The Brat Pack was a group of young actors who rose to fame in the 1980s, primarily through their roles in teen-oriented coming-of-age films such as The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo’s Fire. The term was popularized by a 1985 New York magazine article written by David Blum, who initially used it to describe a group of actors known for their social lives and frequent collaborations.
Core Members
The core members of the Brat Pack are most commonly recognized as the actors who appeared in either The Breakfast Club (1985) or St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), or both. These include:
- Emilio Estevez – Often referred to as the "unofficial president" of the group, he starred in both The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo’s Fire.
- Anthony Michael Hall – Known for his role in The Breakfast Club and other John Hughes films.
- Rob Lowe – A central figure in St. Elmo’s Fire and also appeared in The Outsiders.
- Andrew McCarthy – Starred in St. Elmo’s Fire and later directed the 2024 documentary Brats , which explores the group’s legacy.
- Demi Moore – Appeared in St. Elmo’s Fire and was romantically linked with Estevez during the era.
- Judd Nelson – Played the “criminal” in The Breakfast Club and was in St. Elmo’s Fire.
- Molly Ringwald – A key figure in John Hughes films, including The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink.
- Ally Sheedy – Known as the “basket case” in The Breakfast Club and also starred in St. Elmo’s Fire.
Extended and Honorary Members
While the above eight are most consistently cited, other actors were sometimes associated with the group due to overlapping films or social circles. These include:
- Tom Cruise , Sean Penn , and Timothy Hutton , who were mentioned in the original New York article but not always included in the core definition.
- Matthew Broderick , Kevin Bacon , Robert Downey Jr. , and Jon Cryer , who appeared in similar films and were loosely linked to the group.
The Brat Pack label, initially used pejoratively, has since been re-evaluated, especially in light of McCarthy’s documentary Brats , which examines the impact of the term on the actors’
