For the first time in four decades, all five stars of the iconic teen film “The Breakfast Club” reunited in person. Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, and Anthony Michael Hall appeared together on stage during a special panel at the C2E2 pop culture convention in Chicago, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1985 John Hughes classic.

The emotional reunion was moderated by entertainment journalist Josh Horowitz and marked the first time all cast members shared a stage since their characters served Saturday detention at fictional Shermer High School.

“I feel incredibly emotional and touched that we’re all here,” said Ringwald, who played Claire Standish. Jokingly, she added, “We don’t have to use the cardboard cutout of Emilio anymore!”

During the discussion, Hall and Ringwald reflected on how they landed their roles. Hall recalled: “John [Hughes] just called me. No script, nothing. He just said, ‘Come in.’” Ringwald added that “The Breakfast Club” was originally planned before “Sixteen Candles”, but the studio pushed for the latter to go first.

Ally Sheedy, who portrayed Allison Reynolds, shared heartfelt memories of the bond they formed during filming. “It was honestly a dream. We were happy while making this movie — you can still feel the love between us. It was truly joyful.”