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Morgan Freeman Joe Clark The Making Of

Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Getty

Update: December 29, 2020

Principal Joe Clark, the inspiration behind the 1989 film, Lean on Me, has passed away at the age of 82 after a long battle with an unspecified illness. Clark, who was born in Rochelle, Georgia, in 1938, moved with his family to Newark, New Jersey, when he was six years old and it was there he would become known for his unconventional methods of discipline at Eastside High School, including expelling 300 students in one day.

Clark retired from Eastside High School in 1989 and in that same year his book, Laying Down the Law: Joe Clark’s Strategy for Saving Our Schools, was published. After working for six years as the director of Essex County Detention House, Clark retired to Gainesville, Florida. He is survived by his children, Joetta, Hazel and JJ, and grandchildren, Talitha, Jorell and Hazel and preceded in death by his wife Gloria.

The year 2014 marks the 25th anniversary of the 1989 classic film Lean on Me. You know the plot, you love the soundtrack, and Morgan Freeman’s portrayal of Joe Clark is something iconic. But we bet you didn’t know these behind the scenes secrets. Check them out on the following pages.

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