Emilio Estevez’s storied Hollywood career was nearly cut short before it even began, but thanks to the impulsive bravery of a lifelong friend, he was saved from a perilous situation. As an extra on the set of Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now, starring his father Martin Sheen, Estevez befriended a young Lawrence Fishburne. During a break in the Philippines, the two took a leisurely boat ride down a nearby river. As the boat drifted too close to the bank, Estevez offered to get out and push it back to the center. But as soon as he stepped out, he began sinking into the river muck like quicksand. Without hesitation, Fishburne extended his hand and pulled Estevez back into the boat, saving his life. All that dancing with death for his extra work to be cut from the final film.

So what kind of life did that turn out to be?...