• E! News [eonline.com]

Upon learning of his client's death, Richard Kaplan, Renfro's longtime lawyer and champion, offered, "He was working hard on his sobriety. He was doing well. He was a nice person." Renfro was also working, period, having just wrapped a part in what would become his last movie—The Informers. Based on the Bret Easton Ellis short story collection, the large ensemble film also stars Billy Bob Thornton, Winona Ryder, and Mickey Rourke, and follows, Short Cuts- and Magnolia-style, seven stories set in 1980s Los Angeles over the course of one week. Its one-sheet tagline, over a ceramic sculpture of a melancholy pretty boy's face: "Greed is good. Sex is easy. Youth is forever."

• Troubled Actor Brad Renfro Found Dead in His Los Angeles Home at Age 25 [abcnews.go.com]

My first encounter came when I spotted Leif at The Standard during a quick sojourn for lunch last Wednesday afternoon. As I walked downstairs to their yellow-accented diner to snarf down a quick sammy at approximately 2:15pm, I immediately recognized the `70s teen icon from his myriad appearances on Video Hits One. He was wearing the same bandana and same oppressively large sunglasses that he always wears on teevee. I recognized him right away, but being a semi-seasoned person when it comes to celebrity encounters, played it like I had no clue who he was. That is, until a voice bellowed across the room in my general direction, "Bro, how's that turkey panini?" I looked up from my sandwich and realized it was none other than Leif, asking me for an impromptu food review like I was a guest judge on Top Chef. I stammered out a quick response (I cannot tell a lie, it was a damn good sandwich), and Leif replied that his B-A-L-T-A (a BLT with avocado, hence the extra As) was "killer" and that I should order it the next time I come back. He then proceeded to get two phone calls in rapid succession, and quickly left the diner. Considering he got arrested for scoring drugs at Pershing Square (within walking distance of The Standard) less than two years ago, one would've figured that Leif would be avoiding the area, not rushing off to meet someone down in that `hood. Curious spice.

Next up was Tom Sizemore, last seeing co-starring with Katherine Heigl and leading "Zyzzyx Road" to a powerhouse $30 opening weekend. I spotted him on Saturday morning at the crisp hour of 5:45am (which is either REALLY early or REALLY late, depending), as I was hurriedly checking out of the hotel. He was wearing pink and black Zubaz pants and was carrying a teacup-sized dog of unknown origins. As dutifully patient and attentive hotel employees listened to Sizemore speedily prattle on (sample convo: "Youlikefootball? ILOVEfootball!! Ican'twaittowatchfootballlatertoday!!!"), I finally put two and two together and decided this story had more to it than just being another graf or two in this week's Privacy Watch. While I realize that two instances are just coincidence and it takes three events to make a a trend, I'm not betting against the possibility that I would've seen Brad Renfro wandering around the lobby had I stayed there a few more days. Here's hoping that both Leif and Tom were there to enjoy a meal / walk their dog (respectively) and not to reacquaint themselves with Mr. Brownstone.

"A lot of the things they say are true," Renfro told Courttv.com of his prison stint. "It's a madhouse."

Renfro, who starred in "Ghost World," "Apt Pupil" and "The Client," said he felt lucky to have a mat to sleep on, as many prisoners bedded down on the cold, hard floor.

"I'm just looking at all of this as an opportunity to change my life," Renfro said. [...]

"It's helped me greatly. It's definitely been an eye-opener," Renfro said. "I'm tired of paying the consequences. I'm going to stay clean and, in turn, it will help me spiritually and with work."

Any future acting roles, he says, have been put on hold.

"It's better that way," Renfro said. "I feel blessed that I'm going through this now, rather than later. I'm still a kid. I'm 23.

When asked if he planned to stay sober and off heroin, Renfro paused before responding: "Today I am."

We hate to trot out the old addiction cliches, but it appears Renfro has indeed hit the craggy rock bottom of addiction's floor, and we wish him the best as he flutter-kicks his way back to the surface and takes his first liberating breaths of sobriety. We can only hope he doesn't make any exploratory side trips along the way into the tempting coral reefs of crack or back to the beckoning deep sea smack caverns.

• Actor Brad Renfro: Detox, jail have helped me change my life [CourtTV.com]
• Previously: Brad Renfro Admits He May Have A Problem [Defamer]

Actor Brad Renfro pleaded guilty Thursday to attempted possession of heroin and will spend three years on probation, as well as enter a drug rehabilitation program. He was arrested in December during a police sting on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles.

Renfro could face up to 18 months in prison if he violates the terms of his probation, but remains free on $10,000 bail pending his next court appearance Mar. 6.

"It's his first step in getting back to work and putting this all behind him," his attorney, Richard Kaplan, said outside the courtroom.

While we applaud Kaplan's dutiful sentiments, echoed in similar ones the lawyer delivered at Renfro's last hearing ("He s looking forward to resolving it all as soon as possible and getting back to acting... ), we'd like to remind the eternally career-oriented and forward-looking counsel that perhaps the most important thing for his client at the moment is getting Renfro completely off drugs, not getting him back in front of the cameras so he can pay for a relapse and the legal bills to follow after his next undercover vice squad arrest.

• Actor Pleads Guilty To Attempted Drug Possession [CBS2.com]
• Previously: Brad Renfro Pleads Not Guilty Of Committing His Well Documented Crime [Defamer]