"Don't just stand their Powell, shoot that Russian bastard!"
Posted on 05/28/2006 4:03:46 PM PDT by lunarbicep
Paul Gleason, who played the go-to bad guy in "Trading Places" and the angry high school principal in "The Breakfast Club," has died. He was 67.
Gleason's wife, Susan, says her husband died Saturday at a Burbank hospital of mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer linked to asbestos.
Gleason appeared in over 60 movies, including "Die Hard," "Johnny Be Good," and "National Lampoon's Van Wilder." Most recently, he made a handful of television appearances in hit shows such as "Friends" and "Seinfeld."
A native of Miami, Gleason was an avid athlete. Before becoming an actor, he played Triple-A minor league baseball for a handful of clubs in the late 1950s.
Gleason honed his acting skills in the mid-1960s with his mentor Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in New York.
Gleason is survived by his wife, two daughters and a granddaughter. Funeral plans are pending.
can you describe the ruckus, sir?
Good actor. 67 is a lot younger than it used to be.
I'm sure i'm not the only one here can repeat that movie almost line for line.
"does barry manilow know you raided his wardrobe?"
Who knew Principal Vernon was a method actor, wow!
I haven't seen anything else either about asbestos exposure. It's pretty much the only way that you can get mesothelioma. A very painful way to die.
"Don't just stand their Powell, shoot that Russian bastard!"
Yes, I can recite every line....and was able to meet Paul a few years back after a movie premiere. I told him how me & my friends watched Breakfast Club so many times....blah blah blah....even gave him the Barry Manilow line & he didn't seem to mind. He even invited me to sit down in his booth.
Dang. There was a story about him not a year ago or so I think it was, and he seemed perfectly healthy.
RIP. That's young to go any more. Prayers for him and his family.
Dang. One of the great character actors, no matter who he was playing, I bought it completely. Rest in peace, Paul.
LOL! As for your tagline, you might want to see this.
Wow. Sad. He was great.
I do too, and yes, I am slightly embarrassed. :)
four with me
"This is Deputy Chief Dwayne T Robinson and I'm in charge down here."
Great character actor.
Dont have to do anything really...I am 39 and I am 40% gray...largely because of genetics, also probably because I didnt take enough calcium growing up. Mom says Ive been getting gray hair since I was 16, but I dont remember seeing any until my mid-20s. Still, it has nothing to do with leading a hard life...just genetics.
He was and always will be known to me as "Clarence Beeks".
Great character actor. He will be missed in the entertainment biz.
The same disease that killed Warren Zevon. What a shame.
The greatest 80s icon.
Great actor and his work will live on.
Did I hear a ruckus?
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