Although he was something of a street punk and had a reputation of being somewhat difficult on film sets, Justin Pierce was a charismatic and solid screen presence, so his untimely suicide at age 25 left a void.

Born in London but raised in the Marble Hill section of the Bronx and in Washington Heights in Manhattan, Pierce went through a rebellious stage following his parents divorce in 1990, staying out all night, cutting school and shoplifting items like cigarettes and candy. After a time, he dropped out of high school, found a place a live and spent most of his time skateboarding. While