Stars of the 80s: where are the members of the 'Brat Pack' now?

Blessed youth, cursed contracts

Blessed youth, cursed contracts, The nickname that ruined everything, Molly Ringwald: A pop icon in voluntary retirement, Rob Lowe: Scandals, tapes, and redemption, Judd Nelson: From rebel without a cause to actor without castings, Emilio Estevez: The Sheen that never was, Ally Sheedy: Brief light, long shadow, Andrew McCarthy: Actor, writer, nomad, Demi Moore: The exception to the rule, Anthony Michael Hall: Teen mutant, The Hughes factor: Without their patron, nothing was the same, The Nostalgia Effect: A revival without glory, 'Brats': The documentary that stirred the past

In the 80s, Hollywood had a golden gang: twenty-something actors, handsome and rebellious, who promised to be the new aristocracy of cinema. It lasted as long as a cassette tape rewinding.

The nickname that ruined everything

Blessed youth, cursed contracts, The nickname that ruined everything, Molly Ringwald: A pop icon in voluntary retirement, Rob Lowe: Scandals, tapes, and redemption, Judd Nelson: From rebel without a cause to actor without castings, Emilio Estevez: The Sheen that never was, Ally Sheedy: Brief light, long shadow, Andrew McCarthy: Actor, writer, nomad, Demi Moore: The exception to the rule, Anthony Michael Hall: Teen mutant, The Hughes factor: Without their patron, nothing was the same, The Nostalgia Effect: A revival without glory, 'Brats': The documentary that stirred the past

The term 'Brat Pack' was coined by a spiteful journalist in New York Magazine. What seemed like a cool nod ended up as a tombstone for their careers. Nobody wanted to hire them. In the picture, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, and Anthony Michael Hall.

Molly Ringwald: A pop icon in voluntary retirement

Blessed youth, cursed contracts, The nickname that ruined everything, Molly Ringwald: A pop icon in voluntary retirement, Rob Lowe: Scandals, tapes, and redemption, Judd Nelson: From rebel without a cause to actor without castings, Emilio Estevez: The Sheen that never was, Ally Sheedy: Brief light, long shadow, Andrew McCarthy: Actor, writer, nomad, Demi Moore: The exception to the rule, Anthony Michael Hall: Teen mutant, The Hughes factor: Without their patron, nothing was the same, The Nostalgia Effect: A revival without glory, 'Brats': The documentary that stirred the past

The eternal John Hughes girl chose to leave before being ousted. She moved to France, avoided public collapse, and writes columns about feminism. That’s no small feat.

Rob Lowe: Scandals, tapes, and redemption

Blessed youth, cursed contracts, The nickname that ruined everything, Molly Ringwald: A pop icon in voluntary retirement, Rob Lowe: Scandals, tapes, and redemption, Judd Nelson: From rebel without a cause to actor without castings, Emilio Estevez: The Sheen that never was, Ally Sheedy: Brief light, long shadow, Andrew McCarthy: Actor, writer, nomad, Demi Moore: The exception to the rule, Anthony Michael Hall: Teen mutant, The Hughes factor: Without their patron, nothing was the same, The Nostalgia Effect: A revival without glory, 'Brats': The documentary that stirred the past

He was the official heartthrob until a private recording and drinking sunk him. But, surprise, he came back. Today he plays politicians in series and gives self-help talks. The irony of fate.

Judd Nelson: From rebel without a cause to actor without castings

Blessed youth, cursed contracts, The nickname that ruined everything, Molly Ringwald: A pop icon in voluntary retirement, Rob Lowe: Scandals, tapes, and redemption, Judd Nelson: From rebel without a cause to actor without castings, Emilio Estevez: The Sheen that never was, Ally Sheedy: Brief light, long shadow, Andrew McCarthy: Actor, writer, nomad, Demi Moore: The exception to the rule, Anthony Michael Hall: Teen mutant, The Hughes factor: Without their patron, nothing was the same, The Nostalgia Effect: A revival without glory, 'Brats': The documentary that stirred the past

He had the perfect look to break box offices. Today, if he appears in a project, you have to rewind to find him. He lives among low-budget films and nostalgic cameos. In the picture, he is accompanied by Molly Ringwald.

Emilio Estevez: The Sheen that never was

Blessed youth, cursed contracts, The nickname that ruined everything, Molly Ringwald: A pop icon in voluntary retirement, Rob Lowe: Scandals, tapes, and redemption, Judd Nelson: From rebel without a cause to actor without castings, Emilio Estevez: The Sheen that never was, Ally Sheedy: Brief light, long shadow, Andrew McCarthy: Actor, writer, nomad, Demi Moore: The exception to the rule, Anthony Michael Hall: Teen mutant, The Hughes factor: Without their patron, nothing was the same, The Nostalgia Effect: A revival without glory, 'Brats': The documentary that stirred the past

Brother of Charlie Sheen, son of Martin, he seemed destined for glory. He ended up directing indie films, acting infrequently, and accepting his anonymity with Buddhist dignity.

Ally Sheedy: Brief light, long shadow

Blessed youth, cursed contracts, The nickname that ruined everything, Molly Ringwald: A pop icon in voluntary retirement, Rob Lowe: Scandals, tapes, and redemption, Judd Nelson: From rebel without a cause to actor without castings, Emilio Estevez: The Sheen that never was, Ally Sheedy: Brief light, long shadow, Andrew McCarthy: Actor, writer, nomad, Demi Moore: The exception to the rule, Anthony Michael Hall: Teen mutant, The Hughes factor: Without their patron, nothing was the same, The Nostalgia Effect: A revival without glory, 'Brats': The documentary that stirred the past

She was the odd one in the group and also the most intense. After early successes, she faded among mental health issues and dubious casting decisions. Today she teaches acting.

Andrew McCarthy: Actor, writer, nomad

Blessed youth, cursed contracts, The nickname that ruined everything, Molly Ringwald: A pop icon in voluntary retirement, Rob Lowe: Scandals, tapes, and redemption, Judd Nelson: From rebel without a cause to actor without castings, Emilio Estevez: The Sheen that never was, Ally Sheedy: Brief light, long shadow, Andrew McCarthy: Actor, writer, nomad, Demi Moore: The exception to the rule, Anthony Michael Hall: Teen mutant, The Hughes factor: Without their patron, nothing was the same, The Nostalgia Effect: A revival without glory, 'Brats': The documentary that stirred the past

He said goodbye to cinema to embrace travel journalism. Now he writes books, directs TV series episodes, and avoids looking back. To him, the Brat Pack is more an anecdote than a pride.

Demi Moore: The exception to the rule

Blessed youth, cursed contracts, The nickname that ruined everything, Molly Ringwald: A pop icon in voluntary retirement, Rob Lowe: Scandals, tapes, and redemption, Judd Nelson: From rebel without a cause to actor without castings, Emilio Estevez: The Sheen that never was, Ally Sheedy: Brief light, long shadow, Andrew McCarthy: Actor, writer, nomad, Demi Moore: The exception to the rule, Anthony Michael Hall: Teen mutant, The Hughes factor: Without their patron, nothing was the same, The Nostalgia Effect: A revival without glory, 'Brats': The documentary that stirred the past

She was a peripheral part of the group, but knew how to reinvent herself. Power, scandals, and a marriage to Ashton Kutcher who is younger than her original fans. Hollywood never totally let go of her.

Anthony Michael Hall: Teen mutant

Blessed youth, cursed contracts, The nickname that ruined everything, Molly Ringwald: A pop icon in voluntary retirement, Rob Lowe: Scandals, tapes, and redemption, Judd Nelson: From rebel without a cause to actor without castings, Emilio Estevez: The Sheen that never was, Ally Sheedy: Brief light, long shadow, Andrew McCarthy: Actor, writer, nomad, Demi Moore: The exception to the rule, Anthony Michael Hall: Teen mutant, The Hughes factor: Without their patron, nothing was the same, The Nostalgia Effect: A revival without glory, 'Brats': The documentary that stirred the past

He went from adorable nerd to tough guy with a jaw of steel. He worked non-stop, but away from the mainstream radar. At one time, he was Iron Man in pre-production. Yes, seriously.

The Hughes factor: Without their patron, nothing was the same

Blessed youth, cursed contracts, The nickname that ruined everything, Molly Ringwald: A pop icon in voluntary retirement, Rob Lowe: Scandals, tapes, and redemption, Judd Nelson: From rebel without a cause to actor without castings, Emilio Estevez: The Sheen that never was, Ally Sheedy: Brief light, long shadow, Andrew McCarthy: Actor, writer, nomad, Demi Moore: The exception to the rule, Anthony Michael Hall: Teen mutant, The Hughes factor: Without their patron, nothing was the same, The Nostalgia Effect: A revival without glory, 'Brats': The documentary that stirred the past

John Hughes was the puppeteer of the Brat Pack. Without him, their careers lost direction. When he left the teen movie scene, they were left orphaned. Literally and metaphorically.

The Nostalgia Effect: A revival without glory

Blessed youth, cursed contracts, The nickname that ruined everything, Molly Ringwald: A pop icon in voluntary retirement, Rob Lowe: Scandals, tapes, and redemption, Judd Nelson: From rebel without a cause to actor without castings, Emilio Estevez: The Sheen that never was, Ally Sheedy: Brief light, long shadow, Andrew McCarthy: Actor, writer, nomad, Demi Moore: The exception to the rule, Anthony Michael Hall: Teen mutant, The Hughes factor: Without their patron, nothing was the same, The Nostalgia Effect: A revival without glory, 'Brats': The documentary that stirred the past

Netflix and TikTok gave them a second breath, but as archives, not as a proposal. They appear in documentaries, BuzzFeed lists, and fan conventions. Almost like museum figures.

'Brats': The documentary that stirred the past

Blessed youth, cursed contracts, The nickname that ruined everything, Molly Ringwald: A pop icon in voluntary retirement, Rob Lowe: Scandals, tapes, and redemption, Judd Nelson: From rebel without a cause to actor without castings, Emilio Estevez: The Sheen that never was, Ally Sheedy: Brief light, long shadow, Andrew McCarthy: Actor, writer, nomad, Demi Moore: The exception to the rule, Anthony Michael Hall: Teen mutant, The Hughes factor: Without their patron, nothing was the same, The Nostalgia Effect: A revival without glory, 'Brats': The documentary that stirred the past

Andrew McCarthy directed 'Brats' in 2024, trying to understand what happened to them. Some joined in, others declined. The Brat Pack, even in remembrance, remains divided.

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