The Brat Pack is a group of young American actors from the 1980s who frequently appeared together in teen-oriented coming-of-age films and were often seen socializing offscreen. The term was coined in a 1985 New York Magazine article by David Blum, which portrayed these actors as a close-knit, confident, and sometimes privileged group, reminiscent of the earlier "Rat Pack" of the 1960s. The label was originally disparaging, highlighting their party lifestyle and youthful arrogance, but eventually became associated with a distinct cultural phenomenon in Hollywood during that decade. Key members typically included Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and Ally Sheedy. They starred in iconic films like The Breakfast Club (1985) and St. Elmo’s Fire (1985) that defined a generation's coming-of-age movie genre. Despite the fame, many of the actors resented being pigeonholed by the "Brat Pack" label, feeling it overshadowed their individual talents and achievements.
