Paul Gleason Dies of Mesothelioma

May 30 , 2006 - Actor Paul Gleason, best known for his role as the nasty disciplinarian principal in the 1980s brat pack hit, The Breakfast Club, has died at age 67 of mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

Gleason, who was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, had appeared in some 60 films and television shows, with his most recent appearances occurring on such hits as Friends, Dawsons Creek, and Seinfeld.  Gleason had not accepted any acting jobs during the last few years due to his deteriorating state caused by this cancer, which is usually not diagnosed until its advanced stages and progresses quickly.  He leaves behind a widow, Susan, and two grown daughters.

In a case that displays the long latency period of asbestos-related diseases, Gleason’s wife notes that her husband had been exposed to asbestos when he was just a teenager, working on construction jobs with his father, who was a building contractor.  Fifty years ago, few precautions were taken to protect workers from asbestos as its dangers were not yet widely known.  Gleason and his father worked with a number of asbestos-containing products on the job and most likely did not wear any protective gear.