They walked into detention as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal and left as a mirror for generations to come. Through this film, people not only discovered some iconic, up-and-coming actors but also themselves. The cult classic The Breakfast Club has been cherished for decades and created a bond amongst co-stars Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Emilio Estevez, and Ally Sheedy that left others envious. After years of waiting and hoping, the group is back together.
On Saturday, April 12, 2025, the ’80s stars reunited during a panel at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo. This was the first time the entire group had been together in one place since the making of the film. Today.com says there have been several instances where some members of the group have been spotted together, but this is the first time in 40 years that everyone has been in attendance. The panel started with the actors and actresses walking on stage to the song “Colonel Bogey March,” which their characters famously whistled together in one scene from the film. The group was moderated by Josh Horowitz.
The crew reminisced about their time spent on set and the memories created during the production of the film. Being back in the city where they filmed the movie, Chicago, it only felt right that everyone made it a point to be in attendance. Molly Ringwald joked, “This is the first time that Emilio (Estèvez) has joined us. We don’t have to use the cardboard cut-out anymore.” Horowitz was intrigued by this, and after asking Emilio what took him so long, he replied, “I skipped all of my high school reunions, so this just was something that finally I felt I needed to do just for myself.”
The Breakfast Club Cast discussed how they would not only enjoy their time on set but also the time off-set. They checked out spots around Chicago, such as record stores, blues clubs, and the Kingston Mines. They also discussed the audition processes that they each went through. Due to the recent making of another ’80s classic and Hughes production, 16 Candles, Molly (Ringwald) and Anthony (Anthony Michael Hall) were fortunate enough to skip that process and just be brought aboard by Hughes. Sheedy said she and Hughes had discussed her potential character and did not even see the script till she was officially cast. Estevez chimed in with his story of the first time meeting the whole crew. He said Hughes had organized a read-through, but the night before, he had four of his wisdom teeth removed! Due to the importance of this event, Emilio reluctantly attended and made it through. But, after they had finished, Hughes brought the first cut of his soon-to-be-released 16 Candles for the future stars to watch. Before the starting credits were finished, Estevez had passed out due to his (wisdom teeth) surgery and all of the pain medicine he had been on. By the time the end credits rolled, Estevez looked over at his crew member, Judd, and was told, “I think you’re getting fired.” From the start, they all knew each member of this crew would play a key part in this legacy.
The cast continued the panel with questions about the impact of the film from Horowitz and audience members at the Chicago convention. After watching the entire interview, there was one point that was made clear. John Hughes is the true reason behind why this film had such a large impact. From start to finish, he was so intimate with the entire cast and crew of the film. They all recalled several memories where Hughes would ask the young stars how to “go about” a scene or allow them to improv in several scenes that ended up making the final cut. Hughes allowed the cameras to stay rolling and actors to keep going throughout the scene even when there was no film left on the camera! Most importantly, Hughes always made his movies with a different directive. Emilio Estevez said it best: “Movies today are concept-driven, they’re not character-driven. And the beauty of John is that he focused on characters first.”
Still a timeless treasure, The Breakfast Club manages to bring people together rather than apart in a world full of differences. This long-awaited reunion is just what people across generations needed. It was a reminder that good things still exist and you are not alone. The death of Hughes was so sorrowful, but he will not be everything but forgotten. His work has left a legacy, a lesson, and wisdom for many. They walked into detention as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal and left as one of the most impactful people of the 80s or even some people’s lives.
