Before They Were Stars: Paul Gleason as an Extra on “Gomer Pyle, USMC”

You might not instantly recognize the name of the late character actor, Paul Gleason, but chances are that you’ll remember him as being the quintessential go-to guy for playing assholes in 1980s movies, with roles which included Clarence Beeks in Trading Places, Principal Richard Vernon in The Breakfast Club, and Deputy Chief Dwayne T. Robinson in Die Hard. Anyway, here’s a rare chance to see Paul Gleason playing a nice guy, but given that he’s onscreen for only a few seconds and has no lines of dialogue, his character could still very well be an asshole. During the mid-1960s, a young Gleason was a background extra during this dance scene in an episode of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C..