The Breakfast Club: 40 Years Later – Where Are They Now?
It’s hard to believe that 40 years have passed since that Saturday detention in 1985. For those of us who grew up with them in the 80s, The Breakfast Club wasn’t just a movie—it was a mirror. We saw ourselves in them, or at least in pieces of them. The rebel, the princess, the athlete, the brain, and the basket case—they were high school distilled into five kids just trying to figure it all out. So I started thinking:
The Breakfast Club – where are they now?
John Bender – The Rebel (Still Finding His Own Way)
Bender never really fit into the mold. He drifted for a while after high school—some time out west, maybe a stint working on oil rigs or in a motorcycle shop. He’s the guy who still sends postcards from random places with a quick “hope you’re good” scribbled on the back. He’s had a life full of ups and downs, maybe a few run-ins with the law, but nothing serious. He probably found himself in a blue-collar trade, something that lets him work with his hands, and when he’s had a couple of drinks, he’ll still tell the story of the day he walked across that football field with his fist in the air.
Claire Standish – The Princess (Redefined on Her Own Terms)
Claire’s life after high school looked exactly like you’d expect—at first. She married someone from the same social circle, probably had a big wedding at a country club, and spent years playing the role everyone expected of her. But then something changed. Maybe it was a divorce, maybe just time, but she started making her own choices, not ones that were expected of her. Now, she runs her own business—probably something creative like event planning or interior design. She’s still elegant, still put-together, but there’s a strength there that wasn’t as visible in high school. She’s the type of person who volunteers for charity work, not because it looks good, but because she genuinely wants to give back.
Andrew Clark – The Athlete (A Coach at Heart)
Andy tried to follow the path he was supposed to—college wrestling, maybe a shot at something bigger—but life had other plans. An injury or just the reality of competition probably ended that dream, and for a while, he floundered. But athletes don’t just stop being athletes; they evolve. He ended up coaching, maybe at his old high school, maybe somewhere else. He’s the guy who gives the pre-game speech that makes his players believe in themselves. He’s married, has a couple of kids, and his biggest joy now isn’t his own success—it’s watching his players achieve theirs. He still works out every morning, still feels that fire when he watches the Olympics, and still remembers what it felt like to be the best.
Brian Johnson – The Brain (Success Came, But So Did Perspective)
There was never any doubt that Brian would be successful. He probably went into engineering or tech, built something that made a lot of money, and lived the life of someone who was always five steps ahead. But success doesn’t always mean happiness. There was a moment—maybe in his 40s—when he realized he had everything he wanted on paper but still felt like that nervous kid trying to get an ‘A.’ So he made a change. Maybe he quit his corporate job and became a professor, or maybe he started mentoring kids who needed a hand. He’s still brilliant, still the guy who can solve any problem, but now he’s figured out that life isn’t just about test scores and achievement. It’s about connection.
Allison Reynolds – The Basket Case (Living on Her Own Terms)
Allison was always the mystery, the one who didn’t fit into any easy category. She probably disappeared for a while after high school, maybe traveling, maybe just figuring herself out. She ended up in the arts—painting, photography, music—something where she could express herself without having to explain it to anyone. She never cared about social expectations, and that hasn’t changed. Maybe she’s a successful artist, or maybe she just does her thing, living a quiet life somewhere beautiful, but she’s happy. And that’s all that ever really mattered.
Principal Vernon – (A Changed Man?)
If Vernon lived long enough, maybe he changed. Maybe he finally realized that kids weren’t just problems to be dealt with, but people who needed understanding. Maybe he retired, spent time with his grandkids, and looked back on his time at Shermer High with a different perspective. Or maybe he never changed at all. Some people don’t.
The Legacy of That Day with The Breakfast Club
The truth is, life doesn’t wrap up in neat little endings like a movie (even The Breakfast Club). Maybe they stayed in touch for a while, maybe not. But that one day in detention meant something—it changed them. And for those of us who sat in the theater, watching them walk out of Shermer High, it changed us too. And don’t forget how important the janitor was to the story – great article here.
Because whether you were the brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess, or the rebel—you knew what it meant to feel like no one really saw you. And for at least one Saturday, they did.
And in the end, that’s what still matters.
