When people think of Stephen King, they usually think of small-town horror with terrifying, otherworldly secrets. The author's usual fare tends to lean dark, intense, and downright brutal at times. However, Stand by Me (1986) remains one of the exceptions, with the coming-of-age drama focusing on the freedom of boyhood and summer, along with all the problems that complicate it.
Rob Reiner turned King's original novella, titled The Body, into an acclaimed 89-minute movie. Stand by Me earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations, and although it didn't win, it remains one of the most influential films of all time. A large part of that has to do with the cast. When it comes to coming-of-age dramas like this, success hinges on its performers and this young quartet of actors proved they had the gravitas to carry an entire film. In celebration of the movie's 40th anniversary, here's what the Stand by Me cast is up to now.
Wil Wheaton as Gordie Lachance
Stand by Me marks Wil Wheaton's breakout role. However, Trekkies might know him best as Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), prompting him to become something of a sci-fi mainstay. In addition to reprising the role in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), Star Trek: Picard (2020), and Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020), he's also had multiple appearances in episodes of the nerd-heavy series, The Big Bang Theory (2007).
When he's not in front of the camera, Wheaton is behind it, doing voices for numerous animated projects, including Aqualad in Teen Titans (2003), Cosmic Boy in Legion of Super Heroes (2006), and as Morningstar/Darkstar in the Ben 10 franchise. Never too far away from the world of nerdom, Wheaton is also the creator and co-host of TableTop, a web series spotlighting various tabletop games, from RPGs to classic card games.
One to watch: While Star Trek: TNG will give you Wheaton's most iconic role, check out Toy Soldiers (1991) to see the young actor proving he can also tackle action.
Corey Feldman as Teddy Duchamp
While Stand by Me is largely considered Corey Feldman's best performance, his breakout role occurred just the year before in 1985's The Goonies. Together, these movies cemented Feldman as one of the child actors of the '80s. From horror films like Gremlins (1984) to The Lost Boys and comedies like License to Drive (1988) and Dream a Little Dream (1989) with longtime friend and collaborator Corey Haim, there was a time when you could hardly watch a movie without seeing Feldman in some capacity.
These days, Feldman is much more focused on music, although he's made a few appearances in reality TV shows like The Masked Singer (2019) and Dancing with the Stars (2005)—he's eliminated first here, so don't get too excited. Feldman's also been the subject of controversy in Hollywood. Despite being a victim of sexual assault, he has also been accused of sexual misconduct by former members of Corey's Angels, Feldman's music group.
One to watch: Stand By Me is usually my go-to Feldman recommendation. However, consider checking out The 'Burbs (1989), Joe Dante's satirical horror comedy, where Feldman shines in an underrated role.
Jerry O'Connell as Vern Tessio
Like many of the actors on this list, Stand by Me put Jerry O'Connell on the map. Similar to Wheaton, O'Connell's fame continued heavily in the nerd space, with a dash of horror thrown in for good measure. He played roles in Scream 2 (1997) and Piranha 3D (2010), but his performance as Quinn Mallory in Sliders (1995) might be his most well-known.
O'Connell is also no stranger to voice acting. He has voiced Superman many times in movies like The Death of Superman (2018), Batman: Hush (2019), Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020), and more. For many DC fans, O'Connell's Superman/Clark Kent performance ranks among many of the greats, even if we all know no one can ever top Tim Daly and George Newbern.
One to watch: Honestly, you can't go wrong with most of the films already mentioned in O'Connell's filmography. However, if you want to see him shine alongside Tom Cruise, Jerry Maguire (1996) is a must-watch.
River Phoenix as Chris Chambers
Playing the leader of Stand by Me's quartet of childhood friends, River Phoenix's performance as Chris Chambers earned him plenty of critical acclaim, accolades, and roles to follow. This early talent and charisma would shine through in later roles like My Own Private Idaho (1991) and Running on Empty (1988), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Unfortunately, the true potential of Phoenix's career never materialized. In 1993, he tragically died of a drug overdose. Despite his early death, Phoenix remains one of the most loved and iconic actors of his generation, with actors like Leonardo DiCaprio citing him as a major influence.
One to watch: Truthfully, all of the movies mentioned in Phoenix's entry are worth watching, but consider adding Dogfight (1991) to that list, too, especially if you want more coming-of-age drama fare after Stand by Me.
Kiefer Sutherland as Ace Merrill
Kiefer Sutherland has a knack for embodying bad boys, a talent that's on full display in Stand by Me, where he plays teenage bully Ace Merrill. After his breakout role here, Sutherland found success in films like Young Guns (1988), Flatliners (1990), and A Few Good Men (1992). However, most people probably know Sutherland for 24 (2001), where he played brooding CTU agent Jack Bauer for nine seasons and a TV movie, 24: Redemption (2008).
Overall, Sutherland is flexible as a performer. He can play heroes, he can play villains, and he can jump from TV to movies with ease. In addition to 24, he had memorable turns in Designated Survivor (2016) and Rabbit Hole (2023).
One to watch: If you want to see Kiefer Sutherland go full bad boy mode, then you really can't do much better than Joel Schumacher's vampire drama, The Lost Boys, which—as mentioned above—also stars his Stand by Me co-star, Corey Feldman.
