Whatever Happened to the Cast of ‘Stand By Me’?

4. Jerry O’Connell (Vern Tessio)

Mr. O’Connell has had quite the physical turnaround. In Stand By Me, O’Connell plays the chubby friend, the timid boy who needs to be pulled along on every adventure. From there, puberty was very kind to Jerry O’Connell who sprouted into a properly handsome fella. Stand By Me was actually O’Connell’s first film role, but it was far from his last. He’s worked steadily over the past three decades, appearing in films and television shows both big and small: there’s the cult classic (and first MTV film), Joe’s Apartment, hit sci-fi TV show Sliders, and a series of films and television spots in comedy roles. Along the way, he’s managed to prove that — in spite of his towering physique — he’s extremely willing to poke fun at himself on every level.