--- description: Thirty years after Sixteen Candles defined the teen movie, what's become of its exceptional cast? title: Sixteen Candles 30th Anniversary: Cast Bios and Future Roles image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta93230e86a6ee4c4/69868ddb13c79f4b47191f13/280307_full.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # _Sixteen Candles_ Turns 30: Where Are the Stars Now? by [Gary Susman](/author/gary-susman/) ## Gary Susman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 5, 2014 10:11 PM CUT  Molly Ringwald, Director John Hughes and Mark Schoeffling Molly Ringwald, Director John Hughes and Mark SchoefflingUniversal Pictures by [Gary Susman](/author/gary-susman/) ## Gary Susman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 5, 2014 10:11 PM CUT It was bracing a few years back, at least for those of us of a certain age, to see Molly Ringwald cast as a grandmother on TV’s _The Secret Life of the American Teenager._ Wasn’t it been just yesterday that she was the archetypal American teenager herself in _Sixteen Candles_? How can it have been 30 years since that iconic film opened in May 1984? It would be impossible to overstate how large _Sixteen Candles_ looms in the imaginations of three decades’ worth of moviegoers. Not only did the film make stars of Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall and others, not only did it mark the directing debut of John Hughes, but it also became one of the signature movies of the 1980s and the template for most high school comedies of the last 30 years. Hughes’ genius was to see teens as they saw themselves, to appreciate that their seemingly trivial moments of high drama really _were_ high drama, and to let them know that, no matter how freakish they felt, they were not alone. It’s tempting, then, to see the kids of _Sixteen Candles_ as icons frozen in time. But they’ve moved on, as we all do, some to greener pastures, some not so green. If Ringwald and her schoolmates held a 30th class reunion, these are the stories they might tell of their lives.  Molly Ringwald Universal Pictures; Kevin Winter—Getty Images Molly Ringwald (Samantha Baker) At 15, Ringwald became Hughes’ muse on the strength of her headshot alone; he wrote the lead role in _Sixteen Candles_ with the _Tempest_ actress in mind. She famously followed the film up with starring roles in Hughes’ _The Breakfast Club_ and _Pretty in Pink_. She graduated to more mature roles in _The Pick-Up Artist, Fresh Horses_, and _Betsy’s Wedding_, but her movie career never returned to its Hughes-era heights. She fared better on TV, in projects from the Stephen King mini-series _The Stand_ to her mom/grandma role on ABC Family’s _The Secret Life of the American Teenager_. Now 45, Ringwald has yet to announce any new projects since the five-year run of _Secret Life_ ended in 2013. Michael Schoeffling (Jake Ryan) Playing nice-guy dreamboat Jake Ryan was Michael Schoffling’s big break at age 23; he won the part over fellow unknown Viggo Mortensen. Still, after playing similarly soft-spoken hunks in _Vision Quest, Slaves of New York, Longtime Companion, Mermaids_, and finally 1991’s _Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken_, he quit showbiz. He moved to Newfoundland, Pa., married, raised a family, and worked as a carpenter building custom furniture. Now 53, he’s been absent from the screen for 23 years, so we never had to watch Jake Ryan get old.  Anthony Michael Hall Universal Pictures; Gilbert Carrasquillo—Getty Images Anthony Michael Hall (Farmer Ted) Hall, 15, had so impressed Hughes when he played Rusty Griswold in the Hughes-scripted _National Lampoon’s Vacation_ that Hughes wrote for him the part of Farmer Ted, simply known as The Geek, in _Sixteen Candles_. After his immortal performance in that film, followed by his similar roles in Hughes’ _The Breakfast Club_ and _Weird Science_, Hall was typecast forever more in geeky parts. Even a late-teen growth spurt that had him playing jocks in _Johnny Be Good_ and _Edward Scissorhands_ couldn’t erase his geek cred. He played Bill Gates in the 1999 TV movie _Pirates of Silicon Valley_, the Christopher Walken role on USA’s _The Dead Zone_ for five seasons, and villain Walter Sykes on SyFy series _Warehouse 13_ (2011-12). The 45-year-old will be back on the big screen in November, alongside Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, and Steve Carell, in the indie drama _Foxcatcher_. Haviland Morris (Caroline Mulford) Morris was 24 when she made her film debut in 1984’s _Reckless_, the same year she played Jake’s beautiful, bored girlfriend in _Sixteen Candles_. Her later films included _Who’s That Girl?, Gremlins 2: The New Batch_ (alongside Gedde Watanabe), _Home Alone 3_, and _The Baxter_. On TV, she did numerous guest spots on _Law & Order_ and its spinoffs, as well as _One Tree Hill_ and (most recently, in 2012) _The Good Wife_. Now 54, Morris has a day job as a Manhattan realtor, but she continues to act; her next film, naval drama _Burning Blue_, is due in theaters next month.  Blanche Baker Universal Pictures; Steve Mack—Getty Images Blanche Baker (Ginny Baker) The daughter of Oscar-nominated Baby Doll star Carroll Baker, Blanche Baker was already an Emmy-winning TV actress (_Holocaust_) when she landed at 27 the _Sixteen Candles_ role of Ginny, Samantha’s soon-to-be-married sister. She went on to appear in the movies _Raw Deal_ and _The Handmaid’s Tale_ and on TV in _Law & Order_ and the 2009 HBO movie _Taking Chance_. Now 57, she stars as a vengeful housewife in the thriller _Jersey Justice_, debuting on DVD this month. Paul Dooley (Jim Baker) Dooley has made a career of playing put-upon dads, from Robert Altman’s _A Wedding_ and _Breaking Away_ to _Sixteen Candles_, in which he co-starred at age 55\. He’s continued to play such roles on film and TV, including _Dream On, Waiting for Guffman, The Practice, ER, Desperate Housewives, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Cars_ (and _Cars 2_), and _Super Fun Night_. Now 85, Dooley made his most recent appearance earlier this year on an episode of _Parenthood_. Carlin Glynn (Brenda Baker) Glynn was 39 when she made her Tony-winning Broadway debut in _The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas_, a musical co-written by her husband, playwright/director Peter Masterson. Five years later, the 44-year-old played Ringwald’s mother in _Sixteen Candles_. The following year, she co-starred in _The Trip to Bountiful_, directed by her husband. Her other films included _Gardens of Stone_, _Judy Berlin_, and _Whiskey School_ (her final feature, from 2005). She retired from acting in 2006\. Glynn (now 74) and Masterson are the parents of Mary Stuart Masterson, who starred in Hughes’ _Some Kind of Wonderful_. Justin Henry (Mike Baker) For his first performance, as Dustin Hoffman’s son in _Kramer vs. Kramer_, seven-year-old Henry became the youngest actor ever nominated for an Oscar. He was 12 when he played Ringwald’s bratty brother in _Sixteen Candles_. He continued to act sporadically during the 1980s in such films as _Martin’s Day_ and _Sweet Heart’s Dance_. After college, he seldom acted but remained in showbiz, as the founder of the short-life Slamdunk film festival (1998-2003) and as an executive at streaming video site Veoh. Now 42, he appears on screen in the sci-fi/horror feature _Reaper_, due in theaters later this year. Edward Andrews (Howard Baker) By the time 69-year-old Andrews appeared as Samantha’s paternal grandfather, Howard, in _Sixteen Candles_, he’d had a long and distinguished career as a film and TV character actor, with roles in such films as _Tea and Sympathy, Elmer Gantry, The Absent-Minded Professor, Send Me No Flowers_, and _Tora! Tora! Tora_! After _Candles_, he appeared in one more film, _Gremlins_, before his death in 1985 at age 70. Billie Bird (Dorothy Baker) Bird had a long career in vaudeville and theater before enjoying her film breakthrough as a comic actress in her sixties in _The Odd Couple_. She was 75 when she played Samantha’s paternal grandmother, Dorothy, in _Sixteen Candles_. Afterwards, she was a series regular on _Benson_, appeared in two _Police Academy_ sequels, and acted in the Hughes-scripted comedies _Home Alone_ and _Dennis the Menace_. Her last film was Pauly Shore’s _Jury Duty_ in 1995\. She died in 2002 at age 94.  Gedde Watanabe Universal Pictures; David Livingston—Getty Images Gedde Watanabe (Long Duk Dong) Born Gary Watanabe, the 28-year-old actor was so convincing in his audition (and later, on screen) in the role of hard-partying Chinese exchange student Long Duk Dong that few observers realized he was born and raised in Utah. Watanabe went on to play memorable comic roles in _Volunteers, Gung Ho,_ and _Gremlins 2: The New Batch_. He showed off a more dramatic side during his six-year stint as a nurse on _ER_. Now 58, he’s continued to make an impression in such recent films as _Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Parental Guidance,_ and his most recent work, last year’s _47 Ronin_. Carole Cook (Grandma Helen) A protégée of Lucille Ball’s, comic actress Cook had appeared in such films as _The Incredible Mr. Limpet, The Gauntlet,_ and _American Gigolo_ when, at 59, she got to co-star in _Sixteen Candles_ as the grandma who feels up pubescent granddaughter Samantha. Her movie roles since have included _Grandview U.S.A., Lost & Found_, and _Home on the Range_. The 90-year-old’s last acting appearance was a 2006 guest spot on _Grey’s Anatomy_. Max Showalter (Grandpa Fred) Before his turn at 66 as Samantha’s wisecracking maternal grandfather in _Sixteen Candles_, Showalter had been a movie character actor for four decades in such films as _Niagara_ and _Bus Stop_ (both with Marilyn Monroe) and _Elmer Gantry_ (with future fellow _Sixteen Candles_ grandpa Edward Andrews). In fact, _Sixteen Candles_ was his last appearance. His retirement lasted 16 years until his death at 83 in 2000. Debbie Pollack (Marlene Lumberjack) Pollack made her screen debut in _Sixteen Candles_ as Marlene Lumberjack, an Amazon who takes an instant liking to Long Duk Dong. She went on to a recurring role on the soap _Santa Barbara_ and other TV guest roles on such shows as _St. Elsewhere, Newhart_, and _ER_. She took a 14-year absence to raise a family and get a stockbroker’s license, but she returned to TV in recent years with guest spots on _Criminal Minds_ (2011) and _American Horror Story_ (also 2011). Her most recent appearance was as a mystery woman during the 2012 series finale of _Desperate Housewives_. Liane Curtis (Randy) Having made her film debut in John Sayles’ _Baby, It’s You_ (1983), Curtis was 18 when she played Ringwald’s pal in _Sixteen Candles_. It remains her highest profile to date, though she also appeared in such films as C_ritters 2: The Main Course, Girlfriend From Hell, Queens Logic_, and _Benny & Joon_, as well as TV guest spots on such shows as _ER_ and _Sons of Anarchy_. Now a music producer, the 48-year-old Curtis will be seen on screen in _Body High_, a comedy due for release this spring. John Kapelos (Rudy) The Sixteen Candles role of bridegroom Rudy was one of 27-year-old Kapelos’ first film roles. He reunited with Hughes (and Anthony Michael Hall) in _Weird Science_ and _The Breakfast Club_ (where he played all-knowing janitor Carl, perhaps his best-known role). Since then, he’s appeared in countless TV shows and movies, including _Roxanne, Internal Affairs, Forever Knight, Seinfeld, The West Wing, Legally Blonde, The Dead Zone_ (which reteamed him with Hall), _Queer as Folk, Desperate Housewives, Modern Family,_ and _Justified_. Watch for the 57-year-old in August’s action film _Underdogs_.  John Cusack Universal Pictures; Luca Teuchmann—Getty Images John Cusack (Bryce) His _Sixteen Candles_ role as geek sidekick Bryce was only 17-year-old Cusack’s second film role, but by the following year, he’d graduated to lead in such films as _The Sure Thing_ and _Better Off Dead_. By the end of the decade, with _Say Anything_, he became one of his generation’s favorite leading men. He followed that up with such indelible films as _The Grifters, Bullets Over Broadway, Grosse Pointe Blank, Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity_, and _2012_. He spoofed his own ’80s teen stardom in 2010’s _Hot Tub Time Machine_. Watch for the 47-year-old in several 2014 films, including thriller _The Bag Man_, David Cronenberg’s _Maps to the Stars_, and Beach Boy Brian Wilson biopic _Love & Mercy_. Joan Cusack (Geek Girl #1) _Sixteen Candles_ wasn’t the first film that 21-year-old Joan Cusack appeared in alongside her brother John (that would be 1983’s _Class_), and it was far from the last. As an unnamed geek, Cusack enjoyed a memorable sight gag involving a drinking fountain. She went on to star on the ill-fated 1985-86 season of _Saturday Night Live_ (along with Anthony Michael Hall) before moving on to acclaimed comic roles in such films as _Broadcast News, Working Girl_ (which earned her an Oscar nomination), _Addams Family Values, Grosse Pointe Blank_ (a collaboration with John), _In & Out_ (another Oscar-nominated role), _Runaway Bride, Toy Story 2_ (and _3_), _School of Rock_, and _Chicken Little_. The 51-year-old is due later this year in the comedy-drama _Welcome to Me_. Jami Gertz (Robin) Like Ringwald, Gertz was an alumna of the prep-school sitcom _The Facts of Life_ when she landed a role in _Sixteen Candles_; at 18, she got to play Caroline’s scissor-wielding friend Robin. Gertz went on to star in such iconic ’80s movies as _The Lost Boys_ and _Less Than Zero_. Despite such prominent films as _Twister_, Gertz has focused in recent years on TV roles, including long sitcom stints on _Still Standing_ and _Entourage_. Now 48, she’s a star of the current ABC comedy _The Neighbors._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/87721/sixteen-candles-where-are-they-now/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/87721/sixteen-candles-where-are-they-now/"},"headline":"Sixteen Candles Turns 30: Where Are the Stars Now?","datePublished":"2014-05-05T22:11:54.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:08:25.324Z","description":"Thirty years after Sixteen Candles defined the teen movie, what's become of its exceptional cast?","url":"https://time.com/87721/sixteen-candles-where-are-they-now/","keywords":["movies"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta93230e86a6ee4c4/69868ddb13c79f4b47191f13/280307_full.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Gary Susman","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/gary-susman/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta93230e86a6ee4c4/69868ddb13c79f4b47191f13/280307_full.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"MSDSICA EC007","caption":"MSDSICA EC007","creditText":"Universal Pictures","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/87721/sixteen-candles-where-are-they-now/","name":"Sixteen Candles Turns 30: Where Are the Stars Now?"}}]}] ```