What Brian Johnson From The Breakfast Club Is Doing Now
What happens when five students with seemingly little in common are sentenced to Saturday detention together? "The Breakfast Club" is born. Now a cult classic, the 1985 film tackles high school drama head-on, with each of the main characters representing their place in the social hierarchy. Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald) is the princess. Andrew Clark (Emilio Estevez) is the athlete. Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy) is the basket case. John Bender (Judd Nelson) is the criminal.
Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall) is the brain – and as such, deserves some extra love. After all, he wrote the essay to set the group free and coined the term "Breakfast Club" to bring them together.
In a sea of arguably cooler and more popular students, Brian stands out. And in a cast filled with the era's Brat Packers, Anthony Michael Hall is exceptional, too, with a career that's continued since his rise to stardom as a teenager. Here's what he's been up to during the past decade.
Anthony Michael Hall was still Awkward as an adult
Hall began his career playing geeky characters in John Hughes coming-of-age films, so it kind of makes sense he was cast in a recurring role in MTV's teen comedy/drama "Awkward" during Season 3. The show centers on Jenna Hamilton (Ashley Rickards), a teenage girl with social problems that start with an accident everyone believes was a suicide attempt.
Back in high school as a grown-up this time, Hall plays Mr. Hart, Jenna's sadistic creative writing teacher. In the role, he appears to have more in common with Assistant Principal Richard Vernon from "The Breakfast Club" than the earnest Brian Johnson. But there's at least a little more to the story.
"Mr. Hart doesn't have a heart, but he will bring up some interesting questions for Jenna to think over and push her to places she wouldn't go normally and make her face some really hard decisions," Rickards said to The Hollywood Reporter. "He pushes her to a level of challenge and identity."
He brought the drama
In 2016, Hall joined Season 3 of TNT's drama series "Murder in the First." For five episodes, he played Paul Barnes, the father of a troubled pop star. It was no light role, as Barnes has his own problems, including a mean temper and a penchant for violence. Some might call it a stretch for a guy who grew up in teen comedies, but Hall has said he likes drama, too.
"I have to say, there is a great truth to this idea that playing bad guys is more fun," he told PopEntertainment.com.
The following year, in September 2017, Hall had a bit of drama in his own life when he was sentenced to 40 hours of community service and three years of informal probation for pushing a neighbor who fell and broke his wrist. It wasn't the first time he'd had trouble with the law, but presumably, he served his sentence and got his life back on track. In September 2019, he got engaged to actress Lucia Oskerova, and soon, he landed a recurring role on a popular series.
Hall looked to the past and the future
In 2020, Hall had the chance to revisit teen comedy once again, this time in a period piece set during the decade that made him famous. On "The Goldbergs," he was cast as Mr. Perott, a high school guidance counselor, in a role he appreciated right away.
"I thought (it) was hilarious. And it gave me an opportunity to make fun of myself. And it was also a nod to the early John Hughes stuff, too," he stated in an interview with 6ABC. "They're poking fun of the era and at the same time, everybody's in on the joke."
In another nod to the past, Hall will play Tommy Doyle, a character from the original 1978 "Halloween" film, – in the upcoming sequel, "Halloween Kills." He's also starring in two upcoming projects, the action film "Zero" and the drama film "The Class." While his journey hasn't been without bumps, Hall's future still looks promising.
"I used to joke, I think it took me about 20 years to process the first 20 years of my life," he continued in the 6ABC interview. "I think with a sense of humility, which life will show you, you just keep chipping away at it, you know? You keep moving forward."