Judd Nelson

Nelson was born in Portland, Maine to Jewish American parents Leonard Nelson (an attorney) and Merle (an attorney and Maine state assemblywoman); he has two sisters, Eve and Julie. He went to school at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and studied at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, leaving part way through his sophomore year. He subsequently moved to Manhattan where he studied with Stella Adler.

Nelson was one of the 1980s "Brat pack", starring in such films as Joel Schumacher's St. Elmo's Fire and John Hughes' The Breakfast Club, as well as providing the voice of Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime in Transformers: The Movie.

Following his starring role in "The Breakfast Club", Nelson's career failed to take off in a big way, as several of his films, including Blue City (co-starring "Breakfast Club" alumna Ally Sheedy) and From the Hip, performed poorly at the box office. In the 1990s, he appeared in urban-themed dramas such as New Jack City and Light It Up. He also had a starring role on the NBC television sitcom Suddenly Susan.

Nelson made a cameo appearance in the 2001 film, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back; the film's writer and director, Kevin Smith, had been a long time fan of Nelson and the "Brat Pack" movies. Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, Nelson mostly appeared in television roles and lower-budget films, although he also acts on stage.

Nelson has dated Faye Resnick, as well as actresses Kelly Stafford and Shannen Doherty, to whom he was also engaged. He currently lives in Los Angeles.