The Brat Pack took over pop culture during the '80s. And many of its members, like Demi Moore and Rob Lowe, went on to become global stars. But one Brat Pack star, Andrew McCarthy, stepped back from the spotlight.
Andrew, 63, starred in films like St. Elmo's Fire and Pretty in Pink during the '80s and since has moved behind the camera. Keep reading to learn more about Andrew's life decades after the height of the Brat Pack's popularity.
© Patrick McMullan via Getty ImagesAndrew starred Blane McDonagh in Pretty in Pink
Andrew McCarthy's life after the Brat Pack
The heyday of the Brat Pack concluded by the late '80s when its members went out on their own. Andrew headed to Broadway to star in Side Man, a production that won the Tony Award for Best Play.
A few years later, Andrew appeared in a 2007 episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent alongside Chris Noth.
© Getty ImagesAndrew built a career for himself off screen
Andrew McCarthy off-screen
While many of his fellow Brat Pack colleagues prioritized landing acting gigs, Andrew chose to work behind the scenes. The actor directed several episodes of Gossip Girl, White Collar, and The Blacklist.
He also dove into writing and even served as an Editor at Large at National Geographic Traveler magazine. In 2010, Andrew won the Travel Journalist of the Year, and seven years later, he published a YA novel, Just Fly Away. He's gone on to publish three more books, including two memoirs.
© Bruce GlikasAndrew has guest starred in many hit TV shows
His return to acting
In the early 2020s, Andrew made a return to acting. He had a recurring role in Good Girls alongside Christina Hendricks and in The Resident. Aside from those shows, he appeared in a few episodes of other shows like Lipstick Jungle, White Collar, and more.
© FilmMagicAndrew was married to Carol Schneider for six years
Inside Andrew's romances
The John Hughes star had a coming-of-age romance off-screen, meeting Carol Schneider and tying the knot in 1999. They share a son, Sam, who has followed his father into acting, and divorced in 2005.
Carol is best known for her work on Jacob's Ladder, Fatal Attraction, and Wall Street. She married writer and producer Joe Cacaci in 2021, and Andrew has since found love with director Dolores Rice.
© Getty Images for NetflixAndrew's oldest son appeared in Dead to Me
Meet Andrew's three children
Andrew and his first wife Carol are parents to son Sam, who works as an actor like his dad. He got his big break in the 2019 comedy-drama Dead to Me as Christina Applegate's son, and has had further roles in Goosebumps and Condor.
The Brat Pack member and his second wife Dolores share daughter Willow, 20, and son Rowan, 13. Willow is a stage actor and starred as Matilda Wormwood in the Broadway production of Matilda: The Musical.
And while his kids seem to be following in his footsteps, Andrew chooses to maintain a hands-off approach. "I do not give advice to my older kids," he told Yahoo in March 2026. "My son did say: 'Dad, I'm sure that's really good advice, and if somebody else gave it to me, I would want to hear it.' Fair enough."
