Ron Dean dead at 87: Risky Business and The Breakfast Club star passes away after battling long illness
Ron Dean, famous for his roles in Risky Business and The Breakfast Club, has passed away at the age of 87.
The actor died on Sunday at a hospital in Chicago, his partner of 40 years, Maggie Neff, told TMZ.
His cause of death is unclear at this time, but Neff shared he’s been battling a long illness.
‘He passed at exactly 4 PM, after his beloved sisters had said their goodbyes. He hung on like a warrior to say goodbye to his little sisters,’ she told the publication.
‘Then we were alone, and in my arms, I held his hand, and he trusted me when I told him that it was alright to let go. What an honor!’
Dean was known for often playing detectives and law-enforcement characters in his career.
Ron Dean, famous for his roles in Risky Business and The Breakfast Club, has passed away at the age of 87; Seen in a still from the Dark Knight
One of his earliest roles was in Risky Business (1983), alongside Tom Cruise.
The Hollywood vet also played Emilio Estevez’s father in The Breakfast Club (1985).
His credits include a role alongside William Shatner in T.J. Hooker, and an appearance in The Package, which starred Gene Hackman and Tommy Lee Jones.
He also appeared in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.
Dean was a frequent collaborator with director Andrew Davis, appearing in several of his films, including Code of Silence, Above the Law, The Guardian, Steal Big Steal Little, and Chain Reaction.
His TV career was prolific, with credits including NYPD Blue, Frasier, ER, The West Wing, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
The actor died on Sunday at a hospital in Chicago, his partner of 40 years, Maggie Neff, told TMZ. His cause of death is unclear at this time, but Neff shared he’s been battling a long illness
In 1996 he was nominated for the Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Supporting Role for Supple in Combat with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
