A Look Back: Rodney Harvey

Although I consider myself a film buff, there are many well known and 'must see' movies that I have to discover and enjoy.  Last week, I finally watched Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders.  Although I'd heard of the film, and knew of it's famous cast, it was not a movie I was every really drawn to seek out and watch.  Seeing that the 1983 film was playing on a retro movie channel, I decided to DVR and finally watch.

I guess the film was pretty much what I expected.  I enjoyed it, and am glad I finally watched.  I can't say that I really loved it though.  Given the star studded cast, most in the early stages of their careers, I did google a bit to find out about the casting process.   The searching led me to find out the film had a brief 1990 television series based on the film.  The show featured Jay R. Ferguson, Boyd Kestner, David Arquette, Robert Rusler and the beautiful Rodney Harvey.

It's no surprise given his good looks that Harvey caught the eye and was discovered by director. Paul Morrissey.  Morrissey went on to cast Harvey in two films, Mixed Blood (1985) and Bensonhurst. (1988)  After his initial success the young actor moved to Los Angeles.

In the television version, Harvey played Sodapop in the series, the role played by Rob Lowe in the film.  Although Sodapop wasn't heavily featured in the film, he does appear to have been one of the leads in the TV show. The show only lasted 13 episodes, but it did bring Harvey to a wider audience.  Prior to the show, 

Harvey was a model, who had shot with many of the industries biggest photogs, including working several times with Bruce Weber , including a spread with Madonna for Life Magazine.  He also had the lead in 1988's Salsa. After the show's cancellation, Harvey went on to take the lead in La Bocca and co-starred alongside Drew Barrymore in Gun Crazy.  Harvey also played a hustler, and friend to Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix in 1991's My Own Private Idaho.  Harvey's last on-screen role was in 1996's God's Lonely Man.

Sadly the beautiful and talented actor died in 1998. It's reported he began using Heroin during the filming of My Own Private Idaho.  Despite attempts to get clean, and several stints in jail, Heroin sadly took over and won with Harvey dying of a drug overdose.  Death is especially sad when it's someone so young and with so much potential.  One can only imagine what his future may have held.