*Because we all know they were really mid-20's alcoholics and most probably engaged to a supermodel by the time of their hit films' release.
Initially, I wanted to create a list of the 10 best Brat Pack actors, but after reading several articles about the Brat Pack, I was severely disappointed. I discovered that some of the best actors who featured in Brat Pack movies were not actually considered members. In my opinion, the majority who have worked in a film featuring a Brat Pack member deserve to be one, especially many actors included in this list. I once bought a book featuring pictures of 70's and 80's heartthrobs, many of them incredibly hairy and incredibly naked (to my delight). I'm pretty certain almost all actors in this list were in that book, some of them maybe not as naked as I'd have liked :(. So yes, I cannot officially call this a definitive Brat Pack actor list, although I wish I could. Instead, this is 10 picks of the sexiest 80's actors and heartthrobs, enjoy!
Initially, I wanted to create a list of the 10 best Brat Pack actors, but after reading several articles about the Brat Pack, I was severely disappointed. I discovered that some of the best actors who featured in Brat Pack movies were not actually considered members. In my opinion, the majority who have worked in a film featuring a Brat Pack member deserve to be one, especially many actors included in this list. I once bought a book featuring pictures of 70's and 80's heartthrobs, many of them incredibly hairy and incredibly naked (to my delight). I'm pretty certain almost all actors in this list were in that book, some of them maybe not as naked as I'd have liked :(. So yes, I cannot officially call this a definitive Brat Pack actor list, although I wish I could. Instead, this is 10 picks of the sexiest 80's actors and heartthrobs, enjoy!
10. Rob Lowe
Questionably the most popular and most attractive heartthrob of the 80's, but he only get's the #10 spot on this list. He is not a personal favourite, however I felt he deserved a place due to his importance in the Brat Pack.
Best 80's role: Billy Hicks (St. Elmos Fire)
Questionably the most popular and most attractive heartthrob of the 80's, but he only get's the #10 spot on this list. He is not a personal favourite, however I felt he deserved a place due to his importance in the Brat Pack.
Best 80's role: Billy Hicks (St. Elmos Fire)
09. Jon Cryer
Pretty in Pink just wouldn't have been the same without the beautifully adorable performance from Jon Cryer. His portrayal of Duckie leaves everyone heartbroken. How could anyone not fall in love with him? Some would consider Andie a fool.
Best 80's role: Duckie (Pretty in Pink)
Pretty in Pink just wouldn't have been the same without the beautifully adorable performance from Jon Cryer. His portrayal of Duckie leaves everyone heartbroken. How could anyone not fall in love with him? Some would consider Andie a fool.
Best 80's role: Duckie (Pretty in Pink)
08. Emilio Esteves
Maybe not strikingly good looking, but he has his charm. Especially in his definitive 80's role playing a sensitive jock in The Breakfast Club. He was dubbed the "unofficial president" of Brat Pack due to his personal life and how he was portrayed in the spotlight.
Best 80's role: Andrew Clark (The Breakfast Club)
Maybe not strikingly good looking, but he has his charm. Especially in his definitive 80's role playing a sensitive jock in The Breakfast Club. He was dubbed the "unofficial president" of Brat Pack due to his personal life and how he was portrayed in the spotlight.
Best 80's role: Andrew Clark (The Breakfast Club)
07. John Cusack
The 80's was particularly a good decade for our raven haired sweetheart John Cusack. With his wonderful array of leading roles in The Sure Thing, Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer and Hot Pursuit. He ended the decade alongside Tim Robbins in Tapeheads and is forever remembered in the cult classic Say Anything. John Cusack well and truly deserves a spot on this list for being both talented and sexy.
The 80's was particularly a good decade for our raven haired sweetheart John Cusack. With his wonderful array of leading roles in The Sure Thing, Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer and Hot Pursuit. He ended the decade alongside Tim Robbins in Tapeheads and is forever remembered in the cult classic Say Anything. John Cusack well and truly deserves a spot on this list for being both talented and sexy.
06. Anthony Michael Hall
The sexiest geek ever! I fell in love with him from the moment I saw him in The Breakfast Club. John Hughes certainly picked the right guy. His "geek trilogy", Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club & Weird Science made him a primitive member of the Brat Pack. He represents everything an American high school nerd was back in the 1980's and did it being totally adorable too.
Best 80's role: Gary Wallace (Weird Science)
The sexiest geek ever! I fell in love with him from the moment I saw him in The Breakfast Club. John Hughes certainly picked the right guy. His "geek trilogy", Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club & Weird Science made him a primitive member of the Brat Pack. He represents everything an American high school nerd was back in the 1980's and did it being totally adorable too.
Best 80's role: Gary Wallace (Weird Science)
05. Michael J. Fox
The 80's was a good decade for the petite and wise cracking beauty Michael J. Fox. 1985 was the year for Teen Wolf and the smash hit Back To The Future that well and truly put him on the map and made him an instant star. He also lit up our screens with The Secret of My Success in 1987 and the adaptation of Jay McInerney's book Bright Lights, Big City. Then in 1989 he took his talent to a more dramatic approach to his career starring along side Sean Penn in Brian De Palma's Casualties of War, rounding off the 80's with the second Back To The Future instalment. The Canadian cutie had much to offer Hollywood and is now a household name.
Best 80's role: Brantley Foster/Carlton Whitfield
The 80's was a good decade for the petite and wise cracking beauty Michael J. Fox. 1985 was the year for Teen Wolf and the smash hit Back To The Future that well and truly put him on the map and made him an instant star. He also lit up our screens with The Secret of My Success in 1987 and the adaptation of Jay McInerney's book Bright Lights, Big City. Then in 1989 he took his talent to a more dramatic approach to his career starring along side Sean Penn in Brian De Palma's Casualties of War, rounding off the 80's with the second Back To The Future instalment. The Canadian cutie had much to offer Hollywood and is now a household name.
Best 80's role: Brantley Foster/Carlton Whitfield
04. Eric Stoltz
An incredibly underrated actor who could have potentially played Marty McFly in Spielberg's epic Back to the Future trilogy. His sympathetic role in Some Kind of Wonderful is almost the gender reverse of Molly Ringwald's in Pretty in Pink. The lower-class teen destined for academic greatness but instead more concerned with social status and beautiful girl-next-door Amanda Jones. Stoltz never made it into the Brat Pack hype and deserved more credit than he was given. Not just for acting ability but for his undeniable good looks.
Best 80's role: Keith Nelson (Some Kind of Wonderful)
An incredibly underrated actor who could have potentially played Marty McFly in Spielberg's epic Back to the Future trilogy. His sympathetic role in Some Kind of Wonderful is almost the gender reverse of Molly Ringwald's in Pretty in Pink. The lower-class teen destined for academic greatness but instead more concerned with social status and beautiful girl-next-door Amanda Jones. Stoltz never made it into the Brat Pack hype and deserved more credit than he was given. Not just for acting ability but for his undeniable good looks.
Best 80's role: Keith Nelson (Some Kind of Wonderful)
03. Christian Slater
"Greetings and salutations."
Mimicking that Nicholson stare and flaunting a bad-boy charm, there was no doubt that Christian Slater was destined for heartthrob status. His late 80's films, especially Heathers, helped kick off his now very creditable career and exposed him to brilliant roles, which he took full advantage of. Being gorgeous didn't hurt, either.
Best 80's role: J.D. (Heathers)
"Greetings and salutations."
Mimicking that Nicholson stare and flaunting a bad-boy charm, there was no doubt that Christian Slater was destined for heartthrob status. His late 80's films, especially Heathers, helped kick off his now very creditable career and exposed him to brilliant roles, which he took full advantage of. Being gorgeous didn't hurt, either.
Best 80's role: J.D. (Heathers)
02. James Spader
The actor that deserved Brat Pack status more than any other - James Spader. He accompanied Andrew McCarthy in many of his definitive roles and is highly significant in all of them. However, due to him not being in St Elmos Fire, The Breakfast Club or The Outsiders, he could not "officially" be named a member. This doesn't matter though, because he is the definition of pure talent, not to mention overwhelmingly sexy!
Best 80's role: Morgan Hiller (Tuff Turf)
The actor that deserved Brat Pack status more than any other - James Spader. He accompanied Andrew McCarthy in many of his definitive roles and is highly significant in all of them. However, due to him not being in St Elmos Fire, The Breakfast Club or The Outsiders, he could not "officially" be named a member. This doesn't matter though, because he is the definition of pure talent, not to mention overwhelmingly sexy!
Best 80's role: Morgan Hiller (Tuff Turf)
01. Andrew McCarthy
Even as a teenager growing up in the 21st century, I noticed Andrew McCarthy's absolute perfection from the second I saw him. Pretty in Pink exposed me to his sensitive stare and left an imprint on my teenage heart; instantly sparking obsession. He oozes something no other Brat Pack member had, genuine compassion. Behind the scenes, alcohol abuse took it's toll, but his performances in the most beautiful 80's teen movies will maintain a legacy for generations to come. He is sometimes overlooked by other Brat Packer's, Esteves, Lowe and even Judd Nelson but I would never let that alter my opinion of him. He is the sexiest 1980's heartthrob without a doubt and deserves the top spot.
Best 80's roles: Clay (Less Than Zero), Jonathan (Mannequin) and of course Blane (Pretty in Pink)
Excuse me for being indecisive!
Even as a teenager growing up in the 21st century, I noticed Andrew McCarthy's absolute perfection from the second I saw him. Pretty in Pink exposed me to his sensitive stare and left an imprint on my teenage heart; instantly sparking obsession. He oozes something no other Brat Pack member had, genuine compassion. Behind the scenes, alcohol abuse took it's toll, but his performances in the most beautiful 80's teen movies will maintain a legacy for generations to come. He is sometimes overlooked by other Brat Packer's, Esteves, Lowe and even Judd Nelson but I would never let that alter my opinion of him. He is the sexiest 1980's heartthrob without a doubt and deserves the top spot.
Best 80's roles: Clay (Less Than Zero), Jonathan (Mannequin) and of course Blane (Pretty in Pink)
Excuse me for being indecisive!
Others that just missed the list include Robert Downey Jr, Matthew Broderick, River Phoenix, Judd Nelson and Ilan Mitchell-Smith.