He personally cast the four leads: Wil Wheaton (age twelve), Corey Feldman (age twelve), Jerry O'Connell (age eleven), and River Phoenix (age fourteen), who was born in Madras. Kiefer Sutherland, a British actor in his first American film appearance, played the menacing leader of the older teen gang.
Phoenix had a significant role in Rob Reiner's popular coming-of-age film Stand by Me (1986), which made him a household name at 16. Filming started on June 17, 1985, and ended in late August 1985, making Phoenix 14 for most (if not all) of the movie.
He recalls an incident from when he was 12 years old when he, his best friend Chris Chambers, and two other friends, Teddy Duchamp and Vern Tessio, went searching for the body of a missing boy named Ray Brower near the town of Castle Rock, Oregon, during Labor Day weekend in 1959.
Yes, Joaquin was with his brother River when he collapsed and was having seizures. Joaquin called the paramedics and accompanied him with their sister, Rain. Rain and Joaquin were in the hospital when River was pronounced dead.
How old were the kids in Stand By Me in real life?
In particular, audiences are responding to what a number of critics have called extraordinary ensemble acting on the part of four 11- to 14-year-old actors, River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell.
Watch a 16-Year-Old River Phoenix Explain How His Dad Was Like His 'Bad Kid' Role in 'Stand By Me'
Did the kids in Stand By Me smoke cigarettes?
Those may look like cigarettes that the kids smoke during the movie, but they didn't contain tobacco. Instead they were made from cabbage leaves - a demand that the anti-smoking Reiner made.
Led by David Berg, the group would later become infamous for its widespread sexual abuse — especially of children. And while the Phoenix family reportedly left before the abuse became rampant, River later said that he was raped at the age of four while his family was still active in the cult.
Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix were the heartiest of friends and would even go on vacations together. The two even did a couple of movies together. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, Phoenix died in 1993 because of a drug overdose.
Phoenix's older brother River Phoenix, who died in 1993, convinced Phoenix to return to acting. On October 31, 1993, River died of a drug overdose outside The Viper Room in West Hollywood. Phoenix, who had accompanied his brother and older sister Rain to the club, called 911 to seek help for his dying brother.
Career. O'Connell began his acting career at a young age. As a child, he did commercial work for Duncan Hines cookies. Shortly after turning eleven, he landed his first feature film role as the character Vern Tessio in Rob Reiner's Stand by Me.
Jerry O'Connell's first movie, Stand By Me, was a huge hit — but he had to wait to get his first taste of fame. At 12, O'Connell famously played the chubby sidekick Vern Tessio, but between the end of shooting and the release of the film, he hit puberty and lost weight.
He almost tried to commit suicide after standing on the tracks while a train was coming towards him, but avoided being struck with the help of his friends. As an adult Teddy attempts to get into the military but according to Gordon LaChance [the narrator of the film] His eyes and his ears kept him out of it.
How old are the boys in Stand By Me supposed to be?
STAND BY ME (based on Stephen King's novella) revolves around four small-town 12-year-old boys who set out on a trek to find a dead body. They overcome oncoming trains, a disgusting bout with leeches, and the rival advances of a competing "gang" to collect the prize of locating the body.
In a treehouse at the edge of Castle Rock, a small Oregon town, budding 12-year-old writer Gordie is about to begin an extraordinary trek into the heart of the northwestern forest. His best friend Vern has overheard his older brother and a friend talking about their discovery of a dead body in the woods.
The death of Phoenix outside The Viper Room in LA is one of the most historic moments in the entertainment business. On the night of October 30, 1993, River, his girlfriend Samantha Mathis, his brother Joaquin (then known as Leaf) and sister Rain were spotted at the well-known club owned by Johnny Depp.
How did Joaquin Phoenix react to River Phoenix death?
Speaking to 60 Minutes's Anderson Cooper on Sunday, Phoenix explained that he and his family “were so removed from the entertainment world,” and were overwhelmed and bewildered by the media attention placed on River's death. “River was a really substantial actor and movie star, and we didn't really know it,” he said.
Summer Joy Phoenix (née Bottom) is an American actress. She is the youngest sibling of actors River Phoenix, Rain Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, and Liberty Phoenix. Winter Park, Florida, U.S.
River Phoenix was born River Jude Bottom in Madras, Oregon. His mother, Arlyn (Dunetz), a Bronx-born secretary, and his father, John Bottom, a carpenter, met in California in 1968.
On the night of 30 October 1993, River Phoenix, his girlfriend, the actor Samantha Mathis, and his siblings Leaf (now known as Joaquin) and Rain, walked into the Viper Room, the LA club owned by Johnny Depp.
2018: On "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Sandra Bullock admits to having had a crush on Keanu Reeves during the filming of "Speed" more than 20 years ago, but notes it wasn't mutual according to her.
And finally, one Twitter fan of Juaquin Phoenix, @juacsoscar simply wrote, "Joaquin and Rooney naming their baby boy after River Phoenix is the best thing to happen this year." Phoenix and Mara met on the set of the 2013 film Her but didn't make their public debut as a couple until 2017 at the Cannes Film Festival.
Phoenix never married and had no children. Phoenix died on October 31, 1993 in West Hollywood, California from a drug overdose and heart failure, aged 23.
