Once a platoon, always a platoon…
It’s been over 31 years since Oliver Stone‘s classic 1986 film Platoon hit theaters. Three of the movie’s stars, Johnny Depp, Kevin Dillon and Charlie Sheen, who were budding young actors at the time, may not be fresh faces in Tinsel Town any more, but they’re definitely famous ones and it looks like they’re still hanging tough—together.
Earlier today, Dillon, who went on to star in HBO’s Entourage, posted a photo of the trio’s reunion last night on Instagram. In the fun photo, the trio appear to be partying down at Depp’s home in the Hollywood Hills. Depp is pictured smoking while wearing a Johnny Cash shirt, Dillon is smiling wide and Sheen wears a bright red Hawaiian shirt.
Dillon captioned the photo, “Platoon 30 year #reunion last night at #johnnydepp house #goodtimes @charliesheen.”
The movie, which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1987, follows a young Vietnam recruit, Private First Class Chris Taylor, played by Sheen, as he faces a moral crisis when confronted with the horrors of war and man’s duality.
In the iconic film, Dillon played “Bunny.” Depp took on the role of the translator Lerner. Interestingly enough, much of Depp’s work in the movie was actually left on the cutting room floor. From getting chopped to blockbuster superstar Jack Sparrow, Depp’s had quite the cinematic ride since 1986.
Prior to Platoon, Sheen had appeared in several smaller films like Red Dawn, Lucas and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but had not nabbed a major role in a major film yet. But all that changed when he was cast in Stone’s star-making vehicle. In 1987, Sheen took on the role of Bud Fox in the director’s next film, Wall Street, and he cemented his short-lived place as one of Hollywood’s leading men during the 1980s. Sheen’s had some major career, health and addiction ups and downs since the ’80s, but at least judging from the snap of last night, he’s still having a grand old time…
Meanwhile, Dillon went on to appear in a host of small-budget films and television roles, working consistently over the decades. But it wasn’t until he nabbed the role of Johnny Drama on Entourage in 2004 did the actor get some major notoriety.
A plethora of other young talent signed on for Stone’s controversial anti-war flick, which scored a total of four Oscars.
Platoon also starred Tom Berenger, Keith David, Willem Dafoe and Forest Whitaker Stone himself even had a small and uncredited cameo.
Platoon was Stone’s first in his trilogy of Vietnam War films, which included Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Heaven & Earth (1993).
