Bender and Brian

by Trish Harnetiaux

Not many know the true story of Bender and Brian. Judd Nelson and Anthony Michael Hall were not the first actors cast in John Hughes' iconic movie The Breakfast Club. Initially, two other actors played the roles, but were fired after an altercation that occurred while filming the scene when they go to take their jackets off at the same time. This pivotal day was, well, pivotal for our original Bender and Brian...

Not many know the true story of Bender and Brian. Judd Nelson and Anthony Michael Hall were not the first actors cast in John Hughes' iconic movie The Breakfast Club. Initially, two other actors played the roles, but were fired after an altercation that occurred while filming the scene when they go to take their jackets off at the same time. This pivotal day was, well, pivotal for our original Bender and Brian, as they went on to live their lives together. This is their story.

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Bender and Brian

Recommended by

  • Shaun Leisher: Bender and Brian by Trish Harnetiaux
    “

    Some absolutely brilliant dialogue is happening here. Loved being a fly on the wall over the years with these two.

    Some absolutely brilliant dialogue is happening here. Loved being a fly on the wall over the years with these two.

    ”
  • Brian James Polak: Bender and Brian by Trish Harnetiaux
    “

    I feel like this play was written specifically for me. It isn't just pulling my nostalgia strings, harkening back to the millions of times I've watched The Breakfast Club, but it's also telling a story about missed opportunities, moving on, and aging. I love everything about this play: its characters, its tone, its completeness. I hope I can be in a theater where Bender and Brian lives one day.

    I feel like this play was written specifically for me. It isn't just pulling my nostalgia strings, harkening back to the millions of times I've watched The Breakfast Club, but it's also telling a story about missed opportunities, moving on, and aging. I love everything about this play: its characters, its tone, its completeness. I hope I can be in a theater where Bender and Brian lives one day.

    ”
  • David Hansen: Bender and Brian by Trish Harnetiaux
    “

    Harnetiaux's "Bender and Brian" is a Gen X relationship fever dream, inspired by the (fictional) recasting of the actors who were originally to play those characters. We follow them over the course of over forty years as the protagonists develop and maintain a deep, life-long friendship. The dialogue is laugh out loud, and liike a modern "Godot," these two would be lost without each other's company. It is a loving and hilarious rumination on the nature of relationships, and at the same time exploring regret for the road not taken, a hallmark of our generation. So highly recommended!

    Harnetiaux's "Bender and Brian" is a Gen X relationship fever dream, inspired by the (fictional) recasting of the actors who were originally to play those characters. We follow them over the course of over forty years as the protagonists develop and maintain a deep, life-long friendship. The dialogue is laugh out loud, and liike a modern "Godot," these two would be lost without each other's company. It is a loving and hilarious rumination on the nature of relationships, and at the same time exploring regret for the road not taken, a hallmark of our generation. So highly recommended!

    ”