What The Stars Of Stand By Me Look Like Now

10. Lardass Hogan (Andy Lindberg) – THEN

Davie “Lardass” Hogan is only in Stand by Me for a matter of minutes, yet he’s a character that so many instantly think of when thinking back to Rob Reiner’s 1986 movie.As young Gordie Lachance explains to his pals, Lardass Hogan was involved in a pie-eating contest. Only, y’know, things didn’t go all that well when poor Davie ends up spewing up the contents of his gut all over his fellow competitors.

Andy Lindberg (Lardass Hogan) - NOW

In terms of film and TV credits, Lardass actor Andy Lindberg only actually appeared in one other project besides Stand by Me. In the decades since then, he’s performed in local theatre productions in his home of Portland Oregon, he is an ordained minister who has officiated at plenty of wedding ceremonies, and, most interestingly, he fronts a pirate-themed band called Captain Bogg and Salty.

9. Vince Desjardins (Jason Oliver) - THEN

Every hip ‘n’ happening 1950s gang leader needs men to stand side-by-side with them, and one of Ace Merrill’s bestest of buds was Vince Desjardins. In fact, one of the most memorable scenes from Stand by Me is the moment where Ace and Vince are playing chicken as a truck is heading right towards them.

Jason Oliver (Vince Desjardins) - NOW

The role of Vince Desjardins was actually Jason Oliver’s movie debut, and he’s actually not done all that much of note in the years since then. He did have a role to play in cult favourite Class of 1999 back in 1990, and other than that he popped up as a bully opposite Fred Savage in 1989’s The Wizard.The last production that Jason was a part of was Caught in a Funk in 2001. But wait, what’s that?! Why, that’s The Wolves of Savin Hill – a Jason Oliver-starring movie that’s due for release later this year.

8. Billy Tessio (Casey Siemaszko) – THEN

It’s largely down to Billy and his pal Charlie to kick off the whole story of Stand by Me. Well, to elaborate on the film’s McGuffin at least. That McGuffin, of course, is the dead body of poor Ray Brower.When Billy and Charlie dump a stolen car, it’s then that they find the corpse of Ray. After chatting about what they’ve seen, that’s when Billy’s younger brother Vern overhears this conversation and tells his

pals. Before you know it, the stage is set and the narrative begins to play out.

Casey Siemaszko (Billy Tessio) - NOW

These days, it appears that Casey has been relatively inactive bar sporadic appearances in TV shows such as Law & Order, Elementary, The Blacklist, and Billions. For games, however, you may recognise Siemaszko’s dulcet tones in the stunning Red Dead Redemption II; the actor voicing Wrobel in the game.

7. Gordie Lachance (Richard Dreyfuss) – THEN

Let’s be clear: Richard Dreyfuss was a huge star way before Stand by Me rolled around in 1986.Having teamed with Steven Spielberg on both Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind in the 1970s, not to mention winning an Oscar for 1977’s The Goodbye Girl, Dreyfuss was likely the biggest name associated with Stand by Me. That said, he did have a relatively small role in the scheme of the overall movie.

Richard Dreyfuss (Gordie LaChance) - NOW

In the film, Dreyfuss serves as the voice of the picture; regaling the audience with the tale of four young boys on an adventure one summer. After all, Dreyfuss plays the adult Gordie Lachance who is now a writer reminiscing about that particular memory.Since Stand by Me, Dreyfuss has continued to act and has been a keen advocate for Civics in America.

6. Charlie Hogan (Gary Riley) – THEN

At the crux of Stand by Me, we have a race to find a dead body. How does word get out about that particular corpse, you ask? Why, that’s down to blabbermouth Charlie Hogan.Played by Gary Riley, it’s Charlie who first discovered the dead body and then proceeded to tell his pal Billy. Of course, listening nearby is young Vern, who then blabs to his pals, too.

Gary Riley (Charlie Hogan) - NOW

Despite finding some success with role in the likes of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and then Summer School, Riley actually decided to quit acting in 1996 following his turn in Mark Wahlberg’s Fear.Since then, the now-former actor has largely stayed out of the spotlight and kept a low profile bar a few appearances on the Adventure Club Podcast.

5. Eyeball Chambers (Bradley Gregg) – THEN

Out of the four youngsters at the centre of Stand by Me, it’s River Phoenix’s Chris Chambers that is positioned as the bad boy of the group. But while Chris certainly has an edge to him, he’s got nothing on his older brother. After all, you don’t get a name like Eyeball for nothing.

Bradley Gregg (Eyeball Chambers) - NOW

In the movie, Eyeball is one of the right-hand men of Keifer Sutherland’s Ace Merrill, with the character having a penchant for the classic ’80s teen machismo thing of carrying a switchblade around with him at all times.After Stand by Me, Gregg has had sporadic acting jobs over the decades and has branched out to become a writer and director, too. Most notably, 2006 saw he and his wife Dawn make a documentary on them adopting two children.

4. Ray Brower (Kent Luttrell) – THEN

Of course, key to the entire plot of the Stand by Me is the fact that the four lead kids are on the hunt to find a dead body. Where that particular corpse is concerned, Kent Luttrell was the person tasked with playing “the body” – aka Ray Brower.

Kent Luttrell (Ray Brower) - NOW

Luttrell had actually originally signed on to be a placeholder for the core cast, simply a stand-in for off-camera shots or for mapping out scenes. When the time came for the four boys to finally discover the dead body of Ray, a dummy was used for the shot. Deciding that that didn’t look convincing enough, the powers-that-be turned to Kent to play the stiff.In the years since Stand by Me, Kent Luttrell has largely stayed away from acting yet has managed to stay involved in the movie industry; instead working as a stuntman and stunt coordinator on a slew of projects.

3. Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman) - THEN

Of the four kids at the core of Stand by Me, Corey Feldman’s Teddy Duchamp was the slightly erratic loose cannon who liked to swear like a sailor.

Corey Feldman (Tedddy Duchamp) - NOW

Feldman himself, of course, was already a favourite of many by the times he starred in 1986’s Stand by Me. Before that, the young actor had already featured in the Friday the 13th franchise, Gremlins, and The Goonies, and he would go on to become a staple of the ‘80s by adding Stand by Me and 1987’s The Lost Boys to his credits.Throughout the ‘90s and beyond, Feldman’s career was reduced to low-budget, smaller projects as his own personal demons and substance issues took hold.Having returned to the Lost Franchise in the 2000s with The Tribe and then The Thirst, Feldman is likely best known these days for his animal welfare and animal rights work.

2. Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton) - THEN

In Stand by Me, the role of Gordie is the most important of the movie, despite the character himself not standing out from the pack as the leader of the movie, per se.If you remember, Gordie is actually the voice of the film for the audience; Richard Dreyfuss bookending the picture as the older Gordie reflecting on one amazing summer. As someone watching the movie, you find yourself viewing the story itself through the eyes of Gordie.

Wil Wheaton (Gordie Lachance) - NOW

The days since Stand by Me have seen actor Wil Wheaton appear in geek favourites such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Numb3rs, and The Big Bang Theory, but he’s better known these days for his podcast work and for being a hugely active member of the gaming and tech-driven online communities.

1. Vern Tessio (Jerry O’Connell) - THEN

To many, poor Vern was seen as Stand by Me’s version of Chunk from The Goonies. As in, yeah, he was a little bit heavier than his pals, he was often the butt of jokes, and he was a loveable sort who you constantly found yourself rooting for.Wouldn’t you know it, though, in classic fairy-tale style, this slightly port duckling matured into a rugged, handsome, abs-adorned swan.

Jerry O'Connell (Vern Tessio) - NOW

Stand by Me was actually Jerry O’Connell’s first role, and he largely fell off the radar of many until he turned up in Jerry Maguire and then was all buff ‘n’ beautiful as Sidney Prescott’s boyfriend in 1997’s Scream 2. Since then, O’Connell has become a prolific voice actor – most notably as the current animated voice of Superman.