What happened to the Stand By Me cast? As stars reunite after 40 years a look at their varied fates - from River Phoenix's death to Wil Wheaton's childhood abuse confession
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The cast of Stand By Me have reunited for a 40th anniversary tour decades after the hugely popular film turned its young cast into full-blown Hollywood stars.
Stand By Me - starring River Phoenix, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell and Wil Wheaton - tells the story of a group of friends who searched for the body of a missing boy.
The 1986 coming-of-age film, based on Stephen King's novella The Body, influenced generations of cinema - including Netflix's hit series Stranger Things - and turned the then-young actors into household names.
But its actors, like their characters, embarked on different paths after the film, some which saw the tragic downfalls of drug and alcohol abuse.
River tragically died at the age of just 23 after a drug overdose.
Remaining cast members Corey, Jerry and Wil have now hit the road to celebrate filming Stand By Me four decades ago and are hosting special screenings of the movie and Q&As in the US.
So what has happened to the actors from the classic coming of age film in the past 40 years?
The cast of Stand By Me reunited for a 40th anniversary tour after the hugely popular film turned its young cast into stars (L-R Jerry O'Connell, Corey Feldman and Wil Wheaton)
Stand By Me tells the story of a group of friends who searched for the body of a missing boy (L-R Wil, River Phoenix, Corey and Jerry in the 1986 film)
Wil Wheaton - Gordon 'Gordie' Lachance
Wil Wheaton played the lead in Stand By Me - which was narrated by an adult version of his character, Gordon 'Gordie' Lachance, voiced by Jaws star Richard Dreyfuss.
He went on to have countless film and TV roles, including starring in the 1991 cult classic Toy Soldiers and portraying Wesley Crusher for four series of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
He also had a recurring guest role on Big Bang Theory where he played himself.
Wil, 53, has been an advocate for mental health awareness and openly discusses the difficulty in dealing with depression.
The actor, who amassed more than three million followers on Twitter before stepping away from social media because of 'bullying', now focuses his time on writing.
In 2021 he released a memoir titled Still Just a Geek and in June last year he officially announced his retirement from acting.
Wil opened up in adulthood that he was the victim of emotional abuse at the hand of his parents, whom he is now estranged from.
He revealed: 'I didn’t want to be an actor when I was a kid. My parents forced me to do it, my mother made me do it. My mother coached me to go into her agency and tell the children’s agent, "I want to do what mommy does."
'And through a combination of an incredible emotional abuse from my father and a lot of manipulation, using me, from my mother, it really put me in that place.'
Wil Wheaton (left in 2022) played the lead in Stand By Me - which was narrated by an adult version of his character, Gordon 'Gordie' Lachance
Wil had a recurring guest role on Big Bang Theory where he played himself. He announced his retirement from acting last year (pictured with Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik)
Wil said that his traumatic childhood put him 'in exactly the right place to play Gordie,' a character whose parents were distant to him months after his older brother died in a car accident.
'Gordie’s experience very much reflected my experience,' he said. 'We’re both invisible in our homes. We both have a brother who is the golden child. We’re both the scapegoat in the family. So when I watch Stand by Me now, I cannot ignore the unbelievable sadness in my eyes.
'And I cannot ignore the reality that it was that sadness, that isolation that I think gave me what Gordie needed to come to life and I think Rob Reiner saw that.'
Wil received an apology from Stand By Me co-star Jerry when they discussed his childhood trauma on The View in 2022.
Jerry said: 'I heard before you talk about some of the struggles you were going through during Stand by Me. And you know, while I was 11 at the time, that’s an excuse, I do want to apologize for not being there more for you when you were younger.
'But I want to say, to the bigger picture, you never know what someone is going through when you’re with them. I don’t feel guilt, but I just want to say, I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you more.'
Wil responded: 'I deeply appreciate that.
'You were 11 - how could you have possibly known? Also, everyone in the audience who is a trauma survivor knows this: we’re real, real, real good at covering up what we’re going through.'
Corey Feldman - Teddy Duchamp
Corey Feldman (pictured last month) was an up-and-coming child star when he took on the role of Teddy Duchamp (right) in Stand By Me
This year, Corey appeared on Dancing With The Stars but was the first celebrity to be eliminated after struggling to win over public favour (pictured with pro Jenna Johnson)
Corey Feldman was an up-and-coming child star when he took on the role of Teddy Duchamp in Stand By Me.
The actor, now 54, starred in several 80s hits including Gremlins (1984), The Goonies (1985), Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) and The Lost Boys (1987).
Corey claimed his home life was damaging, alleging his mother forced-fed him diet pills and threatened to kill him. The actor got emancipated at age 15.
He claimed he and his The Lost Boys co-star Corey Haim were sexually assaulted as children in Hollywood.
In 2020 he released a documentary - My Truth: The Rape of Two Coreys - in which he alleged fellow actor Charlie Sheen of raping Haim. Sheen vehemently denies the accusations.
The actor also shared a very public friendship with late musician Michael Jackson, but claimed the superstar - who has been accused of molestation - did not abuse him.
This year, Corey appeared on Dancing With The Stars but was the first celebrity to be eliminated after struggling to win over public favour amid a maelstrom of talk about his work ethic on the hit ABC series.
He recently hit out at the ‘toxic’ culture on the show, taking aim at former professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy’s public criticism of him.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail earlier this year, Chmerkovskiy, 45, had laid bare the difficulty his sister-in-law Jenna Johnson, 31, faced when partnered with Feldman, demanding she be shown the 'respect' she deserved.
In response, Corey said he was shocked at the toxicity of the ‘mudslinging’ behind the scenes, and said Jenna simply rolled her eyes at Chmerkovskiy’s comments.
‘There was a lot of stupidity in the mudslinging that went on behind the scenes,’ Corey said.
‘Actually there, everything was great. But the behind-the-scenes drama and BS that people throw around that show, I've never seen anything like it. It's the worst, like, most toxic.’
Jerry O'Connell - Vern Tessio
Despite portraying loser Vern Tessio, Jerry O'Connell was one of the so-called Hollywood hunks in the 1990s
The actor is married to actress and former model Rebecca Romijn. They confessed that a secret to their long-lasting relationship is maintaining separate bank accounts
Despite portraying loser Vern Tessio in Stand By Me, Jerry O'Connell was one of the so-called Hollywood hunks in the 1990s .
The film was his acting debut, but didn't see his career immediately take off - like some of his co-stars.
He worked on several series and TV-movies before appearing in hit films like Jerry Maguire (1996) and Scream 2 (1997).
Jerry went on to appear in Kangaroo Jack (2003), Yours, Mine & Ours (2005), Man About Town (2006) and Room 6 (2006).
Jerry, 51, also voiced Commander Jack Ransom on Star Trek: Lower Decks, was a co-host of The Talk and hosted a Pictionary show on Fox.
The actor is married to actress and former model Rebecca Romijn. The pair share two daughters.
Following their 18th wedding anniversary in July, the married couple appeared together on Andy Cohen Live.
They confessed that a secret to their long-lasting relationship is maintaining separate bank accounts.
'We keep our money completely separate,' Rebecca revealed.
She also noted there is a 'community pot' for family-related expenses, which they contribute to four times a year.
'The one who’s not working gets a little bit of a break and the one who is working puts in a little more,' the blonde beauty added. 'And we really tag-team with work.'
River Phoenix - Chris Chambers
River Phoenix's (left in 1988) career boomed after he portrayed Chris Chambers in Stand By Me, which was his second ever film role
Martha Plimpton and River are pictured together in the 1988 film Running On Empty
River Phoenix's career boomed after he portrayed Chris Chambers in Stand By Me, which was his second ever film role.
The actor secured roles in Running On Empty (1988), My Own Private Idaho (1991) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).
Famed for his acting talent and good looks, River's star had been on the rise before he died on October 31 1993, following a battle with drug addiction.
He famously collapsed outside Johnny Depp's nightclub Viper Room in Los Angeles after a drug overdose at the age of just 23.
While pals knew that River had been using drugs, his death still came as a huge shock, especially after he'd stayed sober for two months while working on the film Dark Blood in Utah and New Mexico.
Upon returning to Los Angeles, River returned to using drugs and went on a 'massive' binge of cocaine and heroin, which culminated in his death outside Viper Room.
The venue became a hotspot for Hollywood names despite its dingy appearance, with stars able to let their hair down away from prying eyes, but its title was forever tarnished in the wake of River's death.
On the night of his death, a bouncer had escorted Phoenix outside the nightclub — where he suddenly collapsed dropped to the ground.
River's girlfriend, the actress Samantha Mathis, and his younger brother, actor Joaquin Phoenix, were among those present at the time of his death.
While his loved ones quickly dialled 911, it was too late to save him.
River and his brother Joaquin hold the distinction of being the only pair of brothers to be nominated for an Academy Award in the acting categories.
The late actor's friend and former Helonious Monster front-man Bob Forrest has previously said that in the days leading up to his death, River had fallen in with Red Hot Chili Peppers' guitarist John Frusciante.
River and John would reportedly take large amounts of drugs together and embark on huge binges.
A verse of the Chili Peppers' 1991 smash hit single, Give it Away, is dedicated to Phoenix, whose brother Joaquin has gone on to win an Academy Award.
Kiefer Sutherland - John 'Ace' Merrill
Superstar Kiefer Sutherland (left in 2022) portrayed Ace, (right) the most hated character in the hit film. It was his fourth-ever film role
Kiefer is currently on the promo trail for his new movie, Tinsel Town, where he plays a washed-up Hollywood action hero (pictured with Matilda Firth, Rebel Wilson and Teddy Williams)
Superstar Kiefer Sutherland portrayed Ace, the most hated character in the hit film.
It was his fourth-ever film role.
British-born Kiefer, 58, had a flourishing career. He starred opposite Ray Liotta and Forest Whitaker in Article 99 (1992) and alongside Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men (1992).
He is most associated with his long-running role as Jack Bauer on the TV series 24, which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Series.
He also played fictitious US President Thomas Kirkman in the Netflix series Designated Survivor.
Kiefer continues to act and direct, as well as make music.
He released his debut studio album Down in a Hole in 2016, which he later followed up with Reckless & Me (2019) and Bloor Street (2022).
Last year, Kiefer cleared up an old rumour - still listed on the film's IMDb trivia page - that he bullied his young castmates on Stand By Me in order 'to keep in character while off-camera.'
'Absolutely not true. First of all, I'm not that kind of actor and I wouldn't want to be that kind of person,' Kiefer explained on The Talk.
'I spent a lot of time with [the late] River Phoenix because we both played guitar, and so that was kind of an in to him.
'Even though I was seven years older, we were both beginning, right? And so there was a lot of discussion about "How do you develop a character? What is your process?"'
Kiefer is currently on the promo trail for his new movie, Tinsel Town, which follows his character - a washed-up Hollywood action hero who is tricked into starring in UK pantomime.
John Cusack - Denny LeChance
John Cusack has become one of Hollywood's most popular actors, despite having only a minor role in Stand By Me
Last year, John's Say Anything co-star Ione Skye claimed they slept together years after the 1989 film following her divorce from Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz
John Cusack - who has a minor role in Stand by Me - has become one of Hollywood's most popular actors.
John, 59, played Gordie's deceased older Denny LeChance, who appeared only in flashbacks.
The star is most known for his roles in Say Anything (1989), High Fidelity (2000), Being John Malkovich (1999), Serendipity (2001), Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) and America's Sweethearts (2001).
He even won a Golden Globe for his performance in High Fidelity.
John most recently starred as John Calloway in Pursuit (2022). He has also produced and written for numerous films.
Last year, John's Say Anything co-star Ione Skye claimed they slept together years after the 1989 film.
'I had to get it out of my system,' she wrote in her tell-all book referring to their rendezvous following her divorce from Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz.
And John's reaction was priceless.
'You made the experience sound so meh! It wasn't "meh" for me,' he texted her after reading the book, she said.
Yet Skye insisted: 'I'm telling a story, and it was more about how all of our chemistry was in our working together and stimulating each other's minds, not sleeping together!
'I felt a little bad, but, oh well.'
Richard Dreyfuss - Adult Gordie LaChance
Richard Dreyfuss narrated the film as adult Gordie LaChance. He appeared in the film more than two decades into his acting career
Last month's Richard's son Ben made shock claims he and his siblings are estranged from their Oscar-winner father and have been for years (pictured in 2013)
Richard Dreyfuss, 78, narrated the film as adult Gordie LaChance.
He starred in many popular films in the 1970s, 80s and 90s including Jaws (1975), Goodbye Girl (1977), What About Bob? (1991), and Mr. Holland's Opus (1995).
Richard won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1977 for his role in The Goodbye Girl.
He was 30 when he won, making him - at the time - the youngest-ever actor to win the award.
The star has several accolades including a Golden Globe Award and BAFTA Award.
Last month's Richard's son made shock claims he and his siblings are estranged from their Oscar-winner father and have been for years.
Ben Dreyfuss, 39, who has worked as a journalist at the outlet Mother Jones, said in a series of now-deleted X posts that he and siblings Emily and Harry 'have no money' from their famous father, who is worth an estimated $5million.
Richard is father to sons Ben and Harry and daughter Emily with ex-wife Jeramie Rain, 77.
Ben said in the November 13 posts that the Brooklyn, New York native 'has no money.'
He added that 'if he did, we wouldn't get it since we've been estranged ever since some complicated family drama to do with MeToo.'
Ben said that he was managing the social media accounts for his father in the fall of 2017 when the #MeToo movement began.
Richard, who famously played Matt Hooper in the 1975 cinematic masterpiece Jaws, has suffered a fall from grace in recent years over his controversial views.
In 2024, the memorably actor railed against the MeToo movement, transgender children and the legendary Barbra Streisand after taking to the stage wearing a dress.
