Veteran character actor Ron Dean, celebrated for his memorable supporting roles in iconic films including "The Breakfast Club" and "The Fugitive," passed away on October 5 at a Chicago hospital at 87 years old.

The cause of death has not been disclosed, though his longtime partner Maggie Neff revealed that Dean had been battling a prolonged illness.

Born Ronald Charles Dean on August 15, 1938, in Chicago, Dean built a distinguished career portraying tough-talking law enforcement officers and authority figures. His Chicago roots and authentic demeanor made him a natural choice for roles requiring a gritty urban sensibility. Dean began his screen career in the mid-1970s and was working regularly by 1983, establishing himself as a dependable character actor with nearly 100 film and television credits.

Dean gained early recognition for his role as a detective in Tom Cruise's breakout film "Risky Business" in 1983. He went on to work with Cruise in two additional films, "The Color of Money" (1986) and "Cocktail" (1988), where he played Cruise's uncle. In John Hughes' beloved 1985 classic "The Breakfast Club," Dean portrayed the strict father of athlete Andrew Clark, played by Emilio Estevez.

Director Andrew Davis became one of Dean's most frequent collaborators, casting him in seven films throughout their professional relationship. Their partnership produced some of Dean's most notable works, including "Above the Law" (1988), "The Package" (1989), and the Academy Award-nominated thriller "The Fugitive" (1993), where Dean played Detective Kelly alongside Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones.

Dean's later career included a memorable role as the corrupt Detective Wuertz in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" (2008). His extensive television work featured guest appearances on acclaimed series including "Frasier," "ER," "The West Wing," "NYPD Blue," "Murder, She Wrote," and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." He had recurring roles on "Early Edition" as Detective Marion Zeke Crumb and appeared in multiple episodes of "Chicago Fire" as Fire Marshal James Whoritsky.

Throughout his career, Dean remained closely connected to Chicago's theater community. He received a Jefferson Award nomination in 1996 for his supporting role in "Supple in Combat" at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. His final screen appearance was in a 2016 episode of "Chicago P.D." as Ray Sharansky.

Dean's death marks the end of a remarkable journey from a troubled youth to a respected performer who embodied the spirit of Chicago talent for over three decades. His authentic portrayals of working-class characters and law enforcement officials left an indelible mark on both film and television, earning him recognition as one of Hollywood's most reliable character actors.

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Actor, Dead, Passed away, The Breakfast Club, Tom Cruise