Paul Gleason

Paul Gleason's greatest achievement was becoming the face of the beleaguered authority figure in 1980s cinema. His performance as Principal Richard Vernon in The Breakfast Club is one of the most quoted and referenced school administrator roles in film history. His turn as Deputy Police Chief Dwayne T. Robinson in Die Hard provided both comic relief and a perfect foil for Bruce Willis's John McClane. These roles have been parodied, homaged, and referenced countless times across pop culture. Gleason's ability to make audiences simultaneously dislike and laugh at his characters is a rare skill that few character actors have matched. He may not have won awards, but his work has achieved a kind of immortality through repeated viewings and cultural osmosis.