Brad Renfro: Jagged Edge

Brad Barron Renfro

July 25, 1982 - January 15, 2008 (aged 25)

Brad's 2000 mugshot

Brad Renfro was just 10 years old when he was first discovered by a casting director. Brad was living in a trailer park outside of Knoxville Tennessee with his grandmother. Brad had been living with his grandmother Joanne since his parents divorced five years earlier. The casting director worked for director Joel Shulmacher, and the movie they were casting was The Client, the 1994 film adaptation of John Grisham best selling book.

Although they had looked at thousands of young kids all over the country, they saw the qualities they wanted in Renfro. Renfro was not only a good looking kid, he had a certain quality, an edge and a toughness they wanted for the character of Mark Sway. After co-starring in The Client with Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones, Renfro went on to star in close to thirty films until his death in 2008. Although Tom & Hunk, Sleepers, Apt Pupil and Bully had varying degree's of success, many of Renfro's thirty film credits were easily forgettable.

I started to put together a piece to remember Brad and his work in late January around the date of the actor's death. I had recently re-watched Bully and was again moved by Brad's performance and the tone. The films set and maintained what I felt was an unrelenting bleak stream of absolute sadness.

I ended up shelving the piece as I felt it, and some of the images I had included, were a bit gratuitous. Brad was a good looking kid, but also in some ways prematurely sexual for his age. That quality, along with his toughness, may have helped gained him fame, but it also most likely played a role in the overdose that ended his life.

Although Brad's looks were clearly exploited, especially in the countless shirtless and promotional images, it was also in many ways, such a central part of him, and something he couldn't hide even if he wanted to. Brad's charm and allure came from the same place as his edge. It was evident in his attitude in front of the camera, both on film, and in photographs. It was simply just there. On his face, his lips and especially his eyes. Just like his toughness, his appearance was a big part of his appeal, and what drew audiences in. It was the reason he was the perfect choice to play a young Brad Pitt in the 1996 film 'Sleepers'.

I decided to to go back to the post after reading The Atlantic's powerful story about director Bryan Singer and the accounts of some of Singer's alleged abuse victims. I had heard some of the rumors around Singer, but none ever seemed to get that loud. It sadly may in part be due to the directors huge success, most recently with The X-Men series. The Atlantic article detailed various accounts about Singer's behavior, some from the set of 1988's Apt Pupil.

There were numerous stories, and a lawsuit, about Singer using underage actors for the film's infamous shower scene. I say infamous as the law suit involved underage actors. The actor report that although they knew implied nudity was required, ( abathing suit or g-string) they described being pressured to appear fully nude in the scene. The films production company claimed it was a mistake when some minors were wrongly grouped in with adult actors during the filming process. They say that it was an oversight, and not done deliberately...

There are also allegations of Singer approaching underage students at the middle school where they were shooting. This was also followed by allegations of abuse by one in a locke room on the set. Although I haven't read anything directly or specific about Renfro, he was also in the shower scene and would have been about 15 during the filming.  Although not shown fully nude on screen, it is filmed in way that causes you to wonder whether he, like the extras, was fully nude during filming.

The Atlantic story was a difficult read, but also a compelling one. It was also a fascinating look at how money and success in Hollywood can lead to the cover-up of any and all sins.  Although this isn't exactly breaking news, the article was so realistic, it painted a vivid picture, one so often glossed over.  It also had me thinking about Renfro and the talent that we lost so early.  I have to go back and watch Apt Pupil one of these days. Despite the film's controversy's, Renfro gave a great performance.

Even before his 20th birthday, Renfro's face and body were already showing the ravages of pain and addiction, especially in his eyes.  Having an edge when you're a cute 10 year old may be appealing to casting directors, but Renfo's edge became so jagged, and so hazardous that not even Renfro himself could  safely handle it for too long.