‘The Breakfast Club’– an iconic and classic teen movie that is very much relevant to this day and age. The hit film first came to local cinemas in 1985, an iconic movie to fit in with an even more iconic era. It follows a bunch of typical teens and their day in detention. As the movie commences, we notice that these teens slowly become close and it is revealed to us that they are much more compatible than they initially thought. We quickly warmed up to each and every one of these fun and lovable characters, and of course came to appreciate how well these actors portrayed them. But the big question is, where are they now?
Here’s what the cast of this influential film has been up to since ‘The Breakfast Club’ was released 35 years ago…
‘Your Typical Popular Girl’ – Claire Standish, played by Molly Ringwald
After her role in “The Breakfast Club” Ringwald managed to pick up many more roles in many blockbuster hits. She appeared in films like ‘Townies’, “Psych” and ‘Not Another Teen Movie.’ She even landed a starring role in the series ‘The Secret Life of the American Teenager’. Later on in her career, Molly made her first appearance in the Netflix original series ‘Riverdale’. She continued to make several appearances throughout the 4 seasons. Let’s not forget, she played Mrs Flynn in the 2018 rom com ‘The Kissing Booth’. Next, she’ll be starring in a mini-series called ‘Tales of the City,’ which is based on a book series by Armistead Maupin. So I think it’s safe to say Ringwald went on to have a very successful career and achieve many goals beyond her own imagination.
‘The Stereotypical Bad Boy’ – John Bender, played by Judd Nelson
The bad boy we know and love, John Bender. Actor Judd Nelson did a very good job of playing this character and his striking performance really helped him when auditioning for roles elsewhere. Nelson landed guest-starring roles in shows such as ‘Two and a Half Men’, ‘Psych’ and even ‘CSI: NY’. You may have also recognised that unmissable voice in shows like ‘Family guy,’ ‘Phineas and Ferb,’ and ‘Ben 10’. He too has had his fair share of opportunities. In a recent interview, Nelson talks about how it doesn’t matter if you do not land roles in huge Hollywood films, it’s about learning from the experience. “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.” he said.
‘The Jock’- Andrew Clark, played by Emilio Estevez
We all know about the classic jock in typical teen movies, popular, way too competitive and always seems to have some sort of superiority complex. Well, that pretty much sums up Andrew Clark, played by Emilio Estevez. He too made an outstanding performance on ‘The Breakfast Club’ and is certainly upholding his reputation. His most recent piece of work was in 2019 when he both acted and directed an award winning drama called ‘The Public’. He writes a lot of his own work also, and has won numerous awards. For example, the ‘Biografilm Award’ and he has been nominated for ‘BestFilm’ at the Golden Globes.
‘The Bookworm’- Bryan Johnson, played by Anthony Michael Hall
Although ‘The Bookworm’ of the group is typically displayed as the outcast that nobody tends to have much interest in, Bryan’s character was pretty popular to viewers and fans of the film. His talent for acting after his memorable role in ‘The Breakfast Club’ did not go to waste as he also went on to have a successful career and has really made a good name for himself. Hall went on to guest star in pieces such as ‘Murder, She Wrote’ and ‘CSI: Miami’. Also, he played the villain in the Tim Burton movie ‘Edward ScissorHands’. Things were going pretty well for Anthony until 2017 rolled around. This year proved disastrous for the star due to his run-in with the law and consequential 3 years in prison. On top of that, he had to do 40 hours of community service. Not the best look for him or his career.
Last but not least, ‘The Basket Case’, Allison Reynolds played by Ally Sheedy
At first, Allison was painted as a shy girl. Although, in the end, she came around and we got to know her fun loving character. Sheedy had a cameo in the 2016 movie ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ and most recently guest starred in the second season of ‘SMILF’. However, Sheedy has recently decided to leave the media industry and is very outspoken on this matter. She says that the industry is very toxic and she has not had many good experiences with others from this industry. So, she decided to stop acting and have a break from the world of Hollywood.
So, that’s pretty much the latest updates on what the Breakfast Club have been up to since the unforgettable film was released 35 years ago. Let’s hope they continue to have a successful career and an even more successful life on top of that.
BY KACEY MACPHERSON
