Paul Gleason, who played the go-to bad guy in "Trading Places" and the angry high school principal in "The Breakfast Club," has died. He was 67.

Mr. Gleason died Saturday at a hospital in Burbank, Calif., of mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer linked to asbestos, said his wife, Susan Gleason.

Mr. Gleason was a professional athlete before becoming an actor, playing Triple-A minor league baseball for a handful of clubs in the late 1950s.

He honed his acting skills with his mentor Lee Strasberg, whom he studied with at the Actors Studio beginning in the mid-1960s, family members said.

Through his career, Mr. Gleason appeared in over 60 movies that included "Die Hard," "Johnny Be Good," and "National Lampoon's Van Wilder." Most recently, Mr. Gleason made television appearances in hit shows such as "Friends" and "Seinfeld."

Mr. Gleason's passions went beyond acting. He had recently published a book of poetry.