Back in the 1980s, there was an actor many geeks and nerds could instantly relate to on screen. He starred in several of our favorite films, including Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Weird Science. That actor was Anthony Michael Hall.
I had the chance to attend Anthony Michael Hall’s panel at Missouri Comic Con, and I’m very glad I did. He was incredibly friendly, open, and engaging with the audience, happily sharing stories from his long and varied career. While some actors prefer to focus strictly on what they’re working on now, Anthony clearly lights up when fans ask about his iconic films from the ’80s—and the room could feel that energy.
During the panel, he talked about his role as Rusty Griswold in the first Vacation movie. When asked what he was actually drinking in the famous beer scene, Anthony revealed the can was empty and he was only pretending to drink. He also shared a great behind‑the‑scenes story about the film’s original ending, which involved the Griswolds going to Roy Wally’s house and holding him hostage. Test audiences didn’t respond well—mostly because the family never made it to Wally World—so the ending had to be reshot months later. By then, puberty had definitely kicked in for Anthony, making continuity a bit of a challenge.
A large portion of the panel centered on John Hughes. Anthony spoke very fondly of him, explaining that Hughes developed a close friendship with both Anthony and his parents. The two would hang out often, and Hughes would even call him regularly. Anthony explained he didn’t appear in European Vacation because Hughes already had him lined up for Sixteen Candles. He recalled Hughes showing up on set during long shooting days and casually pitching his next role: “I have this great idea—you and another guy are going to make a girl on a computer.” Anthony joked that he didn’t know when Hughes had time to write anything, since he’d wrapped filming just hours earlier. As Anthony put it plainly, “I wouldn’t be here without John Hughes.”
When The Breakfast Club came up, Anthony spoke about it with obvious warmth and nostalgia. Many of the film’s most memorable lines were ad‑libbed, encouraged by Hughes. He shared that Judd Nelson was deeply into method acting at the time, showing up to set fully in character as Bender. Anthony laughed while recalling that this approach genuinely freaked out Molly Ringwald—adding that, according to him, “a lot of things freaked Molly out back then.”
Anthony was also asked about playing such a wide range of characters. He admitted it was difficult finding varied roles following his massive teen success, but over time he’s been fortunate to work in many different films and TV series. He enjoys switching things up and not playing the same type of character repeatedly, explaining that as an actor, “you gotta go where the work is,” and that “the work chooses you.” As he joked, “Sometimes it’s Reacher, and sometimes it’s Freddy Got Fingered.”
Speaking of Reacher, Anthony said he had a great time playing his character—a villain with mob ties—but appreciated that the character’s relationship with his son made him feel more human and relatable. He also mentioned his role on Psych, calling his character “so dumb, but so fun to play.”
He then talked about his recurring role on The Goldbergs, where he played the “cool teacher.” Anthony said it felt like coming full circle—playing a teacher on a show set in the ’80s after spending so much of the actual 1980s playing teenagers on screen.
When asked about Halloween Kills, he explained that working on a horror film is very different than most genres. In horror movies, he joked, “The hero is always the villain who kills everyone.”
Anthony was asked which movie he acted in that he loved but didn’t perform well at the box office. Without hesitation, he answered War Machine, starring Brad Pitt.
These days, Anthony is spending more time directing and has developed a serious motorcycle hobby that’s turned into something of an obsession. When asked what he might have done if he hadn’t become an actor, he said his family has a strong musical background—so he likely would have become a musician.
I even did something unusual for myself and got in line to ask a question. As someone who was a teenage boy during the same era, I asked what it was like working with Kelly LeBrock on Weird Science. Anthony laughed—this seemed to be a rare question. His answer was pure teenage honesty: “Short answer? It was hard… all the time.” He added that the cast and crew constantly struggled to stay focused because Kelly was stunningly beautiful, jokingly referencing her famous “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful” line. He also said she was incredibly cool to work with and had the same sarcastic, joke‑filled sense of humor as the rest of them.
One of the most touching moments came when an attendee named Ramona stepped up—not with a question, but simply to say, “Thank you for being the nerd when I was a nerd.” The room erupted in applause.
Stay Geeky!
