What The Cast Of Sixteen Candles Is Doing Today

Some might argue that "Sixteen Candles" was the film that kicked off a long string of the 1980s "Brat Pack" films, which became some of the most memorable motion pictures of the decade. Spawning stars like Charlie Sheen, Matthew Broderick, and Ally Sheedy, these cinematic takes on high school life and relationships make many of us wax nostalgic decades later.

"Sixteen Candles" served as the directorial debut for the late John Hughes, who would go on to direct quintessential classics from the '80s, including "The Breakfast Club," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," and "Weird Science." Also serving as the screenwriter on dozens of other teen films, Hughes had a knack for identifying the pains of high school life and morphing them into hilariously absurd scenarios. 

A fresh look at "Sixteen Candles" will see young versions of John and Joan Cusack, as well as veteran actors Paul Dooley, Billie Bird, and Max Showalter (per IMDb). The film had a large cast, some of whom continue to have great success, others who have dropped out of the public eye almost entirely. Let's look at where some of the most popular characters from "Sixteen Candles" are today.

In the years that followed her character's entire family forgetting her 16th birthday, Ringwald moved on to large success throughout the 1980s. After her role in "Sixteen Candles," Ringwald went on to star in the subsequent John Hughes films "The Breakfast Club," "Pretty in Pink," and "The Pickup Artist." The actress continued to have an active career in the following decade, co-starring in the TV mini-series "The Stand," while also landing a role in her own sitcom, "Townies" (per IMDb). 

Ringwald kept her acting career going strong as she entered the 21st century, taking smaller parts in films before landing a leading role in the series "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" in 2008. She also lent her voice acting skills to the cartoon series "Doc McStuffins," and got a crack at the leading role in yet another television series in 2016, "Raising Expectations." Ringwald most recently had a recurring role in "Riverdale," but has several projects in post-production, including the film "Pursued." 

Yahoo News tells us that Ringwald has also been an active writer, penning her memoir "Getting the Pretty Back: Friendship, Family, and Finding the Perfect Lipstick" in 2010 and "When It Happens to You: A Novel in Stories" in 2012. She is the mother of three, all with her second husband Panio Gianopoulos, to whom she has been married since 2007.

Like Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall became a favorite of Hughes, whom he directed in "The Breakfast Club" and "Weird Science." He was a regular on "Saturday Night Live" throughout the 1985-86 season and continued to land major roles in films throughout the rest of the decade (per IMDb).

The 1990s saw Hall in smaller roles in films and appearances on numerous television shows, including "Tales from the Crypt" and "The Jamie Foxx Show." From 2002 until 2007, he starred in the USA Network series "The Dead Zone," based on the novel by Stephen King.

Hall has continued to have steady work in film and television ever since, having regular roles on the shows "The Goldbergs" and "Murder in the First." Hall also landed a supporting role in the 2021 film, "Halloween Kills," in which he plays a man who survived the masked Michael Myers as a child.

He has three films in post-production. In 2019, Hall and his long-time girlfriend Lucia Oskerova became engaged (via People Magazine). 

The film's heartthrob, Jake Ryan, was played by 23-year-old Michael Schoeffling in his film debut. The actor appeared in nearly a dozen more films throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, including the Cher film "Mermaids" and the Harold Becker film "Vision Quest" (via IMDb). His last acting credit was for a role in the 1991 film "Wild Hearts Can't be Broken."

According to the Los Angeles Times, Schoeffling walked away from acting in the early 1990s. He and his wife, model Valerie Robinson, have been married since 1987. The couple has two grown children, Zane and Scarlett. Schoeflling and his wife live in Pennsylvania, where he busies himself building custom furniture.

His daughter Scarlett followed in her mother's footsteps and is a professional model. She also has secured two acting roles, one in the television show "Billions" and another in the 2020 film "Blackjack: The Jackie Ryan Story."

The less we say about Gedde Watanabe's "Sixteen Candles" character Long Duk Dong, the better. But the Japanese American actor has had a storied career in both film and television, in part due to the memorable role in the Hughes film that helped to launch it.

After "Sixteen Candles," Watanabe was cast alongside Michael Keaton in the 1986 film "Gung Ho," and also starred in the short-lived TV show based on the film (per IMDb). Watanabe also appeared on "Sesame Street" from 1988 to 1992, playing the role of Hiroshi. Watanabe's skills were in high demand throughout the rest of the decade and into the 1990s, as he was seen in films like "Vamp" and "Boys on the Side."

Watanabe worked steadily on the animated TV side of the business, appearing in several episodes of "The Simpsons," "Duckman," and "Batman Beyond." But his most known role was in the TV drama "ER," where he appeared in 58 episodes as Nurse Yosh Takata. After the show ended, Watanabe did voice acting for numerous cartoons but also was cast in a co-starring role in the TV series "The Disappointments" in 2020.

Justin Henry was already experiencing acting success before being cast as pesky little brother Mike Baker in "Sixteen Candles." In his acting debut in 1979's "Kramer vs. Kramer", Henry became one of the youngest actors ever nominated for an Academy Award (per IMDB). His successes continued after the 1984 Hughes film, with Henry getting cast in several more films during the 1980s, including "Martin" and "Sweet Hearts Dance."

After 1988, Henry took a break from acting to pursue his education. Saratoga Living reports that Henry enrolled at Skidmore College, where he played on the lacrosse team and earned his degree in psychology. Since the mid-1990s, Henry has racked up 15 additional film and television credits, most notably for the shows "ER" and "Lost." 

He currently works in digital marketing and advertising. Henry also serves as the alumni admissions contact for his alma mater. His last film appearance was in 2014's "Reaper."