Which actors were the members of cinema’s ‘Brat Pack’ in the 1980s?
In 1985, New York magazine writer David Blum labelled a group of young actors as the “Brat Pack” a play on the “Rat Pack” a group of hedonistic Hollywood A-listers in the 1950s and ‘60s led by Frank Sinatra.
None of the actors mentioned in the story were happy with the article. They were all working toward serious careers as performers, but the story focused on their drunken, drug-fueled debauchery and general bratty use of their fame.
It was originally intended to be a profile of the Pack’s unofficial leader, Emilio Estevez, who was riding high on a series of teen-oriented movies and exploring a shift to directing, but as Blum accompanied the actor to parties and bars, he couldn’t stop jotting notes about the group of young actors that his subject was carousing with.
Blum would later be blamed by many members of the Brat Pack for ruining their careers, but issues with drugs, alcohol, and poor career choices were at least as culpable. Although there is no fixed list of Brat Pack members, there is a core group of eight that is the unofficially definitive roll call.
Who were the members of cinema’s ‘Brat Pack’?
Emilio Estevez
As the son of Apocalypse Now star Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez was a child of Hollywood. He enjoyed enormous fame in his youth through teen movies like The Outsiders, The Breakfast Club, and St. Elmo’s Fire, but as Blum detailed in his article, the actor had been planning to transition into directing from a young age.
He made his feature directorial debut in 1986 with the romantic comedy Wisdom, in which he co-starred with his sometimes-girlfriend Demi Moore. Estevez did not maintain the fame he had in his early 20s, but he has continued to direct and star in movies.
Anthony Michael Hall
Known for playing the scrawny nerd in movies like The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles, Anthony Michael Hall might not have had the look of a bratty teen star, but he was one of the core group. He was also director John Hughes’s thinly veiled version of himself as a teenager.
At just 17, Hall became a cast member on Saturday Night Live during the show’s 1985 and 1986 season. He has starred in minor roles since the ‘80s, notably appearing in 2021’s Halloween Kills.
Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe was a teen heartthrob through and through, with roles in movies like The Outsiders and St. Elmo’s Fire.
His career was almost derailed in 1988 when a sex tape emerged, but he managed to reassert himself as a star in the ‘90s thanks to his role on The West Wing. Since then, he’s stuck mainly with television, appearing in shows like Parks and Recreation and showing an endearing aptitude for poking fun at his persona.
Andrew McCarthy
In his 1985 piece, Blum quoted an unnamed member of the Brat Pack saying that they didn’t think Andrew McCarthy would make it as an actor. Following successes like St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink, and Weekend at Bernie’s, the actor did struggle to find roles and eventually turned to directing.
He helmed episodes for shows including Gossip Girl and Orange is the New Black, and eventually directed the emotionally 2024 documentary, Brats, in which he, his fellow members of the Brat Pack, and Blum dissect what it all meant and how their relationships fell apart.
Demi Moore
It’s easy to forget that Demi Moore was part of the Brat Pack since her career has been so starry ever since. She appeared in St. Elmo’s Fire and About Last Night… in the ‘80s, but as her co-stars floundered in the ‘90s, she became the highest-paid female actor in the world.
Ghost, A Few Good Men, and G.I. Jane were just some of her successful films post Brat Pack, and she is even going through a career renaissance in her sixties thanks to her tour de force performance in The Substance.
Judd Nelson
In his 1985 article, Blum refers to Judd Nelson as “The Overrated One,” a barbed insult if ever there was one.
Following his roles in The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo’s Fire, the actor struggled to find his footing and appeared in a string of unsuccessful movies. He eventually transitioned to network television, where he’s appeared in shows including CSI: NY and Two and a Half Men.
Molly Ringwald
Molly Ringwald became a star for her lead roles in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink.
Following her stint as the girl next door, Ringwald left Hollywood for France, where she made a jazz album and started writing books. She eventually began to work in Hollywood again, appearing in shows like Riverdale, The Bear, and Dahmer.
Ally Sheedy
The other female in the group, Ally Sheedy appeared in teen-oriented movies like The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire, and WarGames.
Like other members of the Brat Pack, she struggled to find roles after her teen years, and currently works as a theatre professor at City University of New York while continuing to appear in movies and TV.
