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Once in a generation, and sometimes not even that often, a group of luminaries appear seemingly all at once and come to define an era. In the mid-20th century, members of the Rat Pack such as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin ran pop culture. In the 1980s, however, the kids ruled the world. Specifically, a group of gifted teen actors known as the Brat Pack.
Their performances showed teens of that strange yet thrilling decade that they should be proud of their individuality, and that anyone can find their home in society. Indeed, many Brat Pack members remain influential to this day.
Read on to look back at the great movies and moments of the Brat Pack.
The Brat Pack were a group of teenage heartthrobs, idols, and icons from 1980s Hollywood. This closely-knit group was first referred to as the "Brat Pack" by a journalist in a 1985 exposé for New York Magazine, and the name has stuck throughout the decades.
The Brat Pack consisted of some of the greatest teen film stars of all time, including the likes of Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, and Judd Nelson.
The Brat Pack embodied the teen coolness of the 1980s unlike any other group. Even today, their reputation as the "it" group holds strong, and few groups since have even come close to attaining their level of publicized perfection.
For some, the Brat Pack is a loosely defined term used to refer to a whole generation of actors, but for most people the parameters are clear. The Brat Pack are the eight young performers who starred in either or both of 1985's teen classics 'The Breakfast Club,' or 'St. Elmo's Fire.'
Since their heyday in the 1980s, the members of the Brat Pack have gone on to lead surprisingly different lives. Let's take a look back at these iconic personalities and find out where they are today.
Hailed by some as the unofficial "president" of the Brat Pack, Emilio Estevez starred in both 'The Breakfast Club' (1985) and 'St. Elmo's Fire' (1985), as well a number of other classic 1980s films.
While Estevez is probably most well known for the defining Brat Pack movies, he started making a name for himself even before that, and gave an excellent supporting performance in 1983's 'The Outsiders,' directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
While perhaps not the pop culture sensation he once was, Estevez has continued to act regularly throughout his life. He has chosen a quieter life outside of the spotlight, taking up minor supporting roles in film and television. He has even sat in the director's chair a number of times, and recently returned to another famous role: that of Gordon Bombay on 'The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers' series.
Without a doubt the most memorable face of the Rat Pack, Molly Ringwald's name still rings familiar in households all around. Ringwald topped VH1's list of 100 Greatest Teen Stars in 2006, beating out other icons like Britney Spears and River Phoenix.
Ringwald was wildly successful throughout the 1980s, giving show-stealing lead performances in 1984's 'Sixteen Candles,' 1985's 'The Breakfast Club' and 'St. Elmo's Fire,' and 1986's 'Pretty in Pink.'
Molly Ringwald has nobly acted as a role model for teens since the 1980s, maintaining a wholesome public image while acting in various projects on stage and on screen, most notably in the TV series 'Riverdale,' and as Jeffrey Dahmer's step-mother in Netflix's wildly popular 'Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story' (2022).
Anthony Michael Hall, born Michael Anthony Hall, was hugely successful during his days as a teen actor, and was an integral member of the Brat Pack.
Hall was a favorite of 'The Breakfast Club' director John Hughes, and starred in many of the filmmaker's most popular movies including 'Weird Science' (1985) and 'Sixteen Candles' (1984), starring fellow "brat" Molly Ringwald.
Since then, Hall has had his ups and downs, but today enjoys life as a happy man. Hall struggled with alcoholism in the late 1980s, but has since overcome his affliction and continues to play in minor television and film roles. He has also launched a youth literacy program with Chapman University, called the Anthony Michael Hall Literacy Club.
Rob Lowe has easily become one of the most enduring members of the Brat Pack, and has remained a heartthrob for his generation through most of his career, which started when Lowe was only 15.
Lowe appeared in 1983's 'The Outsiders' alongside Emilio Estevez, and starred in 1984's 'Oxford Blues,' alongside fellow Brat Pack member Ally Sheedy. Lowe made an impressive return to the limelight in the 21st century with his role in the hugely popular sitcom 'Parks and Recreation.'
Like many other members of the Brat Pack who slipped into bad habits at young ages, Lowe struggled with alcoholism in the years following the Pack's greatest years, but has since become sober and has stayed a largely loved and respected figure in the public eye, despite the odd scandal here and there.
One of the biggest and most resilient icons in screen history, Demi Moore was at the center of the Brat Pack and continues to bask in relative stardom up through the new millennium.
Starting with her excellent starring role in 1985's 'St. Elmo's Fire,' Moore has continued to give memorable lead performances throughout the decades in classics such as 1990's 'Ghost' and 1997's 'G.I. Jane.'
Moore stepped away from the public eye in the early 2000s to focus on raising her three children, but has since made a comeback, starring in numerous films, and, most recently, captivating the world with her performance in the controversial film 'The Substance' (2024).
Ally Sheedy made a name for herself as a teen icon, a star actress, and a socialite during the golden years of the 1980s with the Brat Pack.
Best known for her excellent performance as the quiet and brooding Allisson Reynolds in 1985's 'The Breakfast Club,' Sheedy also starred in films like 'Short Circuit' (1986) and 'High Art' (1998).
Ally Sheedy has weaved in and out of the limelight throughout her career, and has recently made a strong comeback in the lead role of Carol in Disney+'s comedy show 'Single Drunk Female.'
Known by most as the bad boy John Bender in 1985's 'The Breakfast Club,' Judd Nelson has made over 100 film appearances throughout his storied career.
Nelson starred in both of the Brat Pack's defining movies, and was lauded for his performances in both 1985 films, 'The Breakfast Club' and 'St. Elmo's Fire.' Nelson also starred in 1996's 'Blue City' alongside fellow "brat" Ally Sheedy.
Nelson continued to give strong supporting performances in the following decades, including roles in 1991's 'New Jack City' and 2018's 'Billionaire Boys Club.'
Andrew McCarthy is one unique member of the Brat Pack who never appreciated or embraced the title. By his own accounts, he was never close with any of the group's other members, and was grouped in through purely professional association.
McCarthy did starred in 'St. Elmo's Fire' (1985), as well as in 1986's 'Pretty in Pink' alongside Molly Ringwald. He is also well known for his performance in a lead role in the 1986 comedy hit 'Weekend at Bernie's.'
Today, McCarthy has quietly moved away from the actor's spotlight, but continues to work as an accomplished director. He is especially recognized for his directorial work on 15 episodes of 'Orange is the New Black.'
Sources: (The Guardian) (Yahoo!) (Factinate)
See also: Child stars who made brilliant comebacks
Who were the Brat Pack, and where are they now?
Meet the most famous teenagers of the 1980s
CELEBRITY Actors
Once in a generation, and sometimes not even that often, a group of luminaries appear seemingly all at once and come to define an era. In the mid-20th century, members of the Rat Pack such as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin ran pop culture. In the 1980s, however, the kids ruled the world. Specifically, a group of gifted teen actors known as the Brat Pack.
Their performances showed teens of that strange yet thrilling decade that they should be proud of their individuality, and that anyone can find their home in society. Indeed, many Brat Pack members remain influential to this day.
Read on to look back at the great movies and moments of the Brat Pack.