Stand By Meis an undeniable 80s classic, and many of its young actors would go on to have impressive careers. Based on the Steven King novellaThe Body, the film unfolds the dramatic story of four young boys who set out to discover the dead body of a missing boy. Despite its dark premise,Stand By Meis really a touching tale about youth and friendship. Its enduring influence has earned it a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Rob Reiner’s coming-of-age story has appealed to each generation with its timeless themes and remains one of thebest movies about childhood.Set in 1950s Oregon, the film banked on its adult audience’s nostalgiafor an era of baseball cards and drive-in movie theaters. Revisiting the filmtoday produces another kind of nostalgia for those who grew up in the era it was released, though. The young cast ofStand By Mewould go on to star in films that defined a whole decade of cinema.
adult Gordon (“The Writer”)
Davey “Lardass” Hogan
Stand By Me True Story: Was It Inspired By Stephen King’s Childhood?
The Stand By Me book, The Body, draws from Stephen King’s real childhood experiences. Here’s the true story behind the Stand By Me source material.
Wil Wheaton As “Gordie” Lachance
Date Of Birth: June 05, 2025
Actor:Born Richard William Wheaton III on June 29, 2025, in Burbank California,Wil Wheaton made his acting debut in the 1981 filmA Long Way HomealongsideOrdinary People’sTimothy Hutton. Wheaton also voiced Martin in the animated children’s filmThe Secret of NIMH,but he wouldn’t gain international attention until he starred as “Gordie” inStand By Me.He is probably most recognized among science-fiction fans for his portrayal of Wesley Crusher inStar Trek: The Next Generation.In June 2024, Wheaton announced his retirement from on-screen acting, focusing on his voice acting career going forward.
1987–1994
1991
1993
1997
Fictionalized version of himself
2009–2019
Flash (voice)
2018
Character: Wil Wheaton plays a young Gordon “Gordie” Lachance as his adult self recalls the Labor Day weekend in which he and his best friends went searching for the body of missing local boy Ray Brower. Wheaton gives a powerful performance, particularly upon the traumatic discovery of Brower’s body. The scene shows the impact of Gordie’s grief over his older brother, Denny, whose death resulted in Gordie being ignored by their parents.
River Phoenix As Chris Chambers
Date Of Birth: June 24, 2025
Actor: Born in Madras, Oregon, River Phoenix started his career at age 10 acting in television commercials. He shot to fame as a teen actor, alongside his younger siblings Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer. His starring role inStand By Mecame just one year after his breakout performance inExplorers,which was also the film debut of his co-star, Ethan Hawke.
After a successful start in children’s films, Phoenix began to take on more mature roles,most memorably performing inMy Own Private Idaho,for which he won several awards.Phoenix’s career was cut short after the actor’s tragic death at the age of 23. He is nonetheless remembered as a prolific talent.RiverPhoenix’s final movie,Dark Blood,was released posthumously in 2012.
1985
1986
1988
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
1989
Boy
2012 (filmed 1993)
Character: In the film, Phoenix plays Gordie’s childhood best friend, Chris. Gordie’s recollection of that fateful weekend is inspired by his reading about Chris' fatal stabbing in the newspaper. Memories of their close friendship in childhood are therefore imbued with tragedy, adding weight to Gordie’s closing remark:“I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”
Corey Feldman As Teddy Duchamp
Date Of Birth: August 21, 2025
Actor: As a child actor, Corey Feldman became one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. Born in Reseda, California, he began his career as a young child appearing in over 100 television commercials. Besides portraying Teddy inStand By Me,Feldman had roles in popular 1980s films likeGremlinsandThe Goonies,where he acted alongside Sean Austin. With fellowStand By Mealum, Kiefer Sutherland, Feldman starred in the cult black comedy horror,The Lost Boys. Feldman recently made a surprise appearance asThe Masked Singer’sSealin the 11th season of the reality series.
1984
1987
Donatello (voice)
1990
Character: Teddy had a complicated relationship with his father, a veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress which caused him to lash out against his son. Teddy’s ear was burned off when his father shoved his head into a wood stove. Like all the four boys, Feldman’s character inStand By Merequired a lot of emotional maturity for such a young actor. Interestingly,Feldman kept the prosthetic ear used in the sceneup until 2021 when it was auctioned off in honor of the film’s 35th anniversary.
Jerry O’Connell As Vern Tessio
Date Of Birth: July 25, 2025
Actor:Landing his role inStand By Meaged just 11 years old, New York-born Jerry O’Connell’s career didn’t kick off until the late 1980s. His first starring role was as teen hero Andrew Clements in the Canadian science-fiction sitcomMy Secret Identity.He reached the height of his fame in the following decade,appearing alongside Tom Cruise inJerry Maguireand inScream 2as Sidney Prescott’s ill-fated boyfriend, Derek. O’Connell’s varied career has seen him perform on Broadway, and he can currently be heard as the voice actor behind Commander Jack Ransom onStar Trek: Lower Decks.
1988–1991
1995–1999
1996
2014
Commander Jack Ransom (voice)
2020-present
Character: O’Connell played Vern Tessio inStand By Me.The fourth member of the group was no less instrumental in the story: it is Vern who tells the group about Brower’s body after he hears his older brother talking about it with a friend. O’Connell has been granted a small tribute in the town of Brownsville, Oregon, where parts ofStand By Mewere filmed. A penny is embedded on the street in the location where Vern found one in the film.
Stand By Me Supporting Cast
Stand By Me Featured Notable Actors Like Kiefer Sutherland And John Cusack
Kiefer Sutherland as John “Ace” Merill: A youngKiefer Sutherland playedStand By Me’svillain, the leader of the local gang who torments the young protagonists.
John Cusack as Dennis “Denny” Lachance: Gordie’s older brother, Denny, is played by John Cusack. The actor made a name for himself starring in other notable coming-of-age dramedies, such asSixteen CandlesandSay Anything,remembered for its iconic jukebox scene.
Richard Dreyfuss as adult Gordie: Credited as “the Writer”,Stand By Meopens and closes with narration by the adult Gordie, portrayed by Richard Dreyfuss. Dreyfuss' prolific Hollywood career spanned three decades, kicked off by his role in George Lucas’American Graffiti.He is probably most well known today for portraying oceanographer Matt Hooper inJaws.
Casey Siemaszko as Billy Tessio: While Siemaszko had supporting roles inStand By MeandBack To The Future, the Chicago-born actor would go on to star in the 1987 teen comedyThree O’Clock Highas Jerry Mitchell. He would act alongside Kiefer Sutherland again in 1988, in the Western action filmYoung Guns.
Marshall Bell as Mr. Lachance: The actor who plays Gordie’s grieving father had supporting roles in several popular movies. His breakout performance was as the detestable Coach Schneider inA Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge.Bell can also be spotted as the hitman in the Arnold Schwarzenegger/Danny DeVito comedy,Twins.
Frances Lee McCain as Mrs. Lachance: Frances Lee McCain has been typecasted as the “mother” figure in several major films. She appeared alongsideStand By Me’sCorey Feldman as Billy Peltzer’s mother inGremlins. She also played the mother of Kevin Bacon’s character inFootloose.
Gary Riley as Charlie Hogan: Character actor Gary Riley has numerous film and television credits for minor roles. He appears briefly inPlanes, Trains, and Automobilesstealing from the wallet of Steve Martin’s character.
Bradley Gregg as Richard “Eyeball” Chambers: Gregg appeared alongside River Phoenix in two other films. He played another gang member inExplorers,and also appeared inIndiana Jones and the Last Crusadeas Roscoe.
Bruce Kirby as Mr. Quidacioluo:Bruce Kirby’s career as a character actor hasseen him make multiple appearances in television shows. He appeared in six episodes ofColumboas Sergeant George Kramer. In the 2000s, he had one-off roles in notable shows likeThe SopranosandThe West Wing.
William Bronder as Milo Pressman: William Bronder served in the U.S. Army before turning to a career in film and television in the 1960s. His role as the junkyard owner inStand By Meis typical of the kind of rough, working-class archetype he often portrays. His final role was as Wally Jatczak in the 2000 rom-com dramaReturn to Me,which starred David Duchovny and Minnie Driver.
Scott Beach as Mayor Grundy: Famed for his deep voice which landed him minor roles in several George Lucas films (including an uncredited stormtrooper voice inStar Wars) Scott Beach can be spotted as a German scientist inThe Right Stuff.He also played Mr. Gordon inAmerican Graffiti.He plays the mayor inStand By Me.
Stand by Me
Cast
Stand by Me is a coming-of-age film directed by Rob Reiner, based on Stephen King’s novella The Body. Set in the 1950s, it follows four boys from Oregon—Gordie, Vern, Chris, and Teddy—on a journey to find a deceased boy’s body, confronting personal challenges and deepening their friendships.
