Where are they now: John Hughes film alumni

In 2007, four Canadian filmmakers set out to find out what happened to 80's teen film auteur John Hughes. The film they made, titled Don't You Forget About Me--released in 2009 soon after Hughes' untimely death--is a love letter to the director filled with interviews from the people he worked with and inspired--Judd Nelson, Howard Deutch, Kelly LeBrock, Roger Ebert, and Kevin Smith to name a few. Sadly, while the young filmmakers who were so inspired by Hughes' films found the man, he declined an interview. I like to think this was simply because he was so far removed from his previous life.

Over the last few days, I've dived back into Hughes' work--a world I wholeheartedly related to as a teenager. Hughes was the guy who introduced me to great dialogue and the idea that characters simply talking could be as exciting as any action sequence. I wasn't particularly surprised to find that his films have aged well and hanging out with the likes of John Bender and Ferris Bueller is like getting together with old friends.

I was shaken by Hughes death last August. Not just because I love his films, but because the man all but disappeared at what could be argued was the height of his career. Over the years he penned a few screenplays using a nom de plume, but nothing really memorable (Drillbit Taylor? Really?). That got me to thinking: what have the actors from his films been up to? Sure I know Emilio Estevez inspired a hockey franchise and Molly Ringwald ran off to France, but beyond that.... So, I did a little research:


Judd Nelson (John Bender, The Breakfast Club): One of the original members of the "Brat Pack", Nelson made a few successful films after his stint in detention including St. Elmo's Fire and the TV flick Billionaire Boys Club. In the early 1990s, in part due to a drug problem, Nelson's career dried up until a three year stint on the Brooke Shields' comedy "Suddenly Susan." Since then Nelson has taken smaller roles on TV and in film including a cameo in Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Nelson was recently tapped to voice Rodimus Prime in a revival of the animated Transformers series. Never married, Nelson was once engaged to actress Shannen Doherty.

 Anthony Michael Hall (roles in The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Weird Science): The geeky character from Hughes' films developed a drinking problem, dropped out of sight for two years in the early 1990s and then reappeared insanely buff as a psycho boyfriend in Edward Scissorhands (BTW: Hall denies he took steroids to achieve his pumped physique). From there, he played Bill Gates in TV's Pirates of Silicon Valley and snagged his own show--"The Dead Zone" based on the novel by Stephen King. The show was a tremendous success, but was cancelled in 2007. Rumors persist that Hall suffers from bipolar disorder and he was recently accused of assaulting his girlfriend (by biting her on the forehead!!!). He can be seen soon on the NBC sitcom "Community" as a former bully.

Ally Sheedy (Allison Reynolds, The Breakfast Club): Like her co-stars, Sheedy has found post-Club success on the small screen. She has appeared on the shows "C.S.I", "Psych", and "Kyle XY." She even reunited with Hall in an episode of "The Dead Zone." She was treated for an addiction to sleeping pills in the mid-90s soon after the birth of her daughter, Rebecca. She was married to David Lansbury, nephew of actress of Angela Landsbury. The two divorced in 2008.


 


Ilan Mitchell-Smith (Wyatt Donnelly, Weird Science): Mitchell-Smith stepped away from acting in 1991. His final role was a guest appearance on the TV series "Silk Stalkings." He earned his Ph.D. from Texas A&M and is currently an assistant professor of English at California State University, Long Beach.






 
Kelly LeBrock (Lisa, Weird Science): LeBrock was famous before Hughes with a successful modeling career and as the title role in the Gene Wilder comedy The Woman in Red. She married actor/martial artist/lawman Steven Seagal in 1987, but the two divorced in 1996. LeBrock all but retired from acting after her split from Seagal. Living on a ranch with her three kids in Southern California, LeBrock invests in real estate and reportedly is working on her autobiography.




Bill Paxton (Chet, Weird Science): Arguably,  Wyatt's bully of a big brother faired among the best of the Hughes' alumni. Perhaps not as well as Robert Downey Jr. (who played one of the bullies in Weird Science), but having your own top-rated, critically acclaimed show on HBO ("Big Love") isn't half-bad. Oh, and he also starred in Twister, True Lies, Apollo 13, U-571, and Titanic to name a few of his dozens of screen roles. Paxton has two kids with his wife who he married in 1987. He also directed and starred in one of my favorite horror films--Frailty.

Alan Ruck (Cameron Frye, Ferris Bueller's Day Off): Ruck has worked steadily since his Hughes days with roles in several successful films including Speed and Twister. He spent six seasons on the hit sitcom "Spin City" and has had guest appearances on several shows including "Boston Legal" and "Psych." He can be next seen in the medical drama Extraordinary Measures alongside Harrison Ford. He's on his second marriage (to actress Mireille Enos), has two kids, and is a graduate of the University of Illinois.

Mia Sara (Sloane Peterson, Ferris Bueller's Day Off): After her Day Off, Sara appeared in several TV movies and minor film roles before 1994's Timecop where she played Jean Claude Van Damme's wife. Since then she has worked sporadically including a leading role in the short-lived superhero show "Birds of Prey." She is currently dating Brian Henson, Jim Henson's son.

Jeffrey Jones (Principal Rooney, Ferris Bueller's Day Off): One of those actors most people recognize, but isn't a household name, Jones has appeared in dozens of popular films including The Hunt for Red October, Amadeus, Sleepy Hollow, and Stuart Little. He also has the dubious honor of appearing in a film many consider one of the worst of all time: Howard the Duck (a guilty pleasure of mine). He also has a long TV resume with roles on "Amazing Stories", "Tales from the Crypt", and HBO's "Deadwood." Unfortunately it seems his career has come to an end: his last role was in 2007's Who's Your Caddy. This is likely because of his legal troubles: in 2002 Jones was arrested for hiring a 14-year-old boy to pose for nude photos--a charge to which he plead no contest. He was then sued in civil court for the same crime. Earlier this year his wife filed for divorce.

Gedde Watanabe (Long Duk Dong, Sixteen Candles): First off, Watanabe is American. His accent was created for his Sixteen Candles role much to the surprise of his co-stars and Hughes who thought it was real for the first several weeks of the shoot. Watanabe continues to work in TV, film, and on Broadway. His most recent credits include Forgetting Sarah Marshall and TV's "Everwood." He also voiced the character Ling in the video game Kingdom Hearts II.

Michael Schoeffling (Jake Ryan, Sixteen Candles): Your best bet to get close to Jake these days is to buy some furniture. After appearing in such films as Vision Quest and Mermaids, Schoeffling gave up acting (thus why no recent picture) to handcraft furniture as the owner of his own woodworking shop. He, his former model wife, and their two kids live in Pennsylvania.

Haviland Morris (Caroline Mulford, Sixteen Candles): A handful of movies came after Candles, but Morris' biggest success was on the small screen--"Sex and the City", "Law & Order", and "One Tree Hill." These days, Morris is mostly retired, working in real estate, and performing occasionally in community stage productions. A bit of trivia: Caroline's blonde 'do (which is chopped to shreds in Candles) was a wig. Morris' hair is red.