The Breakfast Club Cast Reunites 40 Years Later at Chicago Convention

CHICAGO, Ill. — The cast of the iconic 1985 film “The Breakfast Club” reunited on April 12 during a panel at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), celebrating 40 years since the movie that defined a generation. Cast members Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, and Ally Sheedy shared their memories and thoughts about the film and their time together.

“I feel very emotional and moved to have us all together,” said Ringwald, who portrayed the high school princess Claire Standish. This reunion marked Estevez’s first appearance with the group, eliciting lighthearted remarks from Ringwald who said, “We don’t have to use the cardboard cutout anymore. I feel really moved that we’re all together.” The actor, who played Andrew Clark, explained his long absence from such events, saying, “I felt that I needed to do it for myself.” Estevez emphasized the significance of the reunion, stating, “This one felt special. It’s here in Chicago where we made the film, obviously it’s the 40th anniversary, and it just felt like it was time.

During the panel, Hall, who played the brainiac Brian Johnson, reminisced about the audition process for their roles, noting, “John (Hughes) just called up and said, ‘I want you to come in.’ He didn’t have a script. He was just asking me what I thought.” Ringwald shared a different experience with Hughes’s creative process, revealing, “Originally, he was gonna do ‘The Breakfast Club’ before he did ‘Sixteen Candles.’ They put ‘The Breakfast Club’ on hold and then he gave me the script.”

Ringwald and Sheedy reflected on their recent appearances, noting that they had met up at MegaCon Orlando on February 7. Ringwald discussed the lasting impact of the movie, citing how she showed it to her daughter when she was ten: “It changed my parenting, watching it with her.” She recalls that the film opened up engaging conversations between them. “A lot of this stuff went over her head but how it spoke to her, which character she identified with and why, it opened up this incredible conversation,” she said.

As nostalgia filled the room, the cast also shared their thoughts on the futures of their characters. “I think Bender is clearly the principal of the school,” joked Nelson. “I think Allison would’ve ended up being a writer, maybe a professor, something intellectual,” added Sheedy. Ringwald suggested that Claire might have a more adventurous life, saying, “I think that Claire probably got married a few times and maybe decided she liked women.”

Despite the enthusiasm for a possible sequel, the cast expressed that a new film is unlikely, honoring the late Hughes. Hall stated, “It was something that was conjured and thought about,” but they agreed they wouldn’t move forward without Hughes guiding the project. Ringwald spoke fondly of her experiences with the director in previous interviews, reminiscing, “It was a very free, creative experience.”

The reunion brought tears and laughter to fans in attendance, and it highlighted the special connection the cast members developed during the filming of “The Breakfast Club.” As they reflected on their time working together, the reunion reminded everyone of the enduring impact of Hughes’s film that continues to resonate with audiences today.