RIP Paul Gleason
 

Nobody will ever miss with the bull again.


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 died at a local hospital Saturday of mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer linked to asbestos, said his wife, Susan Gleason.

"Whenever you were with Paul, there was never a dull moment," his wife said. "He was awesome."

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 with his mentor Lee Strasberg, whom he studied with at the Actors Studio beginning in the mid-1960s, family members said.

Though his career, Gleason appeared in over 60 movies that included "Die Hard," "Johnny Be Good," and "National Lampoon's Van Wilder." Most recently, Gleason made a handful of television appearances in hit shows such as "Friends" and "Seinfeld."

Gleason's passions went beyond acting. He had recently published a book of poetry.

"He was an athlete, an actor and a poet," said his daughter, Shannon Gleason-Grossman. "He gave me and my sister a love that is beyond description that will be with us and keep us strong for the rest of our lives."

Actor Jimmy Hawkins, a friend of Gleason's since the 1960s, said he remembered Gleason for a sharp sense of humor.

"He just always had great stories to tell," Hawkins said.

Gleason was survived by his wife, two daughters and a granddaughter. Funeral plans were pending.

he was such a go to guy. in so much. he will be missed.

Not Clarence Beaks! Damn it, I'll miss him.

He played "The Man" like no one else; sorry to see him go so young.

I was at a Dodger game when I was kid, and Paul was sitting near my family. My brother and I went over to him to get an autograph, and was really cool about it. :rip: Paul.

"I expected a little more from a varsity letterman."

Sad to hear this.

Dwayne T. Robinson: They're gonna need some more FBI guys, I guess.

Sad. I just saw a recent interview with him, and he looked to be in good shape.

That he did. RIP

Stunning news.

He's cracking skulls in heaven now. :(

Rest in peace.

Loved his self-spoof in "Not Another Teen Movie"

Sad news indeed. :(

RIP Principal Vernon

This is indeed sad news.
Just checked imdb, and he was nearly in every show going!
Great actor in Die hard and Breakfast club.
"he could be a fucking bartender for all we know!"
"You want another one-thats 2-how about another?"

Very sad news :(

And I forgot how many great one liners he had!

"Shut your hole, Wang Chung. I got all three of you guys for the rest of your natural born lives. You're mine."

The guy's delivery was untouchable. That's a fact.

sad news

Dammit. I was hoping for a commentary from him on the Ewoks movie. :(

RIP.

I hope Barry Manilow will lend the family a suit to bury him in.

RIP Principal Vernon :(

Best line ever. "Hold on a second. (Turns to person waiting to use pay phone.) "Fuck off."

Classic! He will be sadly missed :(

I just happened to watch The Breakfast Club this afternoon on a plane trip. Just saw the news :(

You summed it up beautifully. Farewell Paul. Die Hard, Trading Places, The Breakfast Club... all classic movies and all classic roles.

Awe.

Well, I always think of Die Hard first.

Regardless, he was a cool actor.

http://www.cinematical.com/2006/05/2...liant-bastard/

The Passing of a Brilliant Bastard
Posted May 28th 2006 11:30PM by Scott Weinberg
Filed under: Obits & Memorials

I distinctly remember the first time Paul Gleason made me laugh out loud. It was in John Landis' 1983 classic Trading Places, and the surly character actor was playing a mysterious corporate spy called Clarence Beeks. In one particularly memorable scene, Beeks is trying to make a private call on a public phone, so he turns to the person standing in line behind him and says, in a humorously venomous tone: "F*** off." Later in the comedy he got to utter a line I've always adored: "Back off or I'll rip out your eyes and piss on your brain!"

And just like that I was a Paul Gleason fan.

Although he'd appeared in bit parts in The Great Santini (1979), Fort Apache the Bronx (1981), Arthur (1981), and Tender Mercies (1983), it was Trading Places that turned Mr. Gleason from just another stern-faced character actor into one of my generation's most beloved bastards. So while Mr. Gleason was obviously a very talented and multi-faceted actor, his face, his tone, his demeanor, and (especially) his voice seemed to indicate "smug bully," and that's where he buttered his bread.


Trading Places led to The Breakfast Club ("I'm crackin' skulls!"), which led to Die Hard ("We're gonna need some more FBI guys..."), which led to a movie/TV career that most character players would kill for. He had a presence that simply screamed "officious blowhard jerk," and very few performers used that vibe as well as Gleason did. (His Die Hard co-star, Bill Atherton, certainly came close.) Mr. Gleason obviously had a solid sense of humor regarding his image, evidence of which can be found in comedies like Loaded Weapon 1, Van Wilder, and especially Not Another Teen Movie, in which he expertly lampooned his immortal Breakfast Club performance. Like most working actors, Paul Gleason also appeared in his fair share of lame-o movies and forgettable TV shows, but he always brought a tongue-in-cheek intensity to his every project.

Mr. Gleason died Sunday of a rare case of asbestos-related lung cancer, and the news just sucked the fun out of my holiday weekend. Movie fans have lost a brilliant bastard this weekend, and I plan to hold my own private Paul Gleason festival in the man's honor. Rest in peace, Principal Vernon. You will be missed.

so sad......

"Dont mess with the bull or you'll get the horns"