Principal from "Breakfast Club" Died

[Kimp the Shrimp]

BURBANK, Calif. -- 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.

Through 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.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0322339/

 

[MGov]

Will he be buried in something raded from Barry Manilow's wardrobe?