It’s a shame when a film icon passes. More often than not, those icons are character actors we recognize immediately, but seldom know the name of. Paul Gleason was one of those actors, and sadly, he passed away Saturday afternoon from lung cancer at the age of 67 – far too young for such a talented character actor.
Best known for the role of Principal Vernon in The Breakfast Club (“Don’t mess with the bull, young man. You’ll get the horns.”) Gleason would return to that character numerous times for inspiration, recognition, and even parody. It’s amazing to see how many television shows the man was a part of over two decades. Maybe he only had bit parts, but he was an actor who was constantly working. He even delivered one of my favorite dumb-ass character lines of all time: “God, I hope that’s not a hostage” (Die Hard).
Gleason is survived by his wife, two daughters, and a granddaughter, but there will be an awful lot of Breakfast Club devotees who will miss the principal who inadvertently taught them something important.
