'Michael Anthony Thomas Charles Hall' (born
April 14,
1968), known professionally as 'Anthony Michael Hall', is an
American actor,
producer and
director who achieved stardom in several successful teen-oriented films of the
1980s. Hall began his career in commercials and on stage as a child, and made his screen debut in 1980. His films with director-screenwriter
John Hughes, beginning with the popular
1984 coming-of-age comedy ''
Sixteen Candles'', shaped his early career. Hall's next movies with Hughes were the teen classics ''
The Breakfast Club'' and ''
Weird Science'', both in
1985. His performances as lovable
geeks in these three films connected his name and face with the stereotype for an entire generation.
Hall diversified his roles to avoid becoming
typecast as his "geek" persona, joining the cast of ''
Saturday Night Live'' (1985–1986) and starring in films such as ''
Johnny Be Good'' (1988), ''
Edward Scissorhands'' (1990) and ''
Six Degrees of Separation'' (1993). After a series of minor roles in the
1990s, his performance as
Microsoft’s
Bill Gates in the
Emmy-nominated
1999 film ''
Pirates of Silicon Valley'' put him back in the spotlight. He is now starring in the popular
USA Network series ''
The Dead Zone'', which has aired since
2002. The show remains one of the highest-rated cable television series.
[1]
Biography and career
Personal
Anthony Michael Hall was born in
West Roxbury, a neighborhood in
Boston, Massachusetts. He is the only child of blues-jazz singer Mercedes Hall’s first marriage. She divorced Hall's father, Larry, an auto-body-shop owner,
[2] when their son was six months old.
[3] When Hall was three, he and his mother relocated to the West Coast where she found work as a featured singer.
[4] After a year and a half, they returned to the East, eventually moving to
New York City, where Hall grew up.
[3][4] Hall is of
Irish and
Italian heritage
[7] and is a
Catholic.
[8] He has one half-sister, Mary Chestaro, from his mother's second marriage to Thomas Chestaro, a show business manager. His half-sister is pursuing a career as a singer under the name of Mary C.
[4] Hall uses the name Michael, rather than Anthony or Anthony Michael. He transposed his first and middle names when he entered show business because another actor named Michael Hall was already a member of the
Screen Actors Guild.
[10]
Hall attended St. Hilda's and St. Hugh's School New York before moving on to
Manhattan's
Professional Children's School. Hall began his acting career at the age of eight and continued throughout high school, opting not to attend college. "I did not go to college," he said, "but I'm an avid reader in the ongoing process of educating myself."
[11] Through the 80s, Hall’s mother managed his career, eventually relinquishing that role to her second husband.
[4]
Hall is committed to aiding at-risk youth through his literacy program, The Anthony Michael Hall Literacy Club, in association with
Chapman University.
[13] The club provides an opportunity for the students to improve their literacy skills by exploring genre not typically used to enhance literacy, such as films, music and lyrics, scripts, and novels with audio. Following family tradition, Hall is pursuing his other passion, music. He is the lead singer and songwriter for his band, Hall of Mirrors, formed in 1998. The band released an album, ''Welcome to the Hall of Mirrors'', through Hall's own RAM Records label in 1999, with collaborations from former
Guns N' Roses guitarist
Gilby Clarke and
Prince’s former keyboard player Tommy Barbarella.
[14]
Hall briefly dated actress
Molly Ringwald after they co-starred in ''The Breakfast Club'' together.
[15] He has also dated
Canadian model Sandra Guerard.
[8] When not filming ''The Dead Zone'' in
Montreal,
Canada,
[17] he resides in
Los Angeles, California.
1980s
Hall started his career in commercials when he was seven years old.
[3] He was the
Honeycomb cereal kid and appeared in several commercials for toys and
Bounty.
[15] His stage debut was in 1977, when he was cast as the young
Steve Allen in Allen's semi-autobiographical play ''The Wake''. He went on to appear in the
Lincoln Center Festival's production of ''St. Joan of the Microphone'', and in a play with
Woody Allen.
[15] In
1980, he made his screen debut in the
Emmy-winning TV movie ''
The Gold Bug'', in which he played the young
Edgar Allan Poe, but it was not until the release of the
1982 Kenny Rogers film ''
Six Pack'' that he gained real notice.
The following year, Hall landed the role of Rusty Griswold,
Chevy Chase and
Beverly D'Angelo's son, in ''
National Lampoon's Vacation'', catching the attention of the film's screenwriter
John Hughes, who was about to make the jump to directing. "For [Hall] to upstage Chevy, I thought, was a remarkable accomplishment for a 13-year-old kid," said Hughes.
[3] The film was a significant box office hit in
1983, grossing over US$61 million in the United States.
[22] After ''Vacation'', Hall moved on to other projects and declined to reprise his role in the 1985 sequel.
[23]
Hall's breakout role came in
1984, when he was cast as Farmer Ted, the scrawny, braces-wearing
geek who pursued Molly Ringwald's character in John Hughes' directing debut ''
Sixteen Candles''. Hall tried to avoid the clichés of geekness. "I didn't play him with 100 pens sticking out of his pocket," he said. "I just went in there and played it like a real kid. The geek is just a typical freshman."
[3] Hall landed a spot on the promotional materials, along with co-star Ringwald. Reviews of the film were positive for Hall and his co-stars, and one for ''
People Weekly'' even claimed that Hall’s performance "[pilfered] the film" from Ringwald.
[25] Despite achieving moderate success at the box office, the film became an instant classic and made overnight stars of both Ringwald and Hall.
Hall starred in two
1985 teen classics, both written and directed by John Hughes. He was cast as Brian Johnson, "the brain," in the quintessential teen film ''
The Breakfast Club'', co-starring
Emilio Estevez,
Judd Nelson,
Ally Sheedy, and Ringwald. Film critic
Janet Maslin praised Hall, stating that the 16-year-old actor and Ringwald were "the movie's standout performers."
[26] Later that year, Hall portrayed Gary Wallace, another likable misfit, in ''
Weird Science''. Critic Sheila Benson from the ''
Los Angeles Times'' said "Hall [was] the role model supreme" for the character, but she also acknowledged that "he [was] outgrowing the role" and "[didn’t] need to hold the patent on the bratty bright kid."
[27] ''Weird Science'' was a moderate success at the box office but was generally well-received for a teen comedy.
[28] Those roles established him as the 80s "nerd-of-choice," as well as a member in good standing of Hollywood's
Brat Pack. Hall, who portrayed John Hughes'
alter egos in ''Sixteen Candles'', ''The Breakfast Club'' and ''Weird Science'',
[29] credits the director for putting him on the map and giving him those opportunities as a child. "I had the time of my life," he said. "I'd consider [working with Hughes again] any day of the week."
[30]
Hall joined the cast of ''
Saturday Night Live (SNL)'' during its 1985–86 season at the age of 17. He was, and remains, the youngest cast member in the show's history.
[8] His recurring characters on the show were 'Craig Sundberg, Idiot Savant', an intelligent, talented teenager with a vacant expression and stilted speech, and 'Fed Jones', one half of the habitually high, hustling pitchmen known as ''The Jones Brothers'' (the other Jones Brother was played by short-lived featured player
Damon Wayans).
Art Garfunkel,
Edd Byrnes,
Bobby Kennedy and
Daryl Hall were among Hall's celebrity impersonations. Hall had admired the show and its stars as a child, but he found the ''SNL'' environment to be far more competitive than he had imagined. "My year there, I didn't have any breakout characters and I didn't really do the things I dreamed I would do," he said, "but I still learned a lot, and I value that.
[32] I'll always be proud of the fact that I was a part of its history."
[14]
To avoid being typecast, Hall turned down roles written for him by John Hughes in ''
Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (Cameron Frye) and ''
Pretty in Pink'' (Phil "Duckie" Dale), both in
1986.
[15][35] Instead, he starred in the 1986 film ''
Out of Bounds'', Hall’s first excursion into the thriller and action genre. The film grossed only US$5 million domestically, and was a critical and financial disappointment.
[36] Critic
Roger Ebert described ''Out of Bounds'' as "an explosion at the cliché factory,"
[37] and Caryn James from the ''
New York Times'' claimed that not even "Hall, who made nerds seem lovable in John Hughes' ''Sixteen Candles'' and ''The Breakfast Club'', [could] do much to reconcile" the disparate themes of the movie.
[38]
Hall was offered the starring role in the
1987 film ''
Full Metal Jacket'' in a conversation with
Stanley Kubrick, but after an eight-month negotiation, a financial agreement could not be reached.
[32] "It was a difficult decision, because in that eight-month period, I read everything I could about the guy, and I was really fascinated by him," Hall said when asked about the film. "I wanted to be a part of that film, but it didn't work out. But all sorts of stories circulated, like I got on set and I was fired, or I was pissed at him for shooting too long. It's all not true."
[32] His next film would be
1988's ''
Johnny Be Good'', in which he worked with
Uma Thurman and fellow ''Saturday Night Live'' cast member
Robert Downey Jr.. The film was a critical failure, and some critics panned Hall's performance as a high school
football star, claiming that he, the movies' reigning geek, was miscast for the role. A review for ''
The Washington Post'' claimed that the film was "crass, vulgar, and relentlessly brain-dead."
[41]
1990s
After a two-year hiatus due to a drinking problem,
[2] Hall returned to acting by starring opposite
Johnny Depp and
Winona Ryder in
Tim Burton's
1990 hit ''
Edward Scissorhands'', this time as the film's villain. Now in his twenties, he shifted to more mature roles, trying to establish himself as an adult actor. After ''Scissorhands'', he appeared in a series of low-budget films, including the
1992 comedy ''Into the Sun'', where he starred as a visiting celebrity at a military air base. Film critic Janet Maslin praised his performance, writing that "Mr. Hall, whose earlier performances (in films like ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' and ''Sixteen Candles'') have been much goofier, remains coolly funny and graduates to subtler forms of comedy with this role."
[43] The following year, he played a gay man who teaches down-and-out
Will Smith to dupe rich people in the critically-acclaimed film ''
Six Degrees of Separation''. Hall claimed that it was "the hardest role [he] ever had."
[15]
In
1994, Hall starred and directed his first feature film, a low-budget
Showtime comedy named ''
Hail Caesar'' about a would-be rock star who works in a pencil eraser factory. The film also co-starred
Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., and Judd Nelson. In addition, he
produced the soundtrack for the film with composer Herbie Tribino. The film featured songs written and performed by Hall.
After a series of appearances in low-budget films and guest roles on TV series in the mid and late 1990s, he gained media attention once again in the
1999 Emmy-nominated
TNT original movie ''
Pirates of Silicon Valley'', co-starring
Noah Wyle as
Apple Computer’s
Steve Jobs. Hall was widely praised for his portrayal of
Microsoft billionaire
Bill Gates. "I really fought for this part because I knew it would be the role of a lifetime," Hall said. "It was a thrill and a daunting challenge to play someone of his stature and brilliance."
[45]
2000s
After making a cameo appearance as himself in the
2000 comedy film ''
Happy Accidents'', Hall appeared in several made-for-TV films. He starred opposite
Sheryl Lee as a cheating husband in the
2001 USA Network cable movie ''Hitched''. That same year, he played renowned music producer
Robert “Mutt” Lange in
VH1's original movie ''Hysteria: The Def Leppard Story'' and starred as legendary lefty
baseball pitcher Whitey Ford in
Billy Crystal’s highly acclaimed
HBO film, ''
61
★ ''.
On the big screen, Hall took on supporting roles in the mystery-drama ''
The Caveman's Valentine'' (2001) opposite
Samuel L. Jackson, the critically-panned ''
Freddy Got Fingered'' (2001) opposite
Tom Green, and the action-comedy ''
All About the Benjamins'' (2002) opposite
Ice Cube.
Hall began his first regular series role in
2002, starring as Johnny Smith in
USA Network’s supernatural drama ''
The Dead Zone'', a TV series adapted from
Stephen King’s best-selling
novel. He was cast in the show after executive producer
Michael Piller saw his performance in ''Pirates of Silicon Valley''.
[32] The show debuted on
June 16,
2002, and drew the highest ratings for a premiere than any other cable series in television history.
[47] ''The Dead Zone'' quickly developed a loyal audience, with the show and Hall receiving strong reviews. The ''
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'' wrote that "Hall's Johnny flashes the qualities - comic timing, great facial expressions - that made him a star in the 1980s movies ''Sixteen Candles'' and ''The Breakfast Club''."
[48] ''The Dead Zone'', Hall said, "has transformed my career."
[49] The show remains one of USA Network's top shows and one of the highest-rated programs on basic cable.
[1]
Hall also directed an episode from season three, "The Cold Hard Truth," guest starring legendary standup comic
Richard Lewis. "[The Cold Hard Truth], I feel, is my best work as a director, because I had this great crew that knows me well and has been working with me," said Hall. "I also had the best script that I've had an opportunity to direct."
[51] The show's sixth season premiered on June 17, 2007.
17
In addition to his work in ''The Dead Zone'', Hall is developing film and television projects under his production company banner AMH Entertainment.
[13] Most recently, Hall starred in ''
Aftermath'', an independent crime-drama film, along with
Tony Danza and
Chris Penn in his last role before his death. The film, which Hall also produced, is scheduled for release in
2007. In May 2007, Hall announced that he had a role in the upcoming film of the
Batman franchise, ''
The Dark Knight''.
[53]
In the media
Hall became a regular subject of tabloid media after ''
New York Magazine'' named him a member of the
Brat Pack, the group of young actors who became famous in the 1980s and frequently starred together.
[54] In the late 80s, Hall's drinking problem, which began in his early teens, made headlines.
[2] Hall eventually quit drinking and became fully sober by 1990. "The truth is, I had my partying nights, but I never really bounced at the bottom," he said. "I never went to rehab...I was able to govern myself and continue my work."
[32]
In 1990, Hall's physical appearance in ''Scissorhands'' caught audiences off guard. His more muscular image provoked rumors of steroids, but Hall later said that "the weight gain was natural."
[15]
Hall's role in the 1993 film, ''Six Degrees of Separation'', managed to make news not because of what occurred onscreen, but rather what failed to occur. Hall played a gay love interest to Will Smith, who had previously agreed to a kissing scene between the two. However, on the day of the shoot, Smith backed off. Smith told the press that he called
Denzel Washington for advice,
[32] who told him that an onscreen same-sex kiss was a bad career move.
[59] When asked about the incident during an interview, Hall said, "I didn't care. I wasn't that comfortable with it, either, and ultimately, we used a camera trick."
[32]
Recognition
The
2001 film ''
Not Another Teen Movie'' pays tribute to Hall's numerous appearances in the teen-oriented, 80s comedy films parodied by the movie. A brief shot of the sign over the door of a high school cafeteria reveals that the facility is named the "Anthony Michael Dining Hall."
[61] In 2006, Hall was ranked # 4 in
VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Teen Stars"
[62] and # 41 in "100 Greatest Kid Stars."
[63]
In June 2005, ''The Breakfast Club'' was rewarded with the "Silver Bucket of Excellence Award" at the
MTV Movie Awards, in honor of the film's twentieth anniversary.
MTV attempted to reunite the original cast; Sheedy, Ringwald, and Hall appeared together on stage, and
Paul Gleason personally gave the award to his former castmates. Estevez could not attend because of family commitments,
[64] and Nelson appeared earlier on the red carpet
[65] but left before the on-stage reunion for reasons unknown. Hall joked that the two were "in Africa with
Dave Chappelle."
[66]
Selected filmography
Films
Television
References
1. USA Network announces sixth season pick up of "The Dead Zone"
2. The Geek Grows Up Tom Gliatto
3. Sixteen Candles' sweet teens graduate to stardom by acting their own ages Jeff Jarvis
4. Blues-singer Mercedes Hall, mother of 'Dead Zone' star, takes charge of her own career Candace Hammond
5. Sixteen Candles' sweet teens graduate to stardom by acting their own ages Jeff Jarvis
6. Blues-singer Mercedes Hall, mother of 'Dead Zone' star, takes charge of her own career Candace Hammond
7. Hall stated he is of Irish and Italian ancestry on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, June 12, 2006. Video Retrieved on October 16, 2006
8. No longer nerd prince: Anthony Michael Hall all grown up Claire Bickley
9. Blues-singer Mercedes Hall, mother of 'Dead Zone' star, takes charge of her own career Candace Hammond
10. Anthony Michael Hall Official Site - Frequently Asked Questions
11. StarBoards: Anthony Michael Hall
12. Blues-singer Mercedes Hall, mother of 'Dead Zone' star, takes charge of her own career Candace Hammond
13. The Dead Zone - Cast Bio: Anthony Michael Hall
14. Anthony Michael Hall - ''The Caveman's Valentine''
15. Anthony Michael Hall AOL Chat 1998
16. No longer nerd prince: Anthony Michael Hall all grown up Claire Bickley
17. ''Dead Zone'' Changes Scenery Cindy White
18. Sixteen Candles' sweet teens graduate to stardom by acting their own ages Jeff Jarvis
19. Anthony Michael Hall AOL Chat 1998
20. Anthony Michael Hall AOL Chat 1998
21. Sixteen Candles' sweet teens graduate to stardom by acting their own ages Jeff Jarvis
22. Box Office Mojo - ''National Lampoon's Vacation''
23. ''National Lampoon's European Vacation'' Review Russell Lee
24. Sixteen Candles' sweet teens graduate to stardom by acting their own ages Jeff Jarvis
25. ''Sixteen Candles'' Scot Haller
26. John Hughes' The Breakfast Club Janet Maslin
27. 'Science' Fullfils Teenage Dreams Sheila Benson
28. Box Office Mojo - 1985 Domestic Grosses
29. Anthony Michael Hall grows up Robert Wilonsky
30. Hollywood Spotlight chat with Anthony Michael Hall - July 15, 1998
31. No longer nerd prince: Anthony Michael Hall all grown up Claire Bickley
32. Anthony Michael Hall from The Dead Zone - Interview Dan Epstein
33. Anthony Michael Hall - ''The Caveman's Valentine''
34. Anthony Michael Hall AOL Chat 1998
35. The John Hughes Files: General Trivia
36. Box Office Mojo - ''Out of Bounds''
37. ''Out of Bounds'' Review Roger Ebert
38. ''Out of Bounds'' Review Caryn James
39. Anthony Michael Hall from The Dead Zone - Interview Dan Epstein
40. Anthony Michael Hall from The Dead Zone - Interview Dan Epstein
41. ''Johnny Be Good'' Review Hal Hinson
42. The Geek Grows Up Tom Gliatto
43. Review/Film; Spoofing Movie Stars And a War Janet Maslin
44. Anthony Michael Hall AOL Chat 1998
45. TNT's Pirates of Silicon Valley Official Site
46. Anthony Michael Hall from The Dead Zone - Interview Dan Epstein
47. USA finds niche with broad appeal David Bauder
48. USA's 'The Dead Zone' puts twist on Stephen King's novel Chelsea J. Carter
49. 'Dead Zone' lives to thrill Ann Oldenburg
50. USA Network announces sixth season pick up of "The Dead Zone"
51. An Interview with Anthony Michael Hall, star of USA's The Dead Zone
52. The Dead Zone - Cast Bio: Anthony Michael Hall
53. Hall stays dead quiet about role in Batman saga
54. Brat Pack Origin
55. The Geek Grows Up Tom Gliatto
56. Anthony Michael Hall from The Dead Zone - Interview Dan Epstein
57. Anthony Michael Hall AOL Chat 1998
58. Anthony Michael Hall from The Dead Zone - Interview Dan Epstein
59. For all the steamy romance on-screen, the lip-locks often leave something to be desired Wesley Morris
60. Anthony Michael Hall from The Dead Zone - Interview Dan Epstein
61. The John Hughes Files: References
62. VH1's 100 Greatest Teen Stars #'s 20-1
63. VH1's 100 Greatest Kid Stars #'s 60-41
64. Estevez is a definite for Breakfast Club reunion movie
65. MTV awards honor actors William Keck
66. Hits, Misses, Skits, Kisses: Most memorable moments at the MTV Movie Awards Ann Hodgman
External links
★
Official Site
★
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