Stand by Me at 40: Where Are the Cast Now?
In the same year that cult classic Stand By Me turned 40-years-old the film’s legendary director, Rob Reiner, sadly passed away.
Despite giving us great cinema like A Few Good Men, Misery, The Princess Bride, and Spinal Tap, it is arguably this tender tale of childhood friendship that reigns supreme among his filmography.
The true magic of this movie, though, lies with the actors involved. The film rides or dies on the chemistry of the four young leads in the Stand By Me cast, and they knock it out of the park, and then some.
To celebrate the anniversary of this all-timer, let’s take a look at what the actors have been up to since the release of Stand By Me way back in 1986.
River Phoenix
River Phoenix, the older brother of acclaimed actor Joaquin, was outstanding in Stand By Me as the surprisingly sensitive rogue, Chris Chambers. Unfortunately, he died just seven years after this project, at the age of just 23.
In 1989, Phoenix was nominated for an Oscar for his work on another coming-of-age drama, Running On Empty. He also appeared in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, briefly portraying a young version of Indy in a flashback. Aside from Stand By Me, Phoenix’s most prominent role was in the twisted road trip thriller, My Own Private Idaho. His final film, Dark Blood, actually released in 2012, with production halting for many years in the wake of Phoenix’s untimely death.
One to watch: If you like 10 Things I Hate About You, try Dogfight.
Wil Wheaton
Despite an impressive turn as a young Gordie Lachance in Stand By Me, Will Wheaton has never quite carved out the career he perhaps deserves. Big roles in the action-thriller Toy Soldiers and as Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation followed in the early ‘90s, before a supporting role in the family movie Flubber alongside Robin Williams came along.
Wheaton has stuck around in the Star Trek franchise ever since across various TV shows and movies, but since the turn of the millennium, he’s largely carried out voice work for animated projects in franchises such as Teen Titans, Transformers, Naruto, and Ben 10.
One to watch: If you like cute family animation like An American Tail, try The Secret of Nimh.
Corey Feldman
Of the four kids at the heart of this charming story, it is Corey Feldman, who starred as Teddy Duchamp, who has the most interesting filmography. Just a year before Stand By Me, Feldman also had a key role in another classic, The Goonies. The ‘80s were an incredible time for Feldman, who also appeared in Gremlins, vampire flick The Lost Boys, and the psychological thriller The ‘Burbs alongside Tom Hanks.
Feldman’s career was severely impacted by personal issues off-screen, with the actor claiming he was a victim of abuse at the hands of a paedophile ring in Hollywood (as per the BBC). Understandably, there are not many notable projects to speak of in recent years. Like Wheaton, Feldman has largely provided his voice to animated shows like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!
One to watch: If you like silly comedies like Blazing Saddles, try Maverick.
Jerry O’Connell
Rounding out the central quartet in Stand By Me is Jerry O’Connell, who provides most of the comedic relief as Vern Tessio. That was O’Connell’s first role on-screen, but he soon followed it up with lead roles in TV shows My Secret Identity, Camp Wilder, and Sliders in the ‘90s. He was then back on the big screen in the brilliant Tom Cruise-led rom-com Jerry Maguire and in the horror movie Scream 2.
More recently, O’Connell has dived into the Star Trek franchise, playing Jack Ransom in various different shows. He’s largely been confined to the small screen, in fact, showing up in series such as Billions, Carter, The Big Bang Theory, and Scream Queens.
One to watch: If you like Futurama, try Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Kiefer Sutherland
The main antagonist of Stand By Me is the brutal bully Ace Merrill, played by Kiefer Sutherland. It’s safe to say we all know Sutherland for his role as Jack Bauer in the hit TV show 24, though. He played the action hero across 192 episodes and over the course of ten years.
Back in the ‘80s, Sutherland starred in The Lost Boys alongside Corey Feldman, before big roles in cult hits like Flatliners and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, and working with Rob Reiner again in A Few Good Men. He’s had quite the diverse career since the start of the 2000s, appearing in the horror movie Mirrors, comedy sequel Zoolander 2, and more recently, the twisted sci-fi tale, They Cloned Tyrone.
One to watch: If you like surrealist sci-fi dramas like Never Let Me Go, try Melancholia.
Richard Dreyfuss
He only appears in the film briefly as a book-end, playing an older version of Gordie, but Richard Dreyfuss also narrates the whole thing. He had quite the career before Stand By Me, with major roles in Steven Spielberg classics Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Dreyfuss also appeared in films such as Tin Men, Always, What About Bob? and lent his voice to the character of the centipede in James and the Giant Peach.
Dreyfuss hasn’t done much to shout about of late, though a supporting role in Polar opposite Mads Mikkelsen is definitely worth a watch. He’s also been in trashy horror film Piranha 3D, festive flick Save Christmas, and played Dick Cheney in political biopic W.
One to watch: If you like the Fast & Furious franchise, try RED.
John Cusack
One character in Stand By Me who is really fascinating is Denny Lachance, the older brother of Gordie, who passed away and lingers over the story as a ghostly figure. He’s played by John Cusack, who has had a great career and has some huge, very iconic roles. Even before Stand By Me, Cusack had already starred in the coming-of-age story Sixteen Candles and rom-com The Sure Thing.
Since 1986, Cusack appeared in The Player, Bullets Over Broadway, and Con Air, before taking on two of his most interesting and highly-rated projects: Being John Malkovich and High Fidelity. In recent years, Cusack has done a bit of everything, from silly comedies like Hot Tub Time Machine, to biopics like The Butler, and even a Western in Never Grow Old.
One to watch: If you like Spike Lee’s brand of social commentary, try Chi-Raq.
