The Breakfast Club -- possibly one of the most quintessential coming-of-age narratives in cinematic history. The film was released in 1985 as a comedic-drama that follows five disparate teens bond during one fateful detention. The success of The Breakfast Club was first marked after critical acclaim heightened its earnings to a whopping $51.5 (million with an initial budget of only $1 million).
The young actors in received well-earned recognition for their roles as Claire, John, Brian, Alison, and Andy. All of them have essentially become household names, though some, like Molly Ringwald, went on to claim prodigious success an actress.
Wondering whatever happened to your favorite '80s cast? Here's a look at where the cast of The Breakfast Club is now.
Mercedes Hall - Brian's Mother
A character who doesn't make a pronounced appearance is Brian's mother. Even though her lines were kept short, these small roles still play a vital role in Brian's character development. We know from this small exchange that his parents (namely his mother) are very strict about his school performance and education,
Brian's mother is played my Mercedes Hall who is, in fact, Anthony Hall's real-life mother. The Breakfast Club was only her third acting gig, and she only has held a few roles since then. Her last TV appearance was a 2014 episode of Diva Talk Tonite. Other than that, it seems that Ms. Hall left the acting to her son.
Ron Dean - Andy's Father
Again, Andy's father only makes a brief appearance at the start of the film when he's dropping Andy off for detention. We catch a glimpse of what Andy's father must be like after he gives him some tough love about getting caught for "screwing around." When Andy doesn't seem to pay any mind, his father further yells at his son about blowing his chances of getting a wrestling scholarship. We later find out Andy's true feelings for his father during his epic soliloquy during the group's unintended therapy session.
Ron Dean is the intimidating man who brought up the rough in Andy's father. Dean has appeared in a number of A-list films such as The Fugitive and The Dark Knight. His latest roles have been in TV shows like Chicago P.D. and Chicago Fire. These were around 2013-2016 and it seems as though Dean hasn't taken on any acting gigs since then.
John Kapelos - Carl Reed
Carl Reed is the janitor at Shermer High School. He seems to have some sort of tit for tat relationship with Vernon, revealing the principal's true lack of power in that he can't even stand up to the janitor. The role of Reed seems to act as a backboard to build up the other characters. Reed is seemingly a bully, which speaks to the overall message of the film.
The janitor is presented by actor John Kapelos. He has been acting since the early 1980s and has made cameos in a decent amount of films and TV shows since his role in this 1985 film. His latest role is as Chief O'Connor in the 2019 TV film The Crossword Mysteries: A Puzzle to Die For.
Paul Gleason - Richard Vernon
Richard Vernon, played by Paul Gleason, is the grump principal who is in charge of the Brat Pack detention group. He has little tolerance for nonsense which plays well with the gang's shenanigans during the bulk of the film. Vernon is strict, but we see his vulnerable side when the janitor tells him he will have no one with his horrible behavior.
Gleason is notorious for his role as Vice Principal Vernon, but The Breakfast Club is far from this actor's first rodeo. He played Dr. David Thornton on All My Children in the late 1970s and made an appearance in Trading Places and Die Hard. Gleason ed on May 27, 2006 due to lung cancer. His last acting role as Detective Sanders in The ing came out in 2011.
Ally Sheedy - Allison
Allison is the strange, quiet goth girl who sits in the back of detention. She barely speaks a word until she finds that the other kids feel like outcasts, just like she does. She's really only in detention because her home life is less than ideal and she would rather be at school.
Ally Sheedy was in her early twenties when she took on the role of Allison Reynolds for The Breakfast Club. Since then, Sheedy has remained steady in her acting career, and even won an award for Best Actress for the 1998 film, High Art. Most recently, she made a cameo in X-Men: Apocalypse. Sheedy was previously married to actor David Lansbury, and they had a child together. Their child also came out as transgender, so Sheedy is a strong advocate for the transgender community.
Anthony Michael Hall - Brian
Brian Johnson, being the typical nerd at Shermer High School, reveals in the film that he has had dark thoughts. Besides academic pressure from his parents, he longs to fit in with the popular crowd who refuse to accept him. Brian reveals that he once brought a flare gun to school in order to commit suicide. But with the acceptance of the Brat Pack, audiences are left feeling that Brian is headed for a lighter path.
Anthony Michael Hall is celebrated for his dramatic representation as Brian. Since these younger days, Hall has showcased in diverse acting skills by appearing in a myriad of film and television genres. He can be seen in Edward Scissorhands, The Dark Knight, and Sixteen Candles. Fun Fact: Hall is also Godfather to Robert Downey Jr.'s son, Indio Falconer Downey
Emilio Esteves - Andrew
Andrew Clark is the cliche "jock" at that we see in The Breakfast Club. His early encounter with his father gives audiences insights into his internal struggles, which we see come to fruition when he opens up to the group about his hatred for his father. He dissects the reason as to why he acts as a bully toward his other classmates reflects the need to be accepted and recognize by his father.
Andrew is played by actor Emilio Esteves. Esteves went on to star in other notable roles such as G
