting to see them next to each other. It's the only movie that i haven't seen by River. He was in a very dark place during that time, and it's not so fun to watch knowing that

Sam said on 8/Jul/16
I thought the picture with Depp was photoshopped..

jtm said on 2/Jul/16
if he was really 5'9 then Sandra bullock is 5'5 max.

Sam said on 11/May/16
I read an interview on the net earlier where he states he's no longer 5'10. He says he is 5'11. Something like that, i'm not quite sure.
He was being interviewed at his home in Florida, in 1990 if i remember correctly.

I would say 5'10 to 5'10.25 is about right.

Any thoughts, Rob?

120 said on 7/Feb/16
I believe this was around the time when River was 17-18, or older.

120 said on 7/Feb/16
@230 That's a pretty hard photo to judge over, considering since River and Kevin are not exactly both side by side together and the angles are kind of a pain in the ass to judge over. While River still towered over Martha. After looking through many pics of them, i'd say Kevin Bacon and River Phoenix are both roughly the same height. Maybe River could be slightly smaller. The shoe differences are currently unknown. But an inch difference, i can not see. If those are not the photos you are talking about, then would you mind sharing it. Rob, any thoughts about this?

Here's where i found it
Click Here

230Wh said on 4/Feb/16
when someone is dead his body discompress about 1 inch , 5'9 for River Phoenix , pics with Flea (~166 cm) and Kevin Bacon show that.

120 said on 28/Jan/16
Rob, you think 177 cm is possible for River or does that seem a little low? it could be his night height.

120 said on 26/Jan/16
River may look small next to guys who seem to be over Six foot. But overall he does seem to be a fair or weak 5'10" guy. 5'8" seems to be a little underestimative.

Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 18/Jan/16
charlie said on 17/Jan/16
River was 5 foot 8 inches when he died

He was 23 when he died. Are you implying that he lost height?

charlie said on 17/Jan/16
River was 5 foot 8 inches when he died

dci said on 6/May/15
Autopsy programme on now states 5t10

Byron T. said on 6/Jan/15
In ''The Thing Called Love,'' he had a couple of inches on Dermot Mulroney (both of them were wearing cowboy boots). I'd say River Phoenix was 5'10.5.''

Click Here
Click Here
Click Here

Sam said on 9/Dec/14
Rob, how tall do you think he was while filming Indiana Jones?
He looked shorter, maybe like 5'8?
He was like 18-19 at the moment.

Sam said on 8/Nov/14
He looks a little taller in movies like My Own Private Idaho & The Thing Called Love .. like 5'11 at least. But in MOPI he wears boots which gives him about 2 inches in height.
There's a pic of River and Keanu walking (probably from the movie shoot) together, and River looks around 3 inches shorter.

After watching Dark Blood i find it hard to believe he's above 5'10.
I can buy 5'10.5, but that's it.

Jo said on 1/Nov/14
That license is an interesting little piece of actor ephemera.

Anyway, I think that he was 5'10, maybe a bit above that, Rob?

Realist said on 22/May/14
If he was still alive this would have been one talented family. His brother is probably the best actor in Hollywood currently.

guest said on 14/Mar/14
I wanted to add that the coroner stated he was "70 inches". There wouldn't be any reason to lie on an official autopsy report.

Sam said on 6/Mar/14
Alright!
Dude, that sounds then more likely.
Thanks!

guest said on 4/Mar/14
Sam, I don't think it's a real license. Real ones usually list weight and hair & eye color. This is probably just a photo one for fans, I have a fake Elvis one given to me by someone that had visited Graceland a few years back.

Sarah said on 3/Dec/13
Good listing. River with 5'2" Lili Taylor(in heels): Click Here
He was 5'10, possibly 5'10.5".

Henri_Plonk said on 27/Jul/13
Watching my own private idaho at the moment, River seems to be wearing 1 and a half, maybe 2" heels and looks to be just under 6ft. So i would say 5ft 10 seems spot on really. Great site Rob. It always makes an interesting read & much more accurate than the other height sites

Sam said on 23/Jun/13
His official height seems to be 5'10 (178 cm), and also it says 70 inches on his autospy. He might have been 180 cm in 93, but i stick with 179 cm. 5'10.5.

Anonymous said on 24/Mar/13
River did NOT have a different father than his siblings. There is a half-sister named Jodean, who was the oldest (b. 1964), and was from a previous relationship of the father.

Jeff said on 7/Feb/13
His autopsy stated he was 70 inches (5' 10") 159 lbs and muscular

Lisa said on 22/Sep/12
River was so talented. *sigh* I think that he was. 5'10.5". Also, he had a different father than his siblings.

daryl said on 3/Aug/12
I would say more 5ft11. As much as i would love to believe we were the same hight, he looks like he would have an inch on me in the least

Carol said on 12/Feb/12
Why was river phoenix so different from his siblings? I can't find any similaridade and I'm not talking about the way they are, just about the face and hair...
Some people say that is just diffent genes, but I don't believe it because all of them (4 of them) look alike and he is totally diferent!

Lee said on 11/Feb/12
You need to change your heading of 5 ft 10 inches, which is wrong. River Pheonix was just under 6ft tall, and taller than Keanu Reeves when neither was wearing shoes with a heel. This is a fact.

RICHARD said on 29/Jan/12
River Phoenix is more in the 5'11 range for sure.Watch him in 'I Love You To Death',and he stands next to William Hurt,Keanu Reeves,and Kevin Kline and isn't dwarfed by them at all,though they all had 2-3 inches on him,so 1.80 cm seems fair for him.

kevin said on 6/Jan/12
jep, in my own private Idaho he was max 2inches shorter than keanu reeves. maybe keanu at 184cm and river 179cm.

vita said on 1/May/11
I think river has a really good height and that he is soo cute

Karolina said on 16/Jan/11
In 'My own private Idaho' he played opposite Keanu Reeves who is 185 cm. I think he was 180 cm at least.

jtm said on 19/Nov/10
well that's interesting if the autopsy had him at 5'9 but they also had tupac at 6ft and steve mcqueen at 5'7.

jtm said on 18/Nov/10
rob are you talking about doug's comment below?

Mr. R said on 9/Nov/10
I thought that I read somewhere that his autopsy had him at 69 inches which is 5-9.

Calla said on 8/Nov/10
Vicki Woods （Vogue editor）interviewed River when he was 19. And she wrote "He's grown since we last saw him (in Running on Empty - what a tearjerker). He's now five eleven ("Barefoot!''), slim as a willow and hung with wisps of beard like Florida's Spanish moss" So I guess he is 5'11

Tundus said on 23/Jun/09
My husband looks like River Phoenix. Click Here

Chris Finley said on 25/Apr/09
well it says that River Phoenix is 5'10", but it looks like he is 5'8". That is just my guess. That is ture River Phoenix is a great actor one of the movies he did that i liked was " Stand By Me".

Chris Finley said on 24/Apr/09
Well it says that he was 5'10, but i don't know for sure.I think he looks about 5'7. In deed he was a grat actor one of the grat ones to me was " Stand By Me "

bl said on 13/Feb/09
shinner, how did you see the coronor's photos and the autopsy report? It is supposed to be officially 20+ pages long. How did you find it? If you know where I can see it, send me an email at blatblny at yahoo dot com

sinner said on 7/Nov/08
I'v read the Autospy report and have seen the coroner's photos and I think it said 5-10

Lees said on 29/Oct/08
I'm surprised no one else ever thought River had a different father. All the other children in that family look like each other. River doesn't really look like them at all. He looks like his mother. They probably just didn't talk about it to the press.

Anna said on 28/Jun/08
I was just watching My own private Idaho, and it seems like River, when he stands straight, is taller than Reeves. He doesn't seem 7cm shorter than Keanu.

Lori said on 7/Apr/08
RZA are you kidding?,rain and Joaquin look VERY MUCH alike indeed....they are both very striking to look at.I had the pleasure of meeting river back in 1991 through a mutual friend who also knew him in LA.....he was quite tall compared to me,I was wearing 2 inch heels that evening and Im 5"6" barefoot(I can remember clearly as I only wear small heeled stileto's,I dont like a tall heel on my shoe).River was wearing converse's and he was a good 2-3 inches taller than me.....so that would put him at 5,10-5"11" no probs.He was definately no shorter than 5"10".He was also real friendly and quite shy too.A nice guy all in all and I still miss him!

RZA said on 28/Jul/07
okay- I just read River's biography and it says that from Stand By Me to My Own Private Idaho he grew 4 inches and lost 20 pounds. To me that looks right, he was baby faced and short in Stand By Me and I would say Mary-Kay is right at 5'6" in Stand By Me. Also the difference between he and Joaquim isnt that big my brothers and I differ in height a couple inches and that's not abnormal. River's family was pretty jacked but it never says anything about them having different father's even though Rain and Joaquim look really different.

Mary-Kay said on 10/Jun/07
in stand by me i think he was about 5'6" because teddy(corey feldman) is 5'4" and corey stopped growing when he was about the time he was in stand by me or so i read in an article

alex said on 7/May/07
anyone know how tall he was when he did stand by me?
thankyou

Hannah said on 24/Jan/07
I ment to say Samantha Mathis**

Hannah said on 21/Jan/07
I have actually seen River one time. Not actually talked to him or met him. I was shopping with my friends and all the sudden we see a paparazzi and we go to check it out and it was River Phoenix with his girlfriend Samantha Mavis. He looked pretty tall i would say he was some where around 5-foot-11 to 6-foot and his girlfriend was around 5-foot-5 or something. But i don't know the exact measurments.

Editor Rob said on 13/Sep/06
In 1986 article (when he is 16) mentioned "Now, he stands 5-foot-8. He said 5-foot-11 "would be cool if I get that high"

sam said on 3/Sep/06
wow. thats cool you got to meet him jess. i know this is out of subject, but still..that would of been so awsome!!

Glenn said on 26/Aug/06
I could be wrong.I never met him.just going by stories.

Gotxo said on 25/Aug/06
Glenn are you sure?
To me he looked taller than his brother, and 5'10" doesn't sound odd to me.
I could go along with 5'11" too, but a single inch is not matter for a discussion
(well maybe here :) but still terrible hard to gauge without a metric tape)

Viper652 said on 25/Aug/06
5-10 looks right for him.

Glenn said on 25/Aug/06
Autopsy said 5-10.once in a blue you here 5-9,which clearly he wasnt.I dont think he was 5-11 either.

jessica said on 23/Aug/06
i met river once and he is about 5'10 maybe 5'11 im 5'4 and i fort he was quite tall

Aleka said on 15/Mar/06
About River's Hieght, he was 5'10 1/2. And he was 149lbs at the time of his death. If anyone doesn't believe me, zoom in on the biography "Eclipsed by Death: River Phoenix" they show the REAL autopsy report. You can buy it on biography.com !

L. said on 31/Dec/05
The reason River and Joaquin do not look much alike, he that Joaquin has a different father than River. Joaquin and I have the same dad. Our father was only 5'7, and Joaquin, my other older brother and I look just like our dad.

JS said on 10/Jun/05
So in conjunction with my statement below. if the autopsy said 5'10.. I'd think he was closer to 5'9 in actual height when standing, etc.

JS said on 7/Jun/05
Keep in mind the body will be roughly an inch longer when measured in such a state as the space between the vertebrae will expand.