Justin Charles Pierce (March 21, 1975 – July 10, 2000) was an English-born American actor Born in London, England to a Welsh mother and an American father of English descent, Pierce was brought up in the Marble Hill section of New York City. He attended P.S. 7 in the Bronx for Elementary School and J.H.S. 141 in the Riverdale section of the Bronx for Junior High School. Pierce's parents divorced when he was 15. After his parents' divorce, he began acting out by stealing cigarettes and food and skipping school in favor of skateboarding. Pierce soon quit school and moved out, staying in a basement of a building with fellow skaters. Pierce was later arrested for the possession of marijuana and heroin under his pants in a police road search. The results in the court hearing were found inconclusive which resulted in the release of Pierce. He went back to live with his parents at age 19. While skateboarding in Washington Square Park, Pierce was discovered by film director Larry Clark, who cast him in his controversial 1995 film Kids.