Based on Stephen King’s 1982 novella The Body, Stand by Me is a 1986 coming-of-age comedy film. The movie follows a group of four boys who go on a hike and discover the dead body of a missing boy. Stand by Me, with its memorable soundtrack, is a brilliant film, portraying a variety of themes including loss of innocence and the trauma of growing up. Perhaps, one of the most impressive things about the film is the impressive cast and the in-depth dialogues. Despite the main actors being quite young, they all did a spectacular job with their roles in the film. The film was nominated for an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. It received the Jackie Coogan Award at the 8th Youth in Film Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Youth Through Motion Picture - Ensemble Cast in a Feature Film. One can’t help but wonder what happened to the boys and other notable actors in the film. Here’s what some of the Stand by Me cast members have been up to after all these years.

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6 John Cusack (Denny)

     Columbia Pictures

John Cusack played the role of Gordie’s older brother, Denny, who passed away before the incidents in the film even occurred. However, Denny still has a huge impact on the lives of the family members he left behind. Gordie and Denny’s parents are still mourning the loss of their eldest son, so much so that they neglect their living son. The audience mostly sees Denny in the form of flashbacks, portrayed by Cusack. Many would be able to recognize Cusack from the other roles he’s played in films like Say Anything (1989), Bullets Over Broadway (1994), Con Air (1997), Being John Malkovich (1999), Serendipity (2001), Hot Tub Time Machine (2010), and High Fidelity (2000), among many others. He’s even won a Golden Globe for his performance in the latter film.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

Cusack’s talents go beyond just performing in front of the camera. He has just as much talent, if not more, behind the camera as he does in front of it. He’s produced and written for a variety of films, including War, Inc (2008) and High Fidelity (2000). Cusack’s most recent film role was as John Calloway in the 2022 action film Pursuit.

5 Kiefer Sutherland (Ace)

Kiefer Sutherland portrays John “Ace” Merill in Stand by Me, the slightly unhinged gang leader that terrorizes Gordie and his friends. Sutherland found more success later on with his role in The Lost Boys (1987). From then on, Sutherland was slowly able to ascend to success, growing more popular with each role he took on. Some of his more memorable roles include his performances in Young Guns (1988), A Few Good Men (1992), The Three Musketeers (1993), Phone Booth (2002), Melancholia (2011), Pompeii (2014), and Flatliners (1990).

Sutherland is most popularly known for his role as Jack Bauer in the Fox drama series 24 (2001-2010, 2014). The role even earned him multiple awards, including an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He’s most recently starred in the films The Contractor (2022), They Cloned Tyrone (2022), and in the TV series The First Lady (2022). He’s also set to star as John Weir in an upcoming spy thriller TV series called Rabbit Hole, which is to premiere sometime in early 2023.

In addition, Sutherland’s influence has extended into other parts of the entertainment industry, such as music and gaming. The actor voiced Big Boss in Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. In 2016, Sutherland also released his first music album, Down in a Hole. His band also released a second album called Reckless and Me in 2019. One can say that Sutherland has been quite busy working in various parts of the entertainment industry.

4 Jerry O’Connell (Vern)

Portrayed by Jerry O’Connell, Vern comes off as the punching bag of the group. However, over the course of the film, it’s pretty apparent that the other boys care deeply about him, if Gordie risking his life to save Vern from a train is any indication. Stand by Me was O’Connell’s first feature film, and most of his success came from films he pursued later on in his career. He really made his mark in the industry through a variety of roles in films and TV series such as Sliders (1995-1999), Joe’s Apartment (1996), Scream 2 (1997), The Defenders (2010-2011), and Piranha 3D (2010). The actor has even starred in a few music videos, including Mariah Carey’s 1999 “Heartbreaker”. O’Connell also voiced the character Shazam in the 2015 video game Infinite Crisis. The actor is currently hosting an American reality TV series called The Real Love Boat (2022).

3 Corey Feldman (Teddy)

Corey Feldman portrays Teddy Duchamp in Stand by Me. Much like the rest of the boys in the film, Teddy also faces the loss of his childhood, which results in him lashing out in a variety of ways. Similar to his co-star Kiefer Sutherland, Feldman also found more popularity with his role in The Lost Boys. He starred in the horror film along with Corey Haim, and the two were popularly known as The Two Coreys. Some of Feldman’s popular works include films such as Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), Gremlins (1984), and The Goonies (1985). Perhaps something that Feldman is most popularly known for these days is his documentary, (My) Truth: The Rape of 2 Coreys (2020), on the sexual assault that he and Haim had to go through as child actors. While the actor’s work has definitely lobbied for many others, there’s been a mixed reaction to the work, as he himself has received allegations of maltreatment from former band members.

2 River Phoenix (Chris)

Portrayed by River Phoenix, Chris is the most mature and captivating character of the group of friends in Stand by Me. Originally from a working-class background, Chris is able to work alongside his friend Gordie and build a better life for himself by becoming a lawyer. Phoenix’s role as Chris was quite remarkable that even The Washington Post claimed that he “gave the movie its center of gravity”. Not long after his role in Stand by Me, the late actor transitioned into more mature roles, such as his performance as Danny Pope in Running on Empathy (1988), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His most notable performance was as Michael Waters in My Own Private Idaho (1991), which earned him multiple awards, including a Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 1991 Venice Film Festival. Unfortunately, in 1993, Phoenix passed away at the age of 23 as a result of a combined drug overdose.

1 Wil Wheaton (Gordie)

Wil Wheaton portrayed Gordie Lachance, the 12-year-old who mourns the loss of his older brother and the resulting neglect of his parents. According to a review by the Los Angeles Times, Wheaton was a “gem” who made “Gordie’s ‘sensitivity’ tangible, but not effete.” Not long after his role in Stand by Me, Wheaton was cast as Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994). Not only is Wheaton mostly popularly known for his performance as Wesley Crusher, but it’s also the role that turned him into a staple figure in nerd/geek culture.

The actor has also taken up a variety of voice acting roles throughout the years, such as Aqualad in Teen Titans (2003-2005), Cosmic Boy in Legion of Super Heroes (2007-2008), and Mike Morningstar/Darkstar in Ben 10 (2008-2009). Wheaton has voiced a variety of characters in video games, and has even served as a narrator for various audiobooks. Most recently, Wheaton was featured in a 2022 documentary, In Search of Tomorrow, which takes a deep dive into the science fiction films of the 1980s.