'The Breakfast Club' stars reunite in full for 1st time 40 years after film's release

By Mason Leib

The teens of "The Breakfast Club" are back together, this time all grown up.

Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estèvez and Anthony Michael Hall all reconvened on Saturday in Chicago to discuss their hit film and celebrate the John Hughes project's 40th anniversary.

The meeting, which took place on a panel at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, marked the first time the five main cast members had reunited in the 40 years since the film's release.

The group started by acknowledging the four-decade gap since all five had been back together.

"I feel really very emotional and moved to have us all together," said Ringwald, who played Claire Standish in the coming-of-age film. Ringwald noted it was also the first time Estèvez, who played Andrew Clark in the film, had joined a group reunion.

Barry Brecheisen/WireImage/Getty Images

Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez and Anthony Michael Hall during C2E2 on the main stage for the "Don't You Forget About Me: The Breakfast Club 40th Anniversary Reunion" at McCormick Place on April 12, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

Estèvez explained, "This just was something that, finally, I felt I needed to do, just for myself."

"It's here in Chicago where we made the film, obviously the 40th anniversary," he continued. "It just felt like it was time."

The group reminisced about memories from the film's set, discussed the film's legacy and recalled what it was like working with Hughes, the legendary director who died in 2009.

Last month, Estèvez announced he would be joining his co-stars for the reunion in a social media post, writing, "First time for everything. A reunion 40 years in the making. See you soon, Chicago."

"The Breakfast Club" premiered Feb. 15, 1985, and told the story of five teenagers serving detention at their Chicago high school. Each of the young teenagers brings a different perspective to the group, offering a captivating clash of personalities onscreen.

Sheedy played Allison Reynolds, Nelson played John Bender and Hall played Brian Johnson, alongside Ringwald as Claire and Estèvez as Andrew.

The film made over $45 million at the global box office, according to The Numbers, a film industry data website that tracks box office revenue.

Individually, the stars of the film have kept in contact over the years. In 2022, Ringwald shared a photo of herself and Sheedy embracing during a dinner date, calling the moment an "early Christmas present."