John Hughes' teens: Where are they now?

'Sixteen Candles'

By Patrick Day and Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

John Hughes may have disappeared into the wilds of northern Illinois, but the young actors and actresses whose careers he helped launch have continued to grow and thrive. Some of them are still famous enough that we don't need a refresher -- who doesn't know that Matthew Broderick starred on Broadway in Mel Brooks' "The Producers"? But some of the biggest stars of the Hughes era have dropped a bit below the radar in recent years. Nearly 24 years since the premiere of the first feature Hughes directed, "Sixteen Candles," we catch up with Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson and others.