80s Movie Characters: Where Are They Now...

We’re all fans of iconic movies of the 80’s, right? But, have we ever sat down and thought about what happened to some of our favorite characters from some of those great movies? Well wonder no more kids because I’m here to update you on their whereabouts. Here’s what four of the most awesome characters of the 80’s have been up to since the movie ended.

Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates) Fast Times at Ridgemont High: We all remember how fabulous Linda looked in (and out) of her bikini, so she decided to take advantage of that and make some money.  Linda became a stripper starting out at the Olympic Gardens in Vegas. It wasn’t long before she was also doing adult movies and headlining strip clubs all across America. She later went on to open her own brothel in Nevada and write a book that was later made into a Lifetime made-for-television movie. 

John Bender (Jud Nelson) The Breakfast Club: John Bender went on to become a highly successful lawyer for the health insurance industry. He litigated cases for health insurance companies and later lobbied on their behalf both on the state and federal levels. He later got into politics and was elected governor of New Jersey. But, he was forced to resign when he admitted that he had been carrying on a homosexual love affair for 10 years and had used his position as governor to get his lover a high paying state job.

Ariel Moore (Lori Singer) Footloose: Ariel continued her whild and rebellious ways through college and grad school and then became a journalist.  After marrying and having seven kids, Ariel saw that her father was right and quickly joined the local republican women’s club. She then became a very famous Mommy Blogger which she then parleyed into a job as a Family Values Correspondent job at Fox News. 

Ferris Bueller (Matthew Brokerick) Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: After high school Ferris went on to graduate Summa Cum Laude from Notre Dame University and, despite paying an Asian guy to take his MCATs for him, graduated #1 in his class at the University of Chicago Medical School. Ferris then went on to build one of the most respected OB/GYN practices in all of the Midwest. He became one of the foremost experts on women’s health and a special correspondent on the subject for CNN and USA Today newspapers.

Julie Richmond (Deborah Foreman) Valley Girl: Julie surprised everyone by accepting an Air Force ROTC scholarship to UCLA. After college she went to flight school and became the first female Stealth Bomber pilot. Julie rose to the rank of Colonel, but was forced into retirement when it was discovered that she was having an affair with an 18 year old enlisted man. 

Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) A Christmas Story: Ralphie went on to become the beat writer for the Cleveland Indians, but always wanted more. He wanted to be a great writer, so he quit that job and set out to write novels. Unfortunately he was never a success and fell into depression. His depression led him to drink heavily and engage in drug use. Oddly enough, it was his alcohol and drug fueled screeds that he wrote for Mother Jones that finally brought him the fame and recognition he craved.

So there you have it folks. You can stop lying awake at night wondering what happened to these great characters in the years after their movie. Maybe everything didn’t go perfectly for them, but that’s the way life goes sometimes.

Jayman
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