Paul Gleason was probably best known for his role as Richard Vernon in the movie The Breakfast Club. Gleason was born May 4, 1939 in Jersey City, New Jersey. At the age of 16, he ran away and hitched his way up and down the east coast. He attended Florida State University were he played football and was signed by the Cleveland Indians to play baseball. He played just two season on a minor league team.

Gleason eventually moved to New York and then to Los Angeles, where he started acting. He has had numerous memorable roles including that of Clarence Beeks in the movie Trading Places and Deputy Police Chief Dwayne T Robinson, a police official in Die Hard. He reprised his role of Richard Vernon in several other films and even in a A*Teens music video. He has also appeared in Drake and Josh and George Lopez.

Gleason died on May 27, 2006 from malignant Mesothelioma. When he was a teenager, he worked with his father on building sites where he probably was exposed to asbestos. He is survived by his wife, Susan Kehl, two daughters and one granddaughter.