4. ACE MERILL | STAND BY ME (1986)
Played by a young and still scary looking Kiefer Sullivan Jack Bauer, Ace is the catalyst for shy and quiet Gordie Lachance (Will Wheaton) to finally grow a pair. When Ace shows up to steal the dead body that Gordie and his pals found fair and square, it’s Gordie who goes all gansta on Ace and his crew. Later, we learn that Gordie has broken away from the trappings of his small town to become a successful author, while his pals have petered out. Basically, if Ace wasn’t such an Ace, Gordie wouldn’t have become such a Gordie. Does that make sense? Probably not.
Next: Fred O’Bannion
