Gleason, as he appeared in The Breakfast Club. Click the image to watch him at his best.
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On Tuesday, I mentioned the death of Paul Gleason, who had died May 28, 2006 of a form of lung cancer, to several of my co-workers. Their reaction to the news was somewhat uniform."Who?"
"Oh, you know," I responded, "he played the principal in The Breakfast Club."
"Ohhhh, that guy," came the reply.
Gleason, of course, was more than just the one role. But, particularly with the 18- to 35-year-old set, he’ll always be remembered as the mess-with-the-bulls, you’ll-get-the-horns cock of a principal who battles five snotty teens on a Saturday in suburban Chicago.
Gleason was in a ton of TV shows and movies, always playing the part, not of the villain, but of the dick. He played the dick so well, that when they needed a dick to play opposite Bruce Willis in Die Hard, they called on Gleason. He carved out a niche for himself as the go-to guy for the dick role.
This summer, thePhoenix.com will be chronicling the careers of Hollywood’s best character actors, the actors who pop up again and again, but only the movie geeks can put their finger on where. But when the rest of you finally dip back into your subconscious and remember that movie that was playing on Cinemax at 2am when you were 15, you'll inevitably have that familiar reaction: "oh, it's that guy!" It isn't until you look them up on IMDB that you realize the greatness of their careers. How many guys can say they were in both Trading Places and Ewoks: The Battle For Endor?
So we're starting with Gleason, because he was one of the best out there, and we pay him tribute the only way we can: by counting down his ten best film roles.
1. The Breakfast Club (1985): Principal Richard Vernon
The obvious choice in this case is the correct choice. Principal Richard Vernon was a great villain, but also a tragic one as well. He had made a good life for himself, had made a good school for the kids, and yet found himself being challenged by kids who he couldn’t relate to anymore.
2. Die Hard (1988): Deputy Police Chief Dwayne T. Robinson
John McClane never exactly got along well with those trying exert authority over him, but very few got as memorably depantsed as Deputy Police Chief Robinson: ""I'm not the guy who just got butt-fucked on national Television, Dwayne"
3. Trading Places (1983): Mr. Beeks
He's the bad guy that isn't a Duke brother. He ends up trapped in a monkey cage. ‘Nuff said.
4. Arthur (1981): "Executive"
Gleason's character grouses about Arthur's lifestyle, and is told to screw himself by John Gielguld. ‘Nuff said.
5. Johnny Be Good (1988): Wayne Hisler
Gleason plays Johnny's high school coach, who obviously could perform miracles if he was able to turn Anthony Michael Hall into a top football prospect.
6. Ewoks: The Battle For Endor (1985): Jeremitt Towani
Jeremitt is a family man whose ship has crashed on the Ewok-inhabited planet of Endor. But then marauders kill him and kidnap his daughter, leading to all kinds of cool stuff. Not that we've, uh, seen the movie or anything . . .
7. Van Wilder (2002): Professor Ted MacDoogle
He's the professor who has the antagonistic/respect relationship with Van Wilder. Van also messed around with his daughter.
8. Not Another Teen Movie (2001): Richard Vernon
He plays a disciplinarian high school principal in a take off of his famous Breakfast Club role.. Amazingly, this was not the first time he reprised a famous role for comedic effect. He did the same thing in National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1, where he played his character from Die Hard.
9. Tender Mercies (1983): Reporter
He plays a reporter, in the film that won Robert Duvall an Oscar. Not really that much more to it.
10. Fort Apache The Bronx (1981): Detective
Anyone who appeared in a movie in which Danny Aiello throws a guy off of a roof can look back on his career and smile
