Despite having premiered in 1985, it’s undeniable that The Breakfast Club is still one of the best teen-oriented films of all time. Indeed, it has stood the test of time and continues to be an inspiration to the youth of each new generation.
The movie introduced us to five students – “a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal” – who, without a choice, got stuck together in one room for a whole day, giving them an opportunity (whether they wanted it or not) to work on their differences and learn to understand one another, in spite of their glaring dissimilarities.
As the five of them gradually become closer, which is beyond what they could have imagined, the audience also starts to relate to the characters and their struggles in figuring out who they are and what they stand for.
Given the film’s outstanding influence on young people, it earned a spot in the National Film Registry in 2017. Indeed, The Breakfast Club is still revered as one of the best movies of all time and became a huge break for its then young cast. Many of these former teen stars were members of the so-called “Brat Pack,” a group of young actors in the ‘80s who frequently appeared together in youth-oriented, coming-of-age films.
Now, four decades later, let’s take a look at what the main cast members have been up to.
Nelson portrayed the character of Bender, the bad boy, and the one nicknamed in the film as “the criminal.” In spite of his initial attitude and taunting of the other students, he surprisingly manages to grow close to each of them before their day in detention ends. Heck, he even develops a romance with Claire, the princess of the group.
In the ‘80s, Nelson, who was also a member of the Brat Pack, appeared in other teen-oriented movies, such as St. Elmo’s Fire. He was also a voice actor for the animated film Transformers: The Movie, which came out in 1986. He continued to work in this field, voicing several characters in the 2017 Transformers animated show.
None other than “the princess,” Ringwald was a staple in the ‘80s film industry, often playing the main character in youth-oriented, coming-of-age films. This led her to headlining three John Hughes movies: Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, and of course, The Breakfast Club. In the latter, the princess changes considerably from the spoiled and bratty girl to a funny, friendly one who finally lets down her walls and enjoys her true self without reservations.
Apparently, Ringwald turned down the lead roles in Pretty Woman and Ghost as she matured. These offers came in as she was enjoying her life in Paris, appearing in French movies. She later expanded her acting career and penetrated the Broadway scene from 2001 to 2002.
From 2008 to 2013, she played the character of Anne Juergens, or the supportive parent to her pregnant teenage daughter Amy, portrayed by Shailene Woodley, in the TV series The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
In 2017 to present, Ringwald stars as Archie’s (KJ Apa) mother Mary Andrews in the hit Netflix teen show Riverdale.
Emilio Estevez comes from a bloodline of well-known actors, with his father Ramón (who goes by his professional stage name Martin Sheen) and his brother Carlos (Charlie Sheen) both prominent in the industry.
In the movie, Estevez was dubbed “the athlete,” and was a snob at first except to Claire, since both of them are from the crowd of popular kids. Eventually, he opens up about how strict his father is, especially when it comes to being an athlete.
The actor also appeared in the star-studded St. Elmo’s Fire and was also a member of the Brat Pack. Not only that but he also starred in cult movies, such as Repo Man and The Outsiders. He also scored a role in The Mighty Ducks in 1992, which eventually became a successful franchise.
Estevez once admitted that his absence from the industry after the ‘90s was because of his shy nature. Nevertheless, he focused on his other craft, which is directing. He wrote and directed the film Wisdom, and his latest work is The Public, headlined by Christian Slater and Alec Baldwin, which premiered at the 2018 Toronto Film Festival.
Hall was also a frequent actor in Hughes's films. He starred in Sixteen Candles along with Ringwald. Then the two worked together again in The Breakfast Club. In the movie, he is Brian, the so-called “brain” of the group, who is eager to find acceptance, not just from other kids at school but also from the world. As the story progresses, he becomes friends with the four others and reveals to them he almost took his own life one time for having a bad grade.
The famous note being read as the movie nears the end is written by Brian. He is the one who gave the infamous monikers to each of the characters.
After starring in the ‘86 film, Hall became part of Saturday Night Live, making him the youngest member ever to join the cast. He also appeared as one of the antagonists in the commercially successful movie Edward Scissorhands. He continued to star in films and eventually landed roles in blockbuster movies like The Dark Knight by Christopher Nolan.
Hall still appears in television series as well as TV advertisements. He also runs a literacy program for young people.
Sheedy, also one of the Brat Packers, played the role of Allison, or “the basket case” in The Breakfast Club. She is initially strange and moody, makes weird noises, and rarely speaks. Eventually, she becomes close with the other students and opens up to them about her problems with her parents. She also gets a makeover from Claire and even strikes up a bit of a romance with Andrew.
Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, Sheedy reportedly suffered from eating disorders and was placed in a treatment facility to address her addiction to sleeping pills. Nevertheless, she used this unpleasant experience to permeate her award-winning role in the 1998 film High Art, helmed by Lisa Cholodenko.
Upon her son’s transition, Sheedy became a vocal supporter of transgender rights.
While he only a handful of appearances throughout the movie, Paul Gleason was already prominent in the industry for his roles in blockbuster films such as Trading Places (with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd) and Die Hard (as the annoying cop, Dwayne T. Robinson).
In The Breakfast Club, he is the assistant principal, Richard Verson, who assigns the five students to do a thousand-word essay each. Throughout the film, he shows a distinct lack of fondness towards the bad boy, Bender.
Gleason also appeared in TV series Drake & Josh and Dawson’s Creek. Sadly, he passed away in 2006 due to lung cancer.
John Kapelos plays the role of the school janitor in The Breakfast Club. His character becomes quite friendly with Brian, in spite of his obvious disdain for the students overall.
Outside the 1986 teen-oriented movie, Kapelos enjoyed an illustrious career as an actor, garnering about 200 credits to his name. He studied at Second City in Chicago, then performed with the institution’s touring company and its prestigious resident company. Kapelos still works with several of his alumnae, including Dan Castellaneta. He has starred in various TV series, such as ER, Transparent, Seinfeld, and many more.
Kapelos appeared in the critically-acclaimed film The Shape of Water by the esteemed director, Guillermo del Toro. The movie clinched the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2018.
Ron Dean only made a brief appearance in The Breakfast Club, yet his character as Andrew’s father has a huge impact on the teenager. It is revealed in the movie that he has very high expectations for Andrew to be a “winner” by being the best athlete in school. This pushed the young man to the extreme of hurting another student (Brian) just to gain his father’s trust.
Dean appeared in the 1983 movie Risky Business alongside a young Tom Cruise. Over the years, he has appeared in TV shows and established something of a stereotype as being a law enforcer. One of his most notable characters was in The Dark Night where he reunited with his fellow Breakfast Club star Anthony Michael Hall.