John Hughes’ “The Breakfast Club” is one of the most essential and quintessential examples of 1980s media. The coming-of-age comedy-drama movie tells the story of five very different teenagers attending an all-day Saturday detention at Shermer High School in Shermer, Illinois. The detention is overseen by their authoritarian Vice Principal.
It stars Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy as the students in detention, with able support from some more experienced actors.
Viewed by the Library of Congress as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, it remains as beloved today it was when it was released. Per The Numbers, “The Breakfast Club” grossed over $46 million worldwide, having been produced on a budget of around $1 million. It also boasts an impressive 87% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Released in the United States on February 15, 1985, “The Breakfast Club” celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025. Wouldn’t it be great to find out how the cast are looking today, compared to how they looked when the film hit theaters? Let’s do exactly that…
Emilio Estevez (Andrew Clark)
GettyActor, director, and producer Emilio Estevez played Andrew “Andy” Clark in “The Breakfast Club.” Andy is one of the students in detention (for taping another student’s buttocks together), an athlete, and the archetype high school jock.
Age when “The Breakfast Club” released: 22.
Selected movie credits before “The Breakfast Club”: The Outsiders (1983), Nightmares (1983), Repo Man (1984).
Above is a social media post with a picture of Emilio Estevez (R) in 2025.
Age now: 63.
Selected movie credits after “The Breakfast Club”: St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), Young Guns (1988), All the Way (2010).
Filmography info per IMDb.
Paul Gleason (Richard Vernon)
Above is a social media post with a picture of Paul Gleason in “The Breakfast Club.”
Film and television actor Paul Gleason played Richard Vernon in “The Breakfast Club.” Vernon is the stern and no-nonsense Vice Principal who supervises the five students during their Saturday detention.
Age when “The Breakfast Club” released: 45.
Selected movie credits before “The Breakfast Club”: He Knows You’re Alone (1980), Arthur (1981), Trading Places (1983).
GettyAge now: Sadly passed away in 2006 aged 67.
Selected movie credits after “The Breakfast Club”: Die Hard (1988), National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1 (1993), Not Another Teen Movie (2001).
Filmography info per IMDb.
Anthony Michael Hall (Brian Johnson)
Above is a social media post with a picture of Anthony Michael Hall in “The Breakfast Club.”
Actor, producer, and comedian Anthony Michael Hall played Brian Johnson in “The Breakfast Club.” Brian is a polite but socially awkward student in detention (for bringing a flare gun to school), and the archetype brainy nerd.
Age when “The Breakfast Club” released: 16.
Selected movie credits before “The Breakfast Club”: Six Pack (1982), National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), Sixteen Candles (1984).
GettyAge now: 57.
Selected movie credits after “The Breakfast Club”: Weird Science (1985), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Halloween Kills (2021).
Filmography info per IMDb.
John Kapelos (Carl Reed)
Above is a social media post with a picture of John Kapelos in “The Breakfast Club.”
Canadian actor John Kapelos played Carl Reed in “The Breakfast Club.” Carl is the janitor and custodial engineer at Shermer High School who is wise, observant, and quietly authoritative.
Age when “The Breakfast Club” released: 28.
Selected movie credits before “The Breakfast Club”: Class (1983), Sixteen Candles (1984), The Naked Face (1984).
GettyAge now: 69.
Selected movie credits after “The Breakfast Club”: Roxanne (1987), The Shadow (1994), The Shape of Water (2017).
Filmography info per IMDb.
Judd Nelson (John Bender)
Above is a social media post with a picture of Judd Nelson in “The Breakfast Club.”
Film and television actor Judd Nelson played John Bender in “The Breakfast Club.” Bender is the delinquent student in detention (for setting off a fire alarm), and the archetype criminal.
Age when “The Breakfast Club” released: 25.
Selected movie credits before “The Breakfast Club”: Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel (1983), Making the Grade (1984).
Above is a 2024 social media post with a recent picture of Judd Nelson.
Age now: 66.
Selected movie credits after “The Breakfast Club”: St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), The Transformers: The Movie (1986), Airheads (1994).
Filmography info per IMDb.
Molly Ringwald (Claire Standish)
GettyActress, writer, and translator Molly Ringwald played Claire Standish in “The Breakfast Club.” Claire is the wealthy, popular, and fashionable student in detention (for skipping school), and the archetype prom queen.
Age when “The Breakfast Club” released: 16.
Selected movie credits before “The Breakfast Club”: Tempest (1982), Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), Sixteen Candles (1984).
Above is a 2025 social media post by Molly Ringwald with a recent picture of her.
Age now: 57.
Selected movie credits after “The Breakfast Club”: Pretty in Pink (1986), Jem and the Holograms (2015), The Kissing Booth (2018).
Filmography info per IMDb.
Ally Sheedy (Allison Reynolds)
Above is a social media post with a picture of Ally Sheedy in “The Breakfast Club.”
Actress Alexandra “Ally” Sheedy played Allison Reynolds in “The Breakfast Club.” Allison is the quiet, withdrawn, and eccentric loner in detention (voluntarily, because she had “nothing better to do”), and the archetype basket case.
Age when “The Breakfast Club” released: 22.
Selected movie credits before “The Breakfast Club”: Bad Boys (1983), WarGames (1983), Oxford Blue (1984).
GettyAge now: 63.
Selected movie credits after “The Breakfast Club”: St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), Short Circuit (1986), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016).
Filmography info per IMDb.
Though it’s sad to see that not everyone from the cast of “The Breakfast Club” is still with us, it’s great to see the majority of them doing so well.
“The Breakfast Club” is intelligent, emotional, funny, brilliantly acted by its predominantly young cast, and superbly directed and written by John Hughes. If you’re ever at a loose end, it’s the perfect movie to watch.
May Paul Gleason (and John Hughes) rest in eternal peace.
