Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix welcome baby boy River in memory of his uncle

Actors Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix have welcomed their first child, and some fans might find the baby boy’s name a little familiar.

The couple chose River for their son’s name, honoring his late uncle, Joaquin’s older brother River Phoenix, known for his roles in “Stand By Me,” “Running on Empty” and “My Own Private Idaho.”

Russian filmmaker Victor Kossakovsky broke the news during a Sunday Q&A at the 2020 Zurich Film Festival, following a screening of the documentary “Gunda,” featuring Phoenix as an executive producer, Us Weekly reported.

River Phoenix died Oct. 31, 1993, at the age of 23, following a drug overdose at the Viper Room in West Hollywood. Joaquin Phoenix, then 19, was with him at the time and called 911, NJ.com reported.

Joaquin Phoenix, 45, won the best actor Oscar for his title role in the 2019 film “Joker,” and Mara, 35, was nominated twice, once for “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and once for “Carol.”

The couple co-starred in 2013′s “Her,” have been romantically linked since 2016 and got engaged in 2019, NJ.com reported.

Cox Media Group