Kiefer Sutherland Says Rumor That He Bullied His “Stand By Me” Costars Is 'Absolutely Not True'

"I'm not that kind of actor and I wouldn't want to be that kind of person," he said

Kiefer Sutherland is shutting down rumors claiming he bullied his costars on the set of the 1986 film Stand By Me.

The actor, now 57, was a guest on The Talk on April 11, where he reunited with his Stand By Me cast mate Jerry O’Connell, a co-host on the daytime show, 38 years after the film opened in theaters.

When asked about a "fact" that was previously shared on social media claiming that he "picked on" his younger costars to "keep in character" as a gang member, Sutherland addressed the rumor.

"True or not true? Did you bully Jerry O'Connell?" co-host Natalie Morales jokingly asked.

"Absolutely not true," said Sutherland, as O'Connell, 50, laughed. "First of all, I'm not that kind of actor and I wouldn't want to be that kind of person."

Related: Kiefer Sutherland Shares River Phoenix Stand by Me Story That May Have Inspired Film's Title

Later in the interview, O'Connell added, "I will say, Kiefer did not bully us. There was no bullying. But, Kiefer, I was so scared of you on set!"

Directed by Rob Reiner, Stand By Me is a coming-of-age movie that starred O'Connell, Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix and Corey Feldman as a group of friends.

"I spent a lot of time with River Phoenix," said Sutherland, who was 17 when they filmed, "because we both played guitar. So that was kind of an in to him. And we were both, even though I was seven years older, we were both beginning, right? So there was a lot of discussion about how do you develop a character? What's your process?"

Reflecting on the movie, which he said he didn't expect to become such a hit at the time, Sutherland said, "It's an amazing thing because it changed our lives."

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"There are so many fantastic actors out there that don't get these kinds of opportunities, so it's not something you should ever take for granted," he added.

"When I think of my memories of Stand By Me they're so fond, because it was the beginning of living out a dream. Stand By Me is always gonna be that for me," Sutherland said.

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