On March 24th, 1984, the “breakfast club” reported for detention consisting of a group of five very different people from contrasting social circles in high school. There’s no doubt it’s hard to get along with people who are different from you sometimes, and it’s even harder when you’re trapped in a library on a Saturday at 7 am.
The Breakfast Club has become one of the most popular movies of all-time, earning a selection for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” So, what is the cast up to 34 years later?
1. Molly Ringwald as Claire Standish
Molly Ringwald played the role of Claire Standish, who ended up in detention because she skipped class so she could go shopping. After The Breakfast Club was released, Ringwald landed roles in Not Another Teen Movie, Townies, and Psych. She also landed a role as the motherly figure in the TV show The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
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More recently, she plays the role of Archie’s mom in the CW’s Riverdale.
2. Judd Nelson as John Bender
Judd Nelson played the role of delinquent John Bender. After reaching blossoming success with this ’80s film, Nelson reunited with some of the film’s co-stars, Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy, in the 1985 film St. Elmo’s Fire. He’s also landed some guest-appearing roles in shows like Two and a Half Men and CSI: NY. He also lent his voice for a role on the animated adult cartoon Family Guy.
“I think that sometimes you don’t have the opportunities for some of the most A-list-type movies, big-budget movies, but I think it’s important to keep working and make the best of what’s available,” Nelson told The A.V. Club in reference to his very diverse and sometimes lowkey projects. His IMDb reports that he has landed a few 2020 film roles for Electric Jesus and Iceland Is Best. Also a role for the TV series In-Security.
3. Emilio Estevez as Andrew Clark
Emilio Estevez played the role of wrestler Andrew Clark, a high school student who feared he was always disappointing his father. He played a prank on another student to make himself look cool, which would then land him in detention. Estevez has had a very successful career post-Breakfast Club. He is now a writer, director, and actor.
He hosted Saturday Night Live in 1994, appeared in Bon Jovi’s “Blaze of Glory” music video, and guest-appeared on Two and a Half Men. The most recent film that he directed and starred in was The Public. Estevez is currently in the process of filming for a TV series he will be appearing in called The Mighty Ducks.
4. Anthony Michael Hall as Brian Johnson
Anthony Michael Hall played the role of Brian Johnson, a geek who was part of the math club, business club, and physics club. After The Breakfast Club, Hall went onto guest star on Murder, She Wrote, Entourage, and CSI: Miami. He also played the villainous role in the film Edward Scissorhands.
He recently played Principal Featherhead on a Breakfast Club-inspired episode of Riverdale and appeared in TV series The Blacklist. Hall also has a role in the 2020 film Halloween Kills and the 2021 film Something About Her. He is also working on a film in pre-production called Zero.
5. Ally Sheedy as Allison Reynolds
Ally Sheedy played the role of Allison Reynolds, a social outcast. After The Breakfast Club, Sheedy went on to appear in several TV movies and television shows including The Fury Within, The Veteran, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. More recently, she has guest-appeared on season two of the TV series SMILF and had a cameo in the 2016 film X-Men: Apocalypse.
6. Paul Gleason as Richard Vernon
Giving an honorable mention to Paul Gleason, who played principal Richard Vernon who attempted to make sure the kids stayed out of trouble while in detention. Gleason sadly passed away in 2006, but appeared in several shows after The Breakfast Club such as The Wonder Years, Seinfeld, Boy Meets World, Melrose Place, Friends, Dawson’s Creek, and many more.
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