When young actors like Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Matthew Broderick and Rob Lowe moved out of obscurity and into films like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and St Elmo’s Fire they seemed like just the usual starlets.
Critics pasted them and adults ignored them. But the teen audience loved them.
Under the patronage of their mentor, writer and director John Hughes, their star burned very, very brightly indeed.
Together they made money in the mega-hits of the mid-80s (an estimated $170 million plus for Ferris and Breakfast Club alone) and came to be known collectively as ‘The Brat Pack’.
The Pack hit back at the label but seemed actively to encourage the publicity. They were boisterously evident as they tore up LA’s hottest clubs, racing to trendy Spago’s restaurant in their turbocharged Porsches, holding loud parties at the plush Century Plaza and, of course, always scoring big press with their romances.
Anthony Michael Hall
The thin, geeky version in Sixteen Candles (1983), Weird Science (1985) and The Breakfast Club (1985). His new buffness later shocked us in Edward Scissorhands (1990). His real name is Michael, but there was already a Michael Hall and a Michael Anthony Hall in the Screen Actors Guild.
Trivia Note: In the scene where he was dropped off for detention by his mum in Breakfast Club, that was his real mum and sister in the car.
Emilio Estevez
Looks and sounds a lot like his father, Martin. The worried-looking, jaunty young man was great in Repo Man (1984), yes. The Mighty Ducks on the other hand? . . . yawn . . . Once engaged to Demi Moore, he married singer Paula Abdul in 1993.
Charlie Sheen
Emilio’s brother – His name now makes us think of Heidi Fleiss instead of some of the good films he’s been in, like . . .erm . . . erm . . . Platoon?
Demi Moore
She started out as a boobless but likeable sassy babe on General Hospital and somehow became one of the highest-paid and largest breasted women in Hollywood (pictured at left).
Judd Nelson
He wasn’t really a failure until he shacked up with Shannen Doherty.
Molly Ringwald
Unconventionally pretty with red hair, dark eyes and a pouty mouth, she really was THE undisputed Queen of the pack.
The youngest daughter of blind jazz pianist Bob Ringwald, Molly rose through the ranks as a singing and acting child star.
She eventually just faded from the limelight thanks to some poor movie choices and ended up starring in French films.
Rob Lowe
Had a bad reputation around Malibu for screwing high school girls – this grew into a bad reputation worldwide after his hotel sex video fiasco.
Played the slutty bachelor in About Last Night (1986).
Ally Sheedy
So cute as Matthew Broderick’s girlfriend in War Games (1983), so cool as the screwed-up pale chick in black in The Breakfast Club (1985) but that was all really.
Some blame her career tailspin on her ill-fated relationship with rocker Richie Sambora.
Overcame bulimia in the late 80s and went on to write poetry.
Andrew McCarthy
Likeable in Less Than Zero (1987) and Pretty In Pink (1986) as Blane McDonough. Wait . . . “Blane”??!
James Spader
The archetypal sleaze-ball bastard (much loved by all the girls – natch) who always pretended to be a nice guy.
Spader (pictured at right) complimented a stellar movie career with excellent TV roles in shows such as The Practice (1997) and Boston Legal (2004).
Mare Winningham
A minor Brat Packer since she wasn’t too pretty or cool (or geeky).
