Rob Reiner’s classic coming-of-age drama movie, “Stand by Me,” based on Stephen King’s 1982 novella “The Body,” released in the summer of 1986.
Ahead of its 40th anniversary next year, three of the brilliant film’s surviving cast members â Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell, and Wil Wheaton â recently reunited for a series of fan events across the Eastern United States.
Feldman and O’Connell took to their Instagram accounts to share a couple of videos of the trio reuniting. It got us thinking. How much have the core cast members of “Stand by Me” changed since the mid-1980s?
Let’s take a look at photographs of them from then and now.
Corey Feldman (Teddy Duchamp)
Corey Feldman was already a child superstar by the time he appeared as the hot-headed but loyal Teddy Duchamp in “Stand by Me.”
Feldman was 15 upon its release and, per IMDb, his movie credits at that time included 1984’s slasher horror “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter,” 1984’s comedy horror “Gremlins,” and 1985’s adventure comedy “The Goonies.”
GettyNow 54, Feldman has remained active, but his movie roles haven’t been as high-profile as they once were in recent years.
That being said, immediately following “Stand by Me,” he did appear in the likes of 1987’s comedy horror “The Lost Boys,” 1989’s black comedy “The ‘Burbs,” and 1990’s superhero comedy movie “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
Most recently, Feldman featured as a contestant on season 34 of the hugely popular reality dance competition series “Dancing with the Stars.” He was paired with professional dancer Jenna Johnson, but lasted only two episodes before being eliminated at the earliest opportunity.
GettyWil Wheaton (Gordie Lachance)
Wil Wheaton played the thoughtful and introverted Gordie Lachance in “Stand by Me.” He was 14 when the movie released.
Before appearing in the film, Wheaton’s filmography was modest. Per IMDb, he’d appeared in a couple of minor television roles, but also in three movies. They were 1983’s comedy-drama “Hambone and Hillie,” 1983’s rom-com “The Buddy System,” and 1984’s space opera “The Last Starfighter.”
GettySince appearing in “Stand by Me,” Wheaton has appeared in more movies, but has made a name for himself primarily as a television star.
Films he’s appeared in include 1991’s action thriller “Toy Soldiers,” 1997’s sci-fi comedy “Flubber,” 2003’s indie flick “Neverland,” and 2020’s horror thriller “Rent-A-Pal.”
On television, he landed his most famous role as Wesley Crusher in sci-fi series “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” but has also appeared in the likes of sitcom “Family Ties,” horror anthology series “Tales from the Crypt,” sci-fi anthology series “The Outer Limits,” crime drama “Leverage,” and sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.” He is now 53.
GettyRiver Phoenix (Chris Chambers)
River Phoenix was 16 when he played the charismatic, tough, yet sensitive Chris Chambers in “Stand by Me.”
Per IMDb, it was only his second movie role, having previously appeared in the sci-fi fantasy film “Explorers” in 1985.
Phoenix had, however, appeared prominently on television. He had been a regular in the musical drama series “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” and had been in episodes of the sitcom “It’s Your Move,” the soap opera “Hotel,” and the sitcom “Family Ties,” amongst other shows.
GettyTragically, Phoenix passed away from an overdose on October 31, 1993. He was only 23 years old.
His subsequent movie roles included 1988’s drama “Running on Empty,” 1989’s action-adventure “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” 1991’s independent adventure-drama “My Own Private Idaho,” and 1992’s caper thriller “Sneakers.” For “Running on Empty,” he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Phoenix was part of an iconic family acting legacy that includes younger siblings Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer. May he rest in eternal peace.
GettyJerry O’Connell (Vern Tessio)
Jerry O’Connell played the timid, overweight, and often comedic but loyal Vern Tessio in “Stand by Me.” He was just 12 at the time of its release.
Per IMDb, the movie was O’Connell’s first acting role.
Getty“Stand by Me” launched O’Connell’s career and, now 51, he has gone on to appear in many movies and television shows.
His most significant movie credits include 1997’s slasher horror “Scream 2,” 2003’s buddy action comedy “Kangaroo Jack,” 2010’s 3D comedy horror “Piranha 3-D,” 2013’s horror parody “Scary Movie 5,” 2014’s neo-noir comedy-drama mystery “Veronica Mars,” and 2017’s animated superhero comedy “The Lego Batman Movie.”
On television, his most prominent roles include the sitcom “Camp Wilder,” the sci-fi fantasy series “Sliders,” the crime drama “Crossing Jordan,” the sitcom “Do Not Disturb,” the sitcom “Carpoolers,” the sitcom “We Are Men,” and the gameshow “Pictionary,” which he hosts.
GettyKiefer Sutherland (Ace Merrill)
Donald Sutherland’s son, Kiefer Sutherland, played the violent and antagonistic gang leader Ace Merrill in “Stand by Me.” He was 19 years old.
At the time, he was still a budding actor with just a couple of television appearances to his name, including an episode of the anthology series “Amazing Stories,” and three movie appearances. They were 1983’s comedy-drama “Max Dugan Returns,” 1984’s drama movie “The Bay Boy,” and 1986’s neo-noir crime drama “At Close Range” (per IMDb).
GettyNow 58, Sutherland’s career has been hugely impressive since he appeared in “Stand by Me,” with major roles on both the big and small screen.
Regarding movies, he’s appeared in the likes of 1987’s horror comedy “The Lost Boys,” 1988’s Western action flick “Young Guns” and its 1990 sequel, 1990’s sci-fi psychological horror “Flatliners,” 1992’s psychological horror “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me,” 1992’s legal drama “A Few Good Men,” 1993’s action-adventure comedy “The Three Musketeers,” 2009’s animated sci-fi comedy “Monsters vs. Aliens,” and 2024’s legal thriller “Juror #2.”
On television, he landed his most iconic role as Jack Bauer in the action drama series “24” and its various spin-offs. His credits also include the likes of drama series “Touch,” anthology drama series “The First Lady,” and spy thriller series “Rabbit Hole.”
GettyRichard Dreyfuss (Adult Gordie, aka the Writer)
Richard Dreyfuss was undoubtedly the biggest name attached to “Stand by Me.” He was 38 when it was released, and he had a small but significant role as the adult Gordie Lachance, a writer from whose perspective the movie is told as a flashback.
Per IMDb, Dreyfuss had already been acting for more than two decades. He had appeared in movies like 1973’s coming-of-age comedy-drama “American Graffiti,” 1975’s horror thriller “Jaws,” 1977’s sci-fi drama “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” 1977’s romantic comedy-drama “The Goodbye Girl,” and 1986’s comedy “Down and Out in Beverly Hills.” For “The Goodbye Girl,” he had won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
On television, he had appeared in shows like soap opera “Peyton Place,” fantasy sitcom “Bewitched,” crime drama “The Mod Squad,” and Western drama “Gunsmoke.”
GettyDreyfuss is now 78. He has enjoyed a stellar career since “Stand by Me” released. His movie credits have included 1991’s comedy “What About Bob?,” 1996’s musical fantasy “James and the Giant Peach,” 2006’s disaster movie “Poseidon,” and 2008’s biographical comedy drama “W.”
On television, he’s appeared in shows like drama series “The Education of Max Bickford,” dark comedy-drama series “Weeds,” family comedy-drama series “Parenthood,” and sitcom “Your Family or Mine.”
GettyNext year, when “Stand by Me” celebrates its 40th birthday, we’ll hopefully get to see more of the cast reuniting. It’s a tremendous movie and one that fans and the cast alike should celebrate in the best ways possible.
The post PHOTOS: The ‘Stand By Me’ Cast Then & Now appeared first on EntertainmentNow.