The Brat Pack - Then and Now
The Brat Pack - Then and Now
If you grew up in the early '80s, you knew the Brat Pack as the cool kids. The A-list young actors were in all the hottest teen or coming-of-age movies. The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo’s Fire were the two key titles that defined the members of the Brat Pack. The actors in those films earned their way into this elite cool kid club, and then the cast went on to do many other movies together. Some of these stars have remained big names in the spotlight today, but others have taken a step back from the Hollywood scene.
The core Brat Pack members were Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy. There were others like Robert Downey, Jr., and James Spader, but they were officially part of the core crew. And while the Brat Pack was IT for years, where are some of these stars today? We look at how they’ve changed over the years.
Then: Emilio Estevez
Estevez is pictured here with then-fiancé Demi Moore and his dad Martin Sheen. With a starring role in both The Breakfast Club as the jock Andrew and in St. Elmo’s Fire playing law student Kirby, Estevez was at the heart of the Brat Pack crew. So much so that sometimes his brother Charlie Sheen was included in the group just by association. Estevez also starred in the 80s teen films The Outsiders and Young Guns, which were filled with casts of hot young actors of the time like Tom Cruise, Kiefer Sutherland, Patrick Swyaze, and Matt Dillon.
Now: Emilio Estevez
Post-'80s, Estevez headed up the popular franchise The Mighty Ducks, and he recently joined the cast of the Disney+ series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.
Then: Anthony Michael Hall
Before joining the Brat Pack, Hall had already racked up credits in commercials and in the family film National Lampoon's Vacation. As Brian the smart nerd in John Hughes classic The Breakfast Club, the lovable geek carved out a niche for himself. He played similar parts in other Hughes films Sixteen Candles and Weird Science, but reportedly turned down roles in Pretty in Pink and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Now: Anthony Michael Hall
He hung up his geek chic status to play a villain in Edward Scissorhands in the 90s, portrayed Bill Gates in the TNT movie Pirates of Silicon Valley, and headlined the USA Network TV series The Dead Zone for six seasons. He's had small roles and guest spots since then and is next slated to appear in the upcoming film Halloween Kills.
Then: Demi Moore
Before her big breakout in St. Elmo's Fire, Moore had starred on General Hospital. In St. Elmo's Fire she played party girl Jules and also appeared in the teen comedy One Crazy Summer with a young John Cusack.
Now: Demi Moore
After the Brat Pack phase fizzled, Moore skyrocketed to fame in movies like Ghost, A Few Good Men, and Indecent Proposal and broke salary records for her starring turn in Striptease. After breaking off her engagement with Estevez, she married Bruce Willis and then Ashton Kutcher. She's continued to stay in the public eye even though some of her more recent films haven't been box office successes. She recently published her memoir Inside Out and will next appear in the Amazon series Dirty Diana.
Then: Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe starred as the sax playing frat boy Bill who was in the midst of a bad marriage in St. Elmo's Fire, and also starred as Sodapop in The Outsiders and reunited with Demi Moore for About Last Night...
Now: Rob Lowe
In the 90s, Lowe turned to some more dramatic roles, starring in the miniseries The Stand, and as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing. He reportedly turned down the role Derek Shepherd on Grey's Anatomy, and joined the show Brothers & Sisters. He switched gears to play the constantly upbeat Chris Traeger on Parks and Recreation and can currently be seen as fire captain Owen Strand on the Fox drama 9-1-1: Lone Star.
Then: Molly Ringwald
After starring on the sitcom The Facts of Life, this redhead became the relatable It Girl in a host of John Hughes films, including The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and Sixteen Candles.
Now: Molly Ringwald
In the 90s, she starred in The Stand miniseries (along with Rob Lowe) and worked steadily on Broadway and in TV and film and even put out a jazz album. Currently she can be seen as Archie Andrews's mom on Riverdale.
Then: Judd Nelson
Nelson played Alec, the politically driven stereotypical 80s yuppie in St. Elmo's Fire and the rebellious punk John in The Breakfast Club.
Now: Judd Nelson
Nelson has worked steadily through the years, in stand out roles in New Jack City and as a lead on Suddenly Susan. Most of his roles in recent years have been voiceover work, but he was recently seen in a recurring role on Empire.
Then: Ally Sheedy
Prior to her Brat Pack success, she'd starred alongside Matthew Broderick in the movie WarGames. As the moody outcast Allison in The Breakfast Club, she was a perfect foil to Ringwald's snobby Claire. She also starred in St. Elmo's Fire as Leslie, who was in the midst of a love triangle. In the mid-80s she also appeared in the wildly popular Short Circuit film and its sequel.
Now: Ally Sheedy
She has continued to work as an actress. Although she hasn't been as successful as some of the other Brat Pack alum, she's done a lot of made-for-TV movies. She was last seen on-screen in a brief cameo in X-Men: Apocalypse.
Then: Andrew McCarthy
McCarthy starred in St. Elmo's Fire as the group's sullen Kevin who was in love with the taken Leslie. He then solidified his Brat Pack status starring opposite Ringwald in Pretty in Pink, where he played the popular Blane. In the 80s he had a string of big hits with movies like Mannequin, Weekend at Bernie's, and Less Than Zero.
Now: Andrew McCarthy
Now most often working behind the scenes, McCarthy has directed episodes of Gossip Girl, Orange is the New Black and The Blacklist. On-screen, he had a recurring role on the recent NBC series Good Girls.
Every Gen-Xer wanted to be as cool as the Brat Pack crew.