BETWEEN TAKES
The Breakfast Club rebel on John Hurt, warm beer and ruining real-life breakfasts…
Breakfast Club star Judd Nelson’s rebellious antics.
What’s the first thing you do when you arrive on set?
I’m not that bothered about the trailer. I just like to know what they want of me. The only thing I ask for is that tomorrow’s scene is on the call sheet tonight, so I know what to be ready for.
Do you have any on-set superstitions?
I like to wear my own shoes. If it’s a period drama, OK, but otherwise I like to wear something that fits and is comfortable. I broke my wrist once. I was wearing these sneakers and I ran onto a carpet and the next thing I knew, my legs were above me in the air and I was heading towards an aquarium.
Do you eat a hot or cold lunch?
If it’s a tuna sandwich, it’s cold. If it’s a pastrami sandwich, it’s hot.
English actors like a bit of sponge pudding and custard. Do you?
I once had the great pleasure of acting with John Hurt. He’d be telling me a story about Alec Guinness and then the scene would start and he’d give an incredible performance, and the moment it stopped, he’d carry on with his story. American actors talk about Method. I thought, ‘This is how it’s done.’ I did a movie in France. They gave me wine at lunch. I said, “We can drink?” I got hammered. From then on it was, “Everyone can drink at lunch apart from him.”
What’s the best wrap party you’ve ever been to?
Even in my wildest days, I didn’t really do wrap parties. It’s like drinking with your parents. Work and parties should be kept separate. Whatever you say or do, it will be held against you. I’ll just stand there with the same beer all night, until it’s warm.
Do you stay friends with castmates after shooting ends?
When I worked on The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo’s Fire, the press made out like we were this gang. We were not. I lived in
New York – as if I’m gonna go 3,000 miles to have a beer with my buddies. I talk to Molly [Ringwald] from time to time. And Anthony Michael Hall. He’s six-foottwo. I couldn’t intimidate him now.
What was the atmosphere like on the set of
Iceland Is Best?
I’d never been to Iceland. It’s beautiful. The crew was great and I liked the director, Max Newsom. He was very sincere and a deep thinker. But man, it was cold. I don’t think there’s a tree in Iceland. They have the odd bush, but no trees. The wind… [shudders]
Have you ever stolen anything from a movie set?
Yes. If I’m wearing a suit, I’ll take it. People will say, “Your suit and shirt and tie all match. You look all put together.” I’m very happy about that. I’ll go, “Yeah, I know a lot about this.” I don’t know shit.
What’s the best experience you’ve ever had on set?
Can it be after work? OK, we’re shooting Breakfast Club six days a week, so our only night to do anything is Saturday. Molly and Michael [Hall] are underage, so they’re not going anywhere. And Ally [Sheedy], she’s not going in there to have anything to drink. Emilio [Estevez] and I go in. We can’t get in any of the nightclubs. They won’t let me in with my motorcycle boots, or him with his sneakers. What the fuck? We ended up at this jazz place. They didn’t give a shit. We’d go there every Saturday night. So one Saturday night, we get back to the hotel at 3.30 in the morning. We see the menus on the doorknobs for the morning. So we spend the next hour changing every single menu of every floor. People were now having seven Eggs Benedict, nine orange juices; if they wanted breakfast at eight, we changed it to six. It’s one of two or three times in my life I’ve laughed that hard, that long. Bunch of morons we were. JG
ETA | 8 SEPTEMBER / ICELAND IS BEST OPENS IN CINEMAS NEXT MONTH.
‘THE NEXT THING I KNEW, MY LEGS WERE IN THE AIR AND I WAS HEADING TOWARDS AN AQUARIUM’