Ally Sheedy famously played Allison in 1985’s The Breakfast Club, giving her a place in the controversial Brat Pack group of young upcoming Hollywood stars at the time. Other Brats, as they were tagged, included Molly Ringwald, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estévez, Rob Lowe, and a few others.
Nearly forty years later, Ally is unrecognizable and thriving as a 62-year-old on a different career path. She is rarely seen on screen these days; however, she appeared on an episode of GMA3: What You Need to Know last year.
Life after ‘The Breakfast Club’ for Ally Sheedy
After The Breakfast Club and more coming-of-age movies like St. Elmo’s Fire, Ally took up more challenging roles in the ‘90s. She was recognized by the Independent Spirit Awards, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and National Society of Film Critics for her work in 1998’s High Art, and played the first genderqueer character by a cis-woman the following year.
Her acting career thrived well into the early 2000s, as she guest starred in multiple series like The Dead Zone, and C.S.I. Ally also maintained her role as Mr. Yang in Psych for four consecutive season finales since the third.
Branching out of Hollywood
After an impressive run as an actress, Ally focused on academia and is now a professor in the theater department of New York’s City University College. Her students recognize her often, and she enjoys sharing her experiences with them as a learning point.
Although Ally wishes some things could have been different about her famous character Allison, she has no regrets and takes every chance to talk about The Breakfast Club. Per the Brat allegations, Ally believes the label undermined their hard work and made them seem lucky and undeserving of fame.