Brad Renfro Was a Beloved Young Hollywood Star Until His Life Was Cut Tragically Short at 25

Brad Renfro made a splash when he appeared in his first film, 1994's The Client, at just 10 years old. His acting chops alongside the likes of Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones marked him for success, winning him the Hollywood Reporter's Young Star award and setting him up for the major films he'd appear in as a pre-teen, like 1995's Tom and Huck and 1996's Sleepers.

While the Knoxville native's career trajectory only pointed upward, his struggles with drug use made his personal life a different story. After a string of arrests and stints in rehab, the young rising star died of an overdose at the age of 25 on January 15, 2008.

Sarandon even called him the "most incredible gifted young actor to come along for some time," after hearing the news of his death. 16 years later, The Messenger looks back at his life cut short.

The young actor had many run-ins with the law as he struggled with addiction

At just 15 years old, Renfro was caught by Knoxville authorities in possession of cocaine and marijuana in 1998. He was released on bond and avoided jail time with a plea deal at that time, but his legal woes continued. He would also be arrested in 2000 and 2001 for underage drinking and trying to steal a yacht.

In 2005, the actor's struggles with addiction came to a head when he attempted to buy heroin on L.A.'s Skid Row from an undercover police officer during a surprise drug sting. He pled guilty to the charges and attended a rehab program to avoid jail time.

Renfro struggled openly even when on set, and some of his peers tried to help

Director Larry Clark told the Seattle Times that he'd tried to help Renfro break free from addiction in 2000 after discovering him using drugs at his Knoxville home. "I’ve been around a lot of addicts and alcoholics, and I remember thinking at the time, this is one of the worst cases I’ve ever seen," he told the publication.

In 2007, Renfro continued his acting career, this time in the drama The Informers. However, he didn't seem to have made progress on getting clean, according to assistant director Fernando Altschul via Buzzfeed News. Altschul told the publication that Renfro was brutally honest about his addiction. Another director, James Merendino, echoed that sentiment, saying, "[Renfro] was very open about it to everybody — anyone who would listen."

Merendino also shared that he provided his home as a place Renfro could retreat to as he tried to kick his habits. "Everybody wanted to help him. Everybody was trying to help Brad feel okay," an anonymous source added to Buzzfeed.

Altschul also expressed to the publication that he felt that Renfro was failed by the industry. "I feel like we've failed children like Brad in some ways," he said. "Maybe there should be someone who says a person in his situation isn't psychologically ready to be on such a volatile place as a film set."

Renfro is still fondly remembered by fans and loved ones

In 2008, Renfro was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at his Los Angeles home. According to the L.A. Times, injection marks were identifiable on his hands at the time he was found and his death was ruled an accidental overdose of heroin and morphine.

While some wonder whether Hollywood at large failed the young actor, family, friends and peers remember him for more than his addiction. "Brad had problems just like I have problems, just like you have problems, just like all of us have trials and tribulations that we go through," Renfro's great-uncle said at his funeral. "He lived life, and he enjoyed it."

Monday, Jan. 15, will mark the 16th anniversary of Renfro's tragic death.