‘Breakfast Club’ star Anthony Michael Hall reveals the key to surviving Hollywood after 51 years

“Breakfast Club” star Anthony Michael Hall knows exactly why he’s been able to survive Hollywood for over 50 years. Hall is starring on the FOX celebrity competition series “Nation’s Dumbest,” hosted by Jack Whitehall. At the press event, Hall explained the secret to longevity in Hollywood. “Having a thick skin, and just being game and just wanting to work with the best people you can,” he began. “Just being persistent and tenacious. And thank God I was born with a hard head. But you have to have a thick skin.” “You have to really want and love what you do. So I think that’s it.” Hall also told Fox News Digital the biggest lesson he’s learned after five decades in the industry. “Stay humble, stay focused, keep your eyes on the road, and just keep moving ahead somehow. There’s no guarantee of anything in this business, and it’s a tough business, but it’s really great business, so I’m very fortunate,” he noted. “Breakfast Club” star Anthony Michael Hall knows exactly why he’s been able to survive Hollywood for over 50 years. Getty Images “[I] feel very blessed. This is my 51st year doing this, and this was really a unique thing, because it was something I never expected,” Hall continued, referring to “Nation’s Dumbest.” “It really took me by surprise, and it was really lot of fun,” he said. “So, it was about learning that lesson, too. Staying open to new opportunities, just being cool with it and having fun. So, we really had a great time, all of us. It was nice.” “Nation’s Dumbest” is FOX’s new celebrity competition series that puts a comedic twist on the traditional game show format. Hosted by Whitehall, the series challenges 12 celebrities to return to “summer school,” where they compete in a mix of classroom-inspired trivia, physical games and school-themed challenges. Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, and Anthony Michael Hall in the 1985 film “Breakfast Club.” But unlike most competition shows, the objective isn’t to win — it’s to be eliminated. Each week, the contestant who performs the best “graduates” from the competition, while those who struggle remain in the game. In the end, the last celebrity standing earns the title no one wants: “The Nation’s Dumbest.” Hall told Fox News Digital that he saw some parallels from his days on the “Breakfast Club” and being back in a classroom setting on FOX’s new competition series. “Do you know what, there was some parallels for sure. We all got thrown together. We’re all stuck, we couldn’t really go anywhere. And honestly, we all really got along. It was a real nice organic surprise that I had a great time with all these people. It was coming into a year where I wasn’t sure where the next job was gonna come, like we often feel in this industry. And I got the call, and I was just really excited by it,” he said. Hall is starring on the FOX celebrity competition series “Nation’s Dumbest,” hosted by Jack Whitehall. Brian Zak/NY Post “And I really embraced it and I just went up to Toronto and had a good time shooting it and everybody was really cool. So we had a really good time,” Hall concluded. The inaugural cast includes Hall, Ice-T, Jon Heder, Hilaria Baldwin, Carmen Electra, Chase Hudson, Elle King, Matt Leinart, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Steve-O, JoJo Siwa and Andrew Yang. The format, which has found success internationally, blends pop quizzes, report cards, recess-inspired games and “final exams” with Whitehall’s signature humor. FOX has described the series as a fresh take on celebrity competition television, designed to deliver laughs by turning the usual goal of winning completely upside down. The series premiered Wednesday, July 15 on FOX and streamed the next day on Hulu. Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across. 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions! Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules. Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!