Sixteen Candles
Summary
The cast ofSixteen Candleshas gone in many different directions since the film premiered in 1984 . The project was the directorial unveiling of iconic manager John Hughes , who had previously write screenplay for movies includingVacation , Mr. Mom , andNational Lampoon ’s Class Reunion . In addition to introducing one of the most iconic directors of the 1980s , the movie was a seminal Brat Pack picture , helping introduce several of the young actors who would dominate teen mass medium for years to come .
Because theBrat Pack moviewas filmed more than four decades before the clip of composition , several members of the mainSixteen Candlescast have clear away . This admit Carlin Glynn , who playedBrenda Baker , in addition to the actors who played the grandparent , namely Edward Andrews ( Grandpa Howard Baker ) , Billie Bird ( Grandma Dorothy Baker ) , Carole Cook ( Grandma Helen ) , and Max Showalter ( Grandpa Fred ) . However , the bulk of the asterisk who played key character in the movie are still alive , though not all of them stay in the entertainment industry .
Sixteen Candles hit its 40 - yr milepost in May 2024 , but some aspects of the film do n’t hold up as well as you may have thought on rewatch .
1Molly Ringwald
Character: Samantha “Sam” Baker
Sixteen Candleswas the first coaction betweenMolly Ringwald and John Hughes . They would apace follow the movie with the classic teen filmsThe Breakfast ClubandPretty in Pink , cement her as one of the premier penis of the Brat Pack . Ringwald , now 56 , has since spread her wings well , both as an actor and otherwise , including office in French yield in increase to make for as both a Isaac Bashevis Singer and runway poser .
She write a 2018 essay for The New Yorker examining the toxic figure of her eighties comedies .
In addition to recent roles including playing Archie ’s mother Mary Andrews onRiverdale , Jeffrey Dahmer ’s stepmother Shari Dahmer onMonsterseason 1 , and Joanne Carson onFeud : Capote vs. The Swans , she has made wave as a writer . In increase to the 2012 untested adult novelWhen It Happens to You : A Novel in Storiesand two recent translations of French Bible include Philippe Besson’sLie With Me , she penned a 2018 essay forThe New Yorkerexamining the toxic tropes of her 1980s comedies .
Custom image by Brennan Klein
2Michael Schoeffling
Character: Jake Ryan
Michael Shoeffling , who played Sam ’s love pursuit Jake Ryan , notably left Hollywood less than a 10 after the premiere ofSixteen candela , which was his first accredit role after breaking into the business sector as a model and then holding an uncredited support role diametrical formerFast Times at Ridgemont Highco - stars Sean Penn and Nicolas Cage inRacing with the Moon . Although Shoeffling hold a handful of other roles throughout the 1980s , let in come along in the moviesVision QuestandLongtime Companion , he withdraw after playing Al Carver in 1991’sWild Hearts Ca n’t Be busted .
Shoeffling , now 63 , move to Pennsylvania and afford a carpentry shop after leave the amusement industry . However , not much info has been made public about his business , let in whether or not it is still capable at the time of writing . He has been married to fellow histrion Valerie C. Robinson , with whom he has two children , for more than three decades .
3Anthony Michael Hall
Character: Farmer Ted
Sixteen Candlesprovided young star Anthony Michael Hall with another early role to comply his appearing as Rusty Griswold in the John Hughes - pennedVacationin 1983.Along with Ringwald , he would become one of the most prominentactors in the Brat Packthroughout the 1980s . His follow - up teen picture includedThe Breakfast Club(in which he reunify with Ringwald ) andWeird Science(which also starred Kelly LeBrock , Ilan Mitchell - Smith , and Bill Paxton ) .
In recent years , he has taken on roles as hard , no - falderol character including the grown - up Tommy Doyle in the 2021 legacy horror sequelHalloween Kills .
Hall , now 56 , has now long shed his dorky stripling persona . In recent years , he has taken on roles as tough , no - nonsensicality characters including the grown - up Tommy Doyle in the 2021 legacy horror sequelHalloween Kills . Since then , he has split his time between television serial publication includingThe GoldbergsandBosch : Legacyand movies such asClerks IIIandAir Force One Down . He has also signed on to asterisk in the upcomingReacherseason 3as the rich and paranoid Zachary Beck .
In John Hughes’s directorial debut, Molly Ringwald stars as Samantha Baker, a high school student in suburban Chicago whose sixteenth birthday is marred when her whole family forgets to celebrate the occasion due to her older sister’s wedding. Navigating a school dance and a seemingly unrequited crush on an older boy, Sam’s sweet sixteen becomes a day to remember. Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Schoeffling, and Gedde Watanabe also star.
4Haviland Morris
Character: Caroline Mulford
Haviland Morris , who played Jake Ryan ’s lady friend Caroline Mulford , largely invalidate the stripling moving-picture show fit after appearing inSixteen Candles . However , she held roles in quite a few major titles throughout the 1980s , include appearing opposite Madonna inWho ’s That Girl , star in an instalment of the horror anthologyTales from the Darkside , and play Billy ’s Boss Marla Bloodstone in the 1990 sequelGremlins 2 : The New Batch .
Morris , now 64,has followed Schoeffling ’s lead and found a career outside the amusement industry . She now works primarily as a real estate broker . At the time of writing , herLinkedInreports that she is base out of New York City and works with Halstead Real Estate . However , she has not left the amusement industry behind completely and has seem in various character over the years , most recently returning to theGremlinsfranchise to vocalize Theodora inGremlins : secret of the Mogwai .
5Gedde Watanabe
Character: Long Duk Dong
Gary " Gedde " Watanabe ’s connection withSixteen Candlesis fraught because of the racially insensitive nature of the depiction of his fiber , Taiwanese foreign commutation educatee Long Duk Dong . Throughout the eighties , he hold up roles in other major titles includingVampandUHF , but many of his roles from the rest of the decade followed similar lines . In a recentPEOPLEinterview celebrating the movie ’s fortieth anniversary , he reflected that " there was n’t really anything out there for Asiatic actors at the time . "
Watanabe , now 68 , is still a fertile worker . Many of his most late operation have been in voice roles including joining theKung Fu Panda 4castas Badger Crime Boss in addition to voicing characters inUltraman : Rising , Patsy Lee & the Keepers of the 5 Kingdoms , andBlue Eye Samurai . Recent live - action roles for Watanabe let in playing Professor Harpin in four episodes ofThe Sex life of College Girlsand single - episode coming into court onCall Me KatandMagnum P.I.
6Paul Dooley
Character: Jim Baker
Paul Dooley , who portrayed Sam ’s don Jim Baker , was already play more adult roles at the time of the movie ’s release(including playing Wimpy in Robert Altman ’s 1980 moviePopeye , adapting the comic slip of the same name ) , so he did n’t get drag up in the teen picture manic disorder thatSixteen Candleshelped ignite . However , that has n’t prevented him from appearing in more than 200 movies and television shows over the course of his decennium - tenacious career .
Dooley , now 96 , has been married to Winnie Holtzman(who wrote the book for the strike hit musicalWicked ) since the same year thatSixteen Candlespremiered . While he perform onscreen less frequently than he did in the menstruum between the other 1970s and the late 2000s , he has appeared in five projects in the 2020s include an episode ofModern Family , the Michael Jr. comedySelfie Dad , and the 2023 sci - fi movieBoy Makes Girl .
7Justin Henry
Character: Mike Baker
On the other terminal of the spectrum from Paul Dooley , Justin Henry , who played Sam ’s trivial brother Mike Baker inSixteen Candles , was too young to play a major part in the teen movie boom of the mid-1980s . However , his vocation did n’t need the boost from the Hughes motion-picture show , as he had recently become the young nominee for a free-enterprise Oscar when he was given a nod by the Academy for his back carrying out inKramer vs. Kramer .
Henry , now 53 , has only acted periodically since the 2000s . One of his last credited roles was in the 2014 repugnance movieReaper , which also starred Danny Trejo and Vinnie Jones . At the time of writing , according to hisLinkedInpage , he chiefly puzzle out in medium scheme , concern development , and finance . As of 2023 , he has been work with the digital picture fellowship Telestream . He also does work for society admit Worthington Media Group and N2 Media Holdings , Inc.
8Blanche Baker
Character: Ginny Baker
Blanche Baker , who shares a last name with herSixteen Candlescharacter ( Sam ’s old sister Ginny Baker),played a variety of roles in projects throughout the end of the eighties , including appear opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the activity movieRaw Deal . She come together out the ten by meet Ofglen in the 1990 movieThe Handmaid ’s Tale , adjust from the Margaret Atwood novel of the same name that inspired the modern-day dystopian Hulu series , in which her character was play byGilmore female child ' Alexis Bledel .
Her only lineament - duration labor in the last five year has been the 2021 thrillerAshley Fades Away , in which she appear diametric William Sadler and Ashley Shelton .
Baker , now 67 , has continued to act , though she has appeared onscreen with less frequency since the late 2010s . Her only feature article - length project in the last five year has been the 2021 thrillerAshley Fades Away , in which she appear opposite William Sadler and Ashley Shelton . Since 2003 , she has been hook up with to Mark Magill , with whom she has a boy , her fourth child overall after having three children with her first husband .
9Liane Curtis
Character: Randy
Liane Curtis , who play Sam ’s best friend Randy inSixteen Candles , became good known as a television role player after the flick ’s release . Throughout the 1980s , she seem in various roles in small blind titles includingAnother World , The Best Times , The Equalizer , Married … with Children,21 Jump Street , Knots Landing , andThe Bronx Zoo . She also appeared in the cult moviesCritters 2 : The Main CourseandGirlfriend from Hell .
Curtis , now 58 , has not act as onscreen since 2018 when she play a office in the short filmSelfie . However , sinceSixteen cd , she has had a robust life history creating various company . Her businesses , many of which have shutter since their institution , let in production company Vulcan A Productions and oy-oy-click-click.com as well as the event and direction fellowship Mackenzie Group Entertainment , Inc. , which she co - ground with her husband Timothy J Mackenzie . harmonize to herLinkedIn , her most recent venture is the record recording label Feather Rouge Music .
Source : The New Yorker , Haviland Morris / LinkedIn , PEOPLE , Justin Henry / LinkedIn , Liane Curtis / LinkedIn
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Cast
In John Hughes ’s directorial introduction , Molly Ringwald stars as Samantha Baker , a high school student in suburban Chicago whose sixteenth birthday is marred when her whole family blank out to celebrate the occasion due to her old sister ’s wedding . Navigating a school day dance and a on the face of it unrequited calf love on an sure-enough boy , Sam ’s sweet-flavored sixteen becomes a day to remember . Anthony Michael Hall , Michael Schoeffling , and Gedde Watanabe also star .
