Former Gary Coleman sidekick Todd Bridges has a new book coming out, because what else is he going to do, and apparently in it he claims he was offered and then unoffered a role by John Hughes. The movie in question is arguably Hughes greatest work, The Breakfast Club, and Bridges says Hughes offered him a part in it when they ended up seated next to each other on a plane.
Now here’s where things get strange. Todd says he went to see John’s partner, and after the unnamed “partner” gave him a once over, he was told “we don’t know how to write for blacks”. Then they sent him on his way.
Before you start screaming John Hughes was a racist, keep in mind that though Hughes offered him the role, it wasn’t Hughes who rejected him. And besides, is that really racist? Maybe it’s just honest. Obviously he wasn’t opposed to having black people in his movies, otherwise he’d never have offered Bridges a part in the first place. It sounds like he simply knew his limits. For that matter, I’d say Hughes also didn’t know how to write for Asians. Long Duk Dong anyone? He attempted to write an Asian and ended up with one of the most stereotypical characters ever created. Clearly John had no idea what Asian kids were all about. Just imagine if he’d tried to do the same thing with a black kid. This may have been the right decision.
Watch Todd discuss his encounter with John Hughes below.
