Molly Ringwald, for one, became an ‘80s icon while starring in a slew of coming-of-age films directed by John Hughes. Looking back on the movies, the actress agreed that certain aspects should be viewed more critically in modern times. However, she noted that the projects impacted young people for a reason.

“I know what my own experience was,” Ringwald told NPR in September 2018 of teen culture during the decade. “I feel like the movies that I made then were very much representing the culture at the time. And I feel like that is why they resonated with people, because it was their experience and they did feel that they had these films that were real. They didn’t have that sort of Afterschool Special feeling where somebody was teaching them a lesson, you know. It didn’t feel like that.”

The Riverdale star acknowledged there were parts of certain films, including Sixteen Candles, that “bothered” her during filming. While Hughes “did listen to me in a lot of ways,” she didn’t “want to cross the line” with her feedback.

“I believe that there is still a lot of good in the films and there’s a lot that I’m proud of,” she explained. “And I feel like in a lot of ways they’ve touched teenagers and sparked a conversation that is important. And having a teenage daughter myself, I know that it’s not always easy to get teenagers to talk. But these films sort of break through that. You know? There’s something that really touches teenagers — especially The Breakfast Club, I feel like, sort of gives them permission to talk about their feelings, says that teenagers’ feelings really matter. And I think that’s a really powerful message and, for that reason, I really love it. Pretty in Pink, I love my character. I think that she’s a strong woman and I’m proud of the choices that she makes.”

The decade catapulted not only familiar actors — Patrick Dempsey, Rob Lowe, Matthew Broderick! — but also musicians, including Madonna, George Michael and Cyndi Lauper.

From Tom Cruise, who bravely donned tighty-whities in Risky Business, to the boys and girls of the Brat Pack, scroll through the gallery below to see which stars got their big breaks during the 1980s — and find out where they ended up!

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Schroder was only 12 years old when he landed the lead role on ’80s TV sitcom Silver Spoons. He later starred on Lonesome Dove, NYPD Blue, Scrubs and 24.

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Another core member of what was known as the Brat Pack, after making her film debut in 1983’s Bad Boys, Sheedy went on to star in WarGames, The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire, Short Circuit and, later, TV series Psych.

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The Nikita actor gained fame when he starred as the rebel John Bender in The Breakfast Club and Alec Newbury in St. Elmo’s Fire, cementing his place in the Brat Pack pantheon. Nelson later appeared in TV series like CSI, Psych and Two and a Half Men. The actor also released four books to Amazon’s Kindle.

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John Hughes’ leading lady! The redhead starred in ‘80s flicks Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink, making her the de-facto queen of the so-called Brat Pack. Ringwald went on to star on The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Riverdale. In 2022, she appeared in Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

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McCarthy joined fellow ‘80s Brat Pack stars in St. Elmo’s Fire in 1985 and Pretty in Pink in 1986. He then starred in classics such as Mannequin and Weekend at Bernie’s. Later, the actor transitioned to TV, appearing on Lipstick Jungle, White Collar and Royal Pains, and directing episodes of The Blacklist and Orange Is the New Black.

In 2022, he joined the cast of the Showtime medical drama The Resident.

Credit: Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection; Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images

Charlie Sheen’s older brother, Estevez grew up with fellow ‘80s actors Sean Penn and Rob Lowe and was also a member of the Brat Pack after starring in The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire and The Outsiders. He went on to star in 1992’s The Mighty Ducks and reprised his role for one season of the Disney+ revival series, which debuted in 2021.

Credit: Ron Galella/WireImage; Jennifer Graylock/Getty Images

Credit: Universal Pictures/ Courtesy: Everett Collection; Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images

Another John Hughes favorite, Hall gained fame after starring in the 1983 comedy National Lampoon’s Vacation and then in 1984’s Sixteen Candles and 1985’s The Breakfast Club, in which he played the lovable geek. Ditching his nerdy side, he later appeared on Psych, The Dark Knight, War Machine and Riverdale.

Credit: Terry O’Neill/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; FAMEFLYNET PICTURES

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