Actor Brad Renfro has been found dead aged just 25. 'The Client' star, who had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, was discovered at a Los Angeles apartment yesterday morning after spending the night with friends.
Craig Harvey, chief investigator for the Los Angeles country coroner, said: "Drug overdose is a possibility considering his history, but right now all we have is the history of his drinking the previous night. He was last known to be alive during the morning hours and he was snoring."
"He was found unresponsive in a residence. Paramedics responded and he was pronounced dead at 9am."
An autopsy is set to be carried out today. The 'Sleepers' star had just finished filming new movie 'The Informers' with Winona Ryder and Billy Bob Thornton.
Director Joel Schumacher discovered Renfro when he was just 12, casting him in 1994 mafia thriller 'The Client' alongside Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. The following year, People magazine named him as one of Hollywood's emerging stars, including him in their 'Top 30 Under 30'.
His other movie credits include 'Deuces Wild', 'Apt Pupil', 'Ghost World', 'Bully' and 'The Jacket'.
The actor is said to have struggled since moving from Tennessee to Los Angeles and dealing with his parents splitting up. His troubled personal life spans back to 1998, when Renfro was charged with cocaine and marijuana possession.
In 2001, he was put on probation and ordered to pay $4,000 after attempting to steal a yacht in Florida. Four months later, he was arrested for under-age drinking and violating his probation. He was ordered to undergo treatment for alcohol abuse.
In 2005, he was charged with a misdemeanor count of a DUI and two counts of driving with a suspended license. That same year, he was charged with a felony count of attempting to possess heroin.
In 2006, Renfro pleaded guilty to the heroin charge and entered rehab. He was sentenced to three years' probation and served 10 days in jail. Last June, the star violated his probation by failing to enroll in a long-term drug treatment program.
His lawyer Richard Kaplan insists his client had been trying hard to stay clean, saying: "He was working hard on his sobriety. He was doing well. He was a nice person."
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