The Brat Pack defined the '80s: they were young, cool, talented and epitomized the angst and rebellion that young adults felt at the time.
The key players were the stars of films like The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, The Outsiders and Pretty in Pink, capturing the feeling of an entire generation in the process.
The term 'Brat Pack' was coined by New York magazine writer David Blum, intending to cast a negative light on the actors and their alleged bad behavior.
Decades later, the Brat Pack took different paths, with some turning to television work while others tried their hand at writing and directing.
Despite their long and storied careers, they remain tied to their iconic roles. The group reunited for the BRATS documentary in June this year to explore the phenomenon and how it changed the trajectory of their lives.
Join HELLO! as we discover what the Brat Pack have been up to since the height of their fame.
Molly Ringwald
Molly rose to fame for her career-defining roles in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink; a star was born with her eye-catching red hair and incredible acting.
After the Brat Pack was no more, Molly continued to work steadily in the industry, pivoting to parental roles later in her career for Riverdale and The Kissing Booth trilogy on Netflix.
This year, she starred in Feud: Capote vs. the Swans alongside her fellow Brat Pack member Demi Moore. She has mostly fond memories of her time in the iconic group, telling Andy Cohen in 2021 that the movies are "a part" of her.
"I feel like that's what makes the movies really wonderful, and it's also something I wanted to go on record talking about— the elements that I find troubling and that I want to change for the future," she said on the show.
"But that doesn't mean at all that I want them to be erased. I'm proud of those movies, and I have a lot of affection for them."
She married Panio Gianopoulos in 2007 and shares three children with him.
Andrew McCarthy
Andrew rose to fame for his roles in Pretty in Pink, Weekend at Bernie's, and St. Elmo's Fire. After the Brat Pack phenomenon faded, he turned his eye to directing, with credits like Gossip Girl and The Blacklist to his name.
He also enjoyed a recurring role on Good Girls, amongst other TV appearances.
The actor has three kids: one with ex-wife Carol Schneider and two with his current wife, Dolores Rice, whom he married in 2011.
Andrew was the driving force behind the Brat Pack documentary on Hulu, which premiered on June 13th this year.
"We were labeled in a way that we didn't want to be labeled," he told Rolling Stone. "We sort of instantly had the narrative of our careers taken from us. That's how it felt, at least."
He continued, "The great irony of 'the Brat Pack' is the minute that name became a label, it ended. Because the people who were in it no longer wanted to be associated with it, and the people who were making those kinds of ensemble films with young actors no longer wanted to make 'Brat Pack' films."
Demi Moore
The Brat Pack was just the beginning for Demi, who starred in St. Elmo's Fire. She went on to act in Ghost alongside Patrick Swayze, A Few Good Men with Tom Cruise, and Indecent Proposal with Robert Redford.
This year, she starred in the critically acclaimed film The Substance, which tackles the double standard around aging in Hollywood.
She was engaged to fellow Brat Packer Emilio briefly until she discovered his infidelity, and the pair split.
Demi went on to marry Die Hard actor Bruce Willis in 1987 and welcomed three daughters together: Rumer, Scout and Tallulah. The couple separated in 2000 but remain good friends to this day.
She married That '70s Show star Ashton Kutcher in 2005 but split with him in 2011.
As for her Brat Pack stance, Demi was largely uncomfortable with the label, she told Entertainment Weekly. "None of us really liked the idea of being called 'brats,' or that we weren't professionals or didn't take our work seriously," she said.
Rob Lowe
Rob became a teen idol in the '80s thanks to his roles in The Outsiders and St. Elmo's Fire.
The actor has enjoyed a long and successful career since then, with steady TV work on The West Wing, Brothers and Sisters, and Parks and Rec.
He married Sheryl Berkoff in 1991, and the pair share two boys: Matthew and John Owen. His youngest is also an actor and has written and starred alongside his father in the Netflix series Unstable.
For his part, Rob explained to People how special it was to be part of the Brat Pack. "To be a part of something that has the staying power is something. The fact that people are still interested, remember, love the Brat Pack is really, really cool."
"What was fun about that, and what I think is fun about the documentary and fun about talking to Andrew, is how differently we all perceived being a part of that phenomenon. Some people really struggled with it," he said.
Judd Nelson
Judd's turn as the rebellious Bender in The Breakfast Club put him on the map, and his role in St. Elmo's Fire alongside the other members of the Brat Pack solidified his stardom.
He also starred opposite Brooke Shields for three seasons in Suddenly Susan and has gone on to have a steady career in TV and film, with appearances in New Jack City and Billionaire Boys Club.
Judd has largely distanced himself from the Brat Pack legend, revealing to US Weekly that he was frustrated with the label.
"They kind of portrayed my generation of actors as being entitled and irresponsible and unprofessional," he said. "Whereas my experience was everyone was on time. Everyone knows their lines. It's so weird."
Emilio Estevez
Emilio distanced himself from the moniker as soon as possible after his roles in The Outsiders, The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire.
He enjoyed success as the star of the Mighty Ducks films and tried his hand at writing and directing with 2010's The Way and 2018's The Public.
He married Paula Abdul in 1992, but sadly, the pair split in 1994; he shares two children with Carey Salley. He revealed on the BRATS documentary that it took some convincing to appear on the show at all.
"I didn't want to have anything to do with any of us. Do you know what I mean?" he said on the show.
"To be seen again in another film would ultimately and could potentially have a negative impact. Working together just almost felt like we were kryptonite to each other."
Ally Sheedy
Another core group member was St. Elmo's Fire and The Breakfast Club star Ally Sheedy, who received critical acclaim for her role in the 1998 film High Art.
Since then, she has appeared in shows like C.S.I, Psych and The Dead Zone alongside Brat Packer Anthony Michael Hall.
She now works as a theater professor in New York; Ally married Angela Lansbury's nephew David in 1992, and sadly the pair split in 2008. They share one son, Beckett, who identifies as transgender.
Anthony Michael Hall
Known for playing the quintessential nerd in films like The Breakfast Club and Weird Science, Anthony continued his career far beyond the Brat Pack with roles in Edward Scissorhands and the lead in The Dead Zone for six seasons. He has one son with actress Lucia Oskerova.
He declined to appear in the BRATS documentary, telling TV Insider, "The truth is, I've had to embrace the John Hughes period of my life all my career, and I'm happy to do so."
"It's never been an issue for me. But I also think time has taught me you have to wish everyone success."