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River Phoenix
Then: An emerging child star with roles in the sci-fi adventure “Explorers” and Peter Weir’s “The Mosquito Coast” (released the same year as “Stand By Me”), Phoenix played Chris, the good kid with a bad rep.
Now: In 1993, Phoenix’s untimely death at the age of 23 stunned Hollywood. After “Stand By Me,” he had gone on to earn an Oscar nomination for 1988’s “Running and Empty” and was named Best Actor by the National Society of Film Critics for 1991’s “My Own Private Idaho” [pictured right]. He also played a young Indiana Jones in the opening of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” His brother Joaquin and sisters Rain and Summer continued acting after his passing.
