NEED TO KNOW
The Breakfast Club was theatrically released on Feb. 15, 1985
The ensemble cast of the cult classic is led by Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy and Judd Nelson
Directed by the late John Hughes, The Breakfast Club was one of four of the filmmaker's coming-of-age movies that defined the '80s "Brat Pack" era
It's been 41 years sinceThe Breakfast Clubintroduced audiences to five students whose perceptions are changed after they're forced to spend a Saturday in detention.
Released on Feb. 15, 1985, the second film directed by the lateJohn Hughesrevolutionized the coming-of-age genre with its accurate portrayal of teenage angst and high school stereotypes. Though the Shermer High students are initially divided by different social cliques and labels, they eventually bond over their shared interests and struggles as the day unfolds.
Rounding out the ensemble cast areEmilio Estevezas the jock,Molly Ringwaldas the beauty,Anthony Michael Hallas the nerd,Ally Sheedyas the recluse andJudd Nelsonas the rebel. The actors would later become known as part of the "Brat Pack," a nickname for the young stars who frequently appeared in teen-centered films together throughout the 1980s.
According to The Numbers,The Breakfast Clubcost just $1 million to make but grossed more than $50 million worldwide. It has remained one of the most classic movies of all time, often referenced and satirized by other flicks and TV shows. Additionally, Simple Minds' track "Don't You (Forget About Me)" featured in the final scene has its own lasting legacy. (The song reached No. 1 on theBillboardHot 100.)
All five of the film's leading actors reunited for the first time in 40 years at a C2E2 Panel in Chicago in April 2025, with Ringwald sharing that she felt "very emotional and movedto have us all together."
Ahead, catch up with the cast ofThe Breakfast Cluband find out where they are now.
Emilio Estevez as Andrew Clark
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Estevez played the "athlete" Andrew Clark, who landed in Saturday detention for taping a student's butt cheeks together, hoping to win over both his teammates and his domineering father. Ultimately, he and Sheedy's Allison spark a romantic connection on-screen.
Estevez, theson of Martin Sheenand brother ofCharlie Sheen, also starred inSt. Elmo's Firein 1985. The phrase "Brat Pack" was first used in aNew Yorkmagazine profile storyintended for the actor.
He went on to star in theThe Mighty Ducksmovie franchise and in the 2021 Disney+ seriesThe Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. He also stepped behind the camera as director, helmingWisdom(1986),Men at Work(1990),Bobby(2006) andThe Public(2018). He also appeared in the 2024 Brat Pack documentaryBrats.Per AP News, Estevez is set to reprise his role as Billy the Kid and directYoung Guns 3. (He first played the part in 1988'sYoung Guns.)
As for his work on the small screen, Estevez played a younger version of his dad onThe West Wingand directed episodes ofCold Case,CSI: NYandNumb3rs. He also appeared on his brother's CBS sitcomTwo and a Half Men.
Estevez shares two children, Taylor Levi Estevez and Paloma Estevez, with former girlfriend Carey Salley. He was previously married toPaula Abdulfrom 1992 to 1994.
Anthony Michael Hall as Brian Johnson
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Hall played Brian Johnson, the quintessential "brain" of the group. Brian ended up in detention when, under pressure after he failed shop class, he brought a flare gun to school.
"John [Hughes] just called up and said, 'I want you to come in.' He didn't have a script. He didn't give me a script," Hall said at C2E2 2025.
The actor added that Hughes was asking him questions, such as, "What do you think about this? What do you think about that?"
A former child star, Hall was just 17 when the film was released. He told PEOPLE that even though he was typecast as a nerd (in bothThe Breakfast Cluband 1984'sSixteen Candles), he didn't really excel in school.
In 1992, Hall opened up to PEOPLE about his problems with alcohol, explaining that he first started drinking at age 13. He appeared on one season ofSaturday Night Livein 1985 and turned down roles in Hughes' 1986 filmsFerris Bueller's Day OffandPretty in Pinkbecause he didn't want to be typecast.
Hall went on to star inEdward Scissorhands(1990),Six Degrees of Separation(1993),The Dark Knight(2008),Foxcatcher(2014),War Machine(2017),Halloween Kills(2021) andAir Force One Down(2024), and he has appeared on shows likeRiverdale,ReacherandWednesday.
In 2024, Hall told PEOPLE that he reunited with his castmates Ringwald, Nelson and Sheedy at Comic-Con and went out for dinner for his birthday afterwards, saying, "It turned out to be really fun."
The actor continued, "It was actually really great, but it was cool to see Molly, and we're sharing pictures of our kids," before adding, "Judd is still John Bender. He's an original. He really is. I love that."
"He's [Nelson] got so many varied interests," Hall said. "He's really a brilliant guy. I mean, he's actually really super, super smart."
The foursome reunited again in February 2025 to celebrate the film's 40th anniversary at MegaCon in Florida and later with Estevez for the first time in 40 years in Chicago in April 2025.
Though the actors shut down the possibility of a sequel at MegaCon, Hall said, "It was something that was conjuredand thought about."
In 2023, Hall welcomed his first child, sonMichael Anthony, with wifeLucia Oskerova, whom he married in 2020.
Molly Ringwald as Claire Standish
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Ringwald played "the princess" Claire, who got caught skipping school.
"[She's] the girl you grew up hating," Ringwald told PEOPLE in 1984. "A prima donna. She's like the total prom queen."
In April 2025, Ringwald revealed thatThe Breakfast Clubwas supposed to be filmed before Hughes'Sixteen Candles, starring Ringwald.
However, the studio wanted to doSixteen Candlesfirst.
"So they putThe Breakfast Clubon hold and then, from my understanding,John Cusackwas gonna play Bender andJoan Cusackwas going to play Allison. I don't know who was gonna play the other parts," Ringwald said. "And then afterSixteen Candles, [director Hughes] gave me the script."
FollowingThe Breakfast Club, the actress continued to lead the casts of teen films, includingPretty in Pink, before filming the 1988 moviesFor Keeps?andFresh Horses.
"People have so many positive associations with those films, so usually when they see me, they're pretty happy," she told PEOPLE in 2020. "I love all my projects, but they'll always have a place in my heart."
However, Ringwald insisted she didn't want to dwell on the past.
"I mean, I'm always going to have that history and those films, but I also very much live in the present. I like to keep moving forward," she said, adding that she often turned down projects that dealt with the '80s.
As a result of her iconic teen stardom, Ringwald originally struggled to transition into more adult roles. In the 1990s, she spent time in France, appearing in French films before transitioning to TV. She had a recurring role in the 1994 four-part miniseriesThe Standand on the 1996 ABC sitcomTownies.
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In 2008, Ringwald starred onThe Secret Life of the American Teenager. Beginning in 2017, she played Betty's mom onRiverdale.
She also appeared on series such asDahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,Single Drunk Female(also starring Sheedy) andFeud: Capote vs. The Swans. She reprised her role as Sara Flynn inThe Kissing Boothfilm trilogy and appeared in 2026's 'Run Amok.'
Ringwald wedPanio Gianopoulosin 2007. Theyshare three children: daughter Mathilda, born in 2003, and twins Adele and Roman, born in 2009.
Judd Nelson as John Bender
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Nelson portrayed John Bender, the "criminal" burnout kid who ended up in detention after he set off the fire alarm. He and Ringwald's Claire connect at the end of the film.
AfterThe Breakfast Club, Nelson appeared inSt. Elmo's Firewith former castmates Estevez and Sheedy and was a regular across three seasons ofSuddenly Susanin the late '90s. He also lent his voice to the character Rodimus Prime in 1986'sThe Transformers: The Movieand several animatedTransformersseries throughout the years.
The actor's other film credits includeFrom the Hip(1987),New Jack City(1991),Conflict of Interest(1993),Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back(2001),Billionaire Boys Club(2018),Girl in the Basement(2021) andThe Most Dangerous Game(2022). He also starred in 2024'sSouth of Hope Streetand 2025'sThe Final Run.
Nelson was previously engaged to the lateBeverly Hills, 90210andCharmedactressShannen Dohertyin 1994, but they never married.
Ally Sheedy as Allison Reynolds
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Sheedy starred as Allison Reynolds, the "basket case." She wasn't actually sentenced to detention but ended up connecting with Andrew (and undergoinga somewhat controversial makeover) during the film.
She also appeared in the Brat Pack moviesOxford Blues(1984),St. Elmo's FireandBlue City (1986).
InAndrew McCarthy's 2024 Hulu documentaryBrats, Sheedy said she thought the "Brat Pack" label hurt her career.
"I felt a weird vibe in the room if I went in to audition [after the article], like the circle had turned around, and we all had to pay the price … There was a glee, a schadenfreude, to writing us off," she said.
Still, she told PEOPLE in 2022, "I'm always happy to talk aboutThe Breakfast Club. I still really love it!"
Post-Brat Pack era, Sheedy appeared in 1993'sMan's Best Friendand 1998'sHigh Art.
"That movie [High Art] has really changed my whole life," she told PEOPLE in 1999.
Before the movie, she said, "There was a preconception about what I could or couldn't do. I feel like I'm just beginning to come into my own as an actress."
Her later films includedA Good Night to Die(2003),Perestroika(2009) andX-Men: Apocalypse(2016). She appeared on episodes ofKyle XY,Full CircleandPsychbefore her guest-starring role on the Freeform comedy seriesSingle Drunk Femalefrom 2022 to 2023.
In 2021, Sheedy became a professor in the theater department at the City College of New York.
Sheedy went to rehab in the late '80s after she became addicted to sleeping pills. In 1992, she married David Lansbury, the nephew of the late actressAngela Lansbury. They divorced in 2008 and share one child, sonBeckett.
Paul Gleason as Richard Vernon
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Paul Gleason played vice principal Richard Vernon, who oversees Saturday detention.
Before the movie, Gleason appeared mostly on TV onAdam-12, All My Children,One Life to LiveandHill Street Blues. FollowingThe Breakfast Club, his other notable small-screen credits includeDallas,The A-Team,Miami ViceandFalcon Crest, amongst many others.
In 1988, he appeared inDie Hard.
"You don't turn down work, man. You work cheap, you work a lot. That's my motto," Gleason said inan interview on the setofThe Breakfast Club. He praised his cast members, calling them all "very talented" and "better than adults." He said that acting is "a very childlike thing," and that working with them awakened his own "dormant impulses." Gleason also praised director Hughes for letting them "collaborate."
The actor continued to make frequent TV appearances into the 1990s and 2000s onFriends,Seinfeld,Boy Meets WorldandMalcolm in the Middle.
He was married to actress Candy Moore from 1971 to 1978, and they had one child together, daughter Shannon. In 1995, he married Susan Kehl, with whom he shared daughter Kaitlin.
Gleason died from mesothelioma in 2006. He was 67.
John Kapelos as Carl Reed
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John Kapelos played Carl Reed, the high school's friendly janitor. Kapelos also had a minor role in Hughes' 1985 filmsSixteen CandlesandWeird Science.
Kapelos started his acting career in comedy at Chicago's Second City, and he had just decided he wanted to get into films when Hughes came to the Windy City to filmSixteen Candles.
"As luck would have it, John Hughes wanted to meet a lot of local actors," Kapelostold Rediscover the '80sin June 2019.
He also said that inThe Breakfast Club, Hughes let him improvise a lot, but ultimately cut many of those lines.
Kapelos' other films includeRoxanne(1987),The Craft(1996),The Deep End of the Ocean(1999),Legally Blonde(2001),The Shape of Water(2017) andThe Unicorn(2018). He appeared onSeinfeld,ER,The X-Files,Frasier,Gilmore Girls,One Tree Hill,SuitsandThe Umbrella Academy.
The Canadian actor was a series regular onDays of Our Livesthroughout 2023 and 2024. Kapelos also had a one-episode appearance on season 3 of Netflix'sThe Lincoln Lawyerin 2024.
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UNIVERSAL PICTURES/Alamy NEED TO KNOW The Breakfast Club was theatrically released on Feb. 15, 1985 The ense...
