Summer 1981 settled in, bringing a comparative quiet for Alex Hayes. Post-production on '17 Again' was in full swing under Robert Zemeckis's supervision; Alex had already completed his required ADR sessions, looping dialogue and ensuring his performance was technically sound. News came from Universal that '17 Again' was officially scheduled for release in November. Meanwhile, pre-production for 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' moved forward quickly following Alex's somewhat surprising casting as Jeff Spicoli. However, his actual filming dates weren't scheduled until October, leaving him with an unusual block of nearly two months of downtime.
Initially, Alex tried to embrace the break, catching up on sleep and enjoying the normalcy. But the creative energy he'd tapped into over the past year left him feeling restless. He found himself wandering through bookstores, eventually picking up a thick volume of Shakespeare's collected works. He started reading, initially just out of curiosity, but soon found himself drawn into the language and the timeless human dynamics.
When he reached 'The Taming of the Shrew', something sparked. The plot – the feisty, "unmarriageable" older sister, the sought-after younger sister, the elaborate romantic scheming driven by parental rules – struck Alex as oddly resonant with the intricate social hierarchies and dating pressures of modern high school. Then came the familiar flicker of his mysterious dreams: vague images, perhaps a windswept paintball field, a girl reading a poem on a stage, a prom scene… fleeting glimpses of what felt like a film based on this very premise. As usual, the dreams offered no context, no idea if the film was successful or even well-known. Alex recognized the pattern: a compelling concept rooted in a strange vision, a complete gamble based purely on his intuition.
Despite the uncertainty, the idea took hold. A high school 'Taming of the Shrew'. It felt right, felt clever, felt like something that could work. And Alex knew immediately who he wanted to help him figure it out.
He reached out to Nancy Jones first. "Nancy, I know this sounds crazy, '17 Again' isn't even out yet, and I haven't even started 'Fast Times', but... I think I have another idea."
Nancy, likely sighing good-naturedly on the other end, had learned to trust Alex's unusual process. "Okay, Alex. Who do you need?"
"John Hughes," Alex replied instantly.
*******
John Hughes was, understandably, surprised to get a call requesting another meeting so soon after wrapping up the '17 Again' script. "Another high school story already, Alex?" Hughes asked, genuinely curious, when they met for dinner a few days later.
"Sort of," Alex grinned, launching into his idea. "Okay, John, picture this: High school setting. Based loosely on 'Taming of the Shrew'." He saw Hughes's eyebrows raise slightly. "There's this gorgeous, popular sophomore, let's call her Bianca, everyone wants to date her. But her strict dad – maybe overly protective – has a rule: Bianca can't date until her older sister, Kat, does. And Kat... she's brilliant, independent, maybe seen as intimidating or 'difficult' by her peers, totally uninterested in the high school dating scene, scares most guys off."
He leaned forward. "So, this nice guy, Cameron, who's crushing on Bianca, gets desperate. He maybe teams up with a conceited rich kid, Joey, who also wants Bianca for status points. They pool their money and make a deal with the school's resident mysterious bad boy, Patrick Verona – maybe he has a dangerous reputation, maybe he just keeps to himself. They pay Patrick to take Kat out, just get her dating someone, so the dad's rule is off the table and Bianca is finally available."
Alex paused, letting Hughes absorb the core concept – the Shakespearean framework dropped into the world of proms, cliques, and teenage angst they both found so fascinating. Hughes tapped his pen on his napkin, a thoughtful, intrigued expression replacing his initial surprise. The collaboration, it seemed, was about to begin anew.
John Hughes listened intently as Alex laid out his high school 'Taming of the Shrew' concept over dinner. When Alex finished, Hughes smiled, genuinely intrigued. "Shakespeare in high school... updating a classic structure with modern teen dynamics. It's ambitious, Alex. I like it." He confessed the timing was surprisingly good for him. "Funny you should mention a new project," Hughes said. "I actually just completed a script, sold it over to ABC Motion Pictures. Nice little deal, but it means I don't have anything else immediately on my plate." He saw the opportunity clearly: collaborating again with Alex Hayes, whose star was rising fast, was a smart career move. "So yeah," Hughes concluded, "I've got time. Let's kick it around." And just like that, through the late summer of 1981, Alex and John began outlining and brainstorming their second collaboration.
The summer drifted by as Alex split his time between developing the new 'Shrew' concept with Hughes and anticipating the start of his next acting gig. Pre-production work on 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' continued. Finally, October came, and Alex reported to the set for his scheduled week (or so) of filming as Jeff Spicoli.
Slipping into the shaggy blonde wig, the faded t-shirt, the worn surfer shorts, and adopting Spicoli's signature slouch felt both strange and liberating. When Alex first walked onto the set in full Spicoli regalia, there were audible double-takes from crew members and even some of the other young actors. Many only knew him as the increasingly polished star of 'Can't Buy Me Love' or from publicity stills. The transformation was so complete, hiding the familiar handsome features beneath the wig and the character's goofy demeanor, it sparked murmurs of disbelief. Director Amy Heckerling, however, seemed pleased by his total commitment as they began shooting his scenes.
They filmed the iconic classroom encounters with the stern Mr. Hand (played by veteran actor Ray Walston). Alex, fully embodying Spicoli's blissful cluelessness, delivered lines like "Aloha, Mr. Hand" upon arriving late, and later, during the infamous pizza delivery scene, defended his actions with perfect stoner logic: "Learning about Cuba, and having some food... If I'm here and you're here, doesn't that make it our time?"
Another day involved the memorable van scene. Alex, alongside the actors playing Spicoli's buddies, perfected the art of tumbling out of a smoke-filled VW bus onto the school lawn, late again, perhaps cheerfully exclaiming, "Hey bud, let's party!"
Alex found immense fun in playing Spicoli's laid-back physicality and unique speech rhythms, subtly weaving in some of the amiable disconnection he'd gleaned from his Keanu Reeves/Ted Logan 'dream' fragments. It was a refreshing departure from the romantic leads and dramatic intensity of his recent work. After about a week, having delivered memorable moments of comedic relief, Alex's brief but impactful stint on 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' was complete. He left the set feeling creatively satisfied, having proven to himself and hopefully others that he wasn't afraid to step outside his emerging typecasting.