Judd Asher Nelson (born November 28, 1959) is an American actor best known for his roles as John Bender in The Breakfast Club, Alec Newbury in St. Elmo's Fire, Hot Rod / Rodimus Prime in The Transformers: The Movie and Transformers: Animated, Ryan Hunt in Billionaire Boys Club, Nick Peretti in New Jack City, Billy Beretti in Empire, and Jack Richmond in the television series Suddenly Susan.
Judd Asher Nelson was born on November 28, 1959 in Portland, Maine to attorney Leonard Nelson and his wife, Merle Nelson, (attorney and state assemblywoman). Judd attended St. Paul's preparatory school in Concord, New Hampshire before majoring in philosophy at the prestigious Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania. The acting bug bit when he went to watch a friend's audition and was obliged to audition in order to stay. He won the role.
After graduation, Judd headed for New York City and the Stella Adler Conservatory where he was believable in the role as the street-smart Eddie Keaton in the comedy Making the Grade (1984). Judd's next film role was as the stodgy ROTC cadet, Phil Hicks, in the ensemble comedy Fandango (1985). Important and diverse roles in the brat-pack films The Breakfast Club (1985) and St. Elmo's Fire (1985) quickly followed. With his privileged upbringing, Judd could have brought the right degree of preppy-smarmyness, (ala James Spader), to any number of vapid roles, but his intense stare and dark smoldering looks gave him a hint of danger which added to his credibility in films like Billionaire Boys Club (1987), From the Hip (1987) and New Jack City (1991).
While Judd's career has been peppered with under-promoted films and poorly-written television appearances, critics have not been overly kind to this misunderstood actor.