During the early ’80s, a group of young and aspiring actors were all propelled into the spotlight around the same time after they starred in a slew of coming-of-age films together – earning the nickname the Brat Pack.
For years, they were Hollywood royalty – but one by one, many members of the Brat Pack unfortunately began to cripple under the intense fame and descend on a downward spiral fueled by incessant partying, drinking, and drug use.
A lot of the group – made up of Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy – had their careers derailed by a series of controversies ranging from a sex tape (with a 16-year-old girl) to a felony assault charge.
Soon the question arose, would the squad who once reigned the movie industry suffer the same fate as many other child and teen stars who had to leave the spotlight for good, or if they would ultimately overcome the magnitude of scandals and bounce back?
Thankfully, most of them were able to move past their wild years, and have gone on to have successful and booming careers.
During the ’80s, a group of young actors were all propelled into the spotlight around the same time – earning the nickname the Brat Pack. Some of them are pictured in The Breakfast Club
A new Hulu documentary, Brats, is set to revisit the many controversies that plagued the members of the Brat Pack after they skyrocketed to the top
As the world gears up for the documentary, FEMAIL has revealed what really happened to each of the Brat Pack members and broke down the many difficulties they faced over the years
Now, a new Hulu documentary, called BRATS, is set to revisit the many controversies that plagued the members of the Brat Pack after they skyrocketed to the top.
Directed by Andrew, it will see him reunite with original members Demi, Rob, Emilio, Ally, and more as they discuss how the Brat Pack label contributed to their problems.
With the documentary being released on June 13, FEMAIL has revealed what really happened to each of the Brat Pack members, and broke down the many difficulties they faced over the years, from drug addiction battles and run-ins with the law to multiple failed marriages and an explosive cheating scandal.
An explosive cheating scandal: Emilio Estevez was engaged to Demi Moore, but she found out he had been unfaithful to her right before their wedding
Emilio, now 62, who is the son of actor Martin Sheen and actress Janet Templeton, spent the early years of his childhood residing in Manhattan before the family relocated to Malibu, California.
While attending Santa Monica High School, Emilio co-wrote and starred in his own play about the Vietnam War, which left his dad fiercely impressed.
At age 17, his father decided to give him his first role as an extra in the movie Apocalypse Now; he then starred in the coming-of-age drama Tex, the horror flick Nightmares, the anthology series Insight, and the ABC TV movie In the Custody of Strangers.
But his big break came in 1983 when he was cast in The Outsiders, which was a massive success and skyrocketed him into the spotlight.
He then starred in The Breakfast Club as Andrew Clark and St. Elmo’s Fire as Kirby ‘Kirbo’ Keger back-to-back in 1985, cementing his status in the Brat Pack.
Emilio Estevez’s (left) big break came in 1983 when he was cast in The Outsiders, which was a massive success and skyrocketed him into the spotlight
He then starred in The Breakfast Club as Andrew Clark (left) and St. Elmo’s Fire as Kirby ‘Kirbo’ Keger (right) back-to-back in 1985, cementing his status in the Brat Pack
After that, it seemed there was no slowing down for Emilio, and he landed a slew of roles including the drama That Was Then… This is Now, the horror flick Maximum Overdrive, the crime film Wisdom, cop movie Stakeout, the sports drama The Mighty Ducks, as well as its follow-up flicks, the 1993 action movie Judgment Night, and the 2006 drama Bobby.
He also went on to become a successful director and screenwriter, spending more recent years behind the camera rather that in front of it.
But in 2018, he returned to the big screen for the movie The Public, which he wrote, directed, and starred in alongside Alec Baldwin, Christian Slater, and Jena Malone.
He also reprised his role as Gordon Bombay in the Disney+ series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers from 2021 to 2022.
After that, it seemed there was no slowing down for Emilio, and he landed a slew of roles including That Was Then… This is Now, Maximum Overdrive (seen), Wisdom, and Stakeout
He also acted in the sports drama The Mighty Ducks (seen), as well as its follow-up flicks, Judgment Night, and Bobby. In addition, he became a successful director and screenwriter
As for her love life, Emilio was linked to actress Mimi Rogers in the early ’80s before he started dating his St. Elmo’s Fire costar Demi in 1984.
They were together for two years and even got engaged, but their romance came to a screeching halt in 1986 – after Demi allegedly caught him cheating on her, just before they were set to walk down the aisle together.
The actress wrote in her memoir, ‘Emilio and I had in fact just mailed out the invitations for our wedding when a friend told me she had seen him out with someone else in LA.
‘He denied it, of course, but I was having a hard time trusting him: during a two-week breakup a few months before, he’d slept with an “ex” girlfriend, lied about it, and then been forced to tell me the truth when he found out she was pregnant.’
It seems the woman Demi was referring to was model Carey Salley, who filed a $2 million paternity lawsuit against Emilio in 1986 regarding her two children, a son named Taylor, then two years old, and a daughter named Paloma, then eight months old.
He dated his St. Elmo’s Fire costar Demi Moore and the two got engaged, but they broke up after she allegedly caught him cheating on her
Emilio then went on to tie the knot with choreographer Paula Abdul, but they divorced in 1994, just two years into their marriage. They’re seen in 1992
It was later revealed that Emilio (seen in 2023) had secretly welcomed two kids with model Carey Salley while he was with Demi
She claimed Emilio had ‘never openly acknowledged the kids are his,’ but had been paying her $3,500 a month, per UPI.
He ultimately acknowledged that the two kids were his.
Emilio then went on to tie the knot with choreographer Paula Abdul, but they divorced in 1994, just two years into their marriage.
After the split, Paula told People, ‘I let [Emilio] know that I was very interested in having children. It was very hard for him to admit that he couldn’t handle having kids again.’
Public outbursts: Anthony Michael Hall was arrested for felony assault in 2016 and went on an expletive-filled tirade four years later
Anthony Michael Hall (seen in 1984) starred as The Geek in Sixteen Candles, which was followed by his role as Brian Johnson in The Breakfast Club
After that, he acted in Weird Science, Out of Bounds, and Johnny Be Good alongside Uma Thurman and Robert Downey Jr. He’s seen with Uma on set of Johnny Be Good in 1988
Anthony, 56, grew up in New York City, and began acting at age seven, starring in a slew of commercials for brands like Honeycomb and Bounty.
In 1980, at age 12, he was cast in the TV movie The Gold Bug and one year later, he played Huck Finn in Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
He took a two-year break from acting due to a drinking problem, but in 1990, after getting sober, he returned to the screen in Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands. He’s seen in 1990 at the premiere
His other early acting credits include the 1982 Kenny Rogers movie Six Pack and National Lampoon’s Vacation.
He then starred as The Geek in Sixteen Candles, which was followed by his role as Brian Johnson in The Breakfast Club.
Anthony did not slow down after that, acting in Weird Science and crime neo noir Out of Bounds, before he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live for the 1985-1986 season. At age 17, he was the youngest cast member in the show’s history.
After that, he starred in Johnny Be Good alongside Uma Thurman and Robert Downey Jr., before he took a two-year break from acting due to a drinking problem.
He later confessed, ‘I was drinking vodka by the quart every day. I got in fights and punched people in the face.’
In 1990, after getting sober, he returned to the screen in Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands, followed by Six Degrees of Separation (which also starred Will Smith) and Pirates of Silicon Valley (in which he famously portrayed Microsoft founder Bill Gates).
He made his directorial debut with the movie Hail Caesar in 1994, which starred Samuel L. Jackson, Robert, and Judd Nelson.
In 2016, he was arrested for assault and plead no contest, and in 2020, he went on an expletive-filled tirade and flipped off other guests at a hotel pool. He’s seen in 2023
He married actress Lucia Oskerova in 2020 and they welcomed a son, named Michael, together last June. The couple is pictured in March 2023
In the late ’90s, he also launched a music career, becoming the lead singer and songwriter for a band, called Hall of Mirrors, and started his own production company, entitled AMH Entertainment.
His more recent acting credits include USA’s supernatural drama The Dead Zone, the 2017 Netflix movie War Machine (alongside Brad Pitt), ABC’s The Goldbergs, the 2021 Halloween sequel Halloween Kills, and the Amazon Prime series Reacher.
In 2016, he was arrested and charged with felony assault with serious bodily injury after he got into a confrontation with a neighbor.
He pleaded no contest to assault with force likely to produce great bodily harm and was sentenced to three years of probation and 40 hours of community service.
He made headlines once again in 2020 after he had a shocking public outburst at a hotel pool in Texas, during which he went on an expletive-filled tirade and flipped off other guests.
‘I am deeply sorry for my words and actions and ask for forgiveness from anyone who I may have offended,’ the actor later said in a statement.
‘As a result of a misunderstanding and miscommunication between myself and some hotel guests, the situation needlessly and regrettably escalated.’
He married actress Lucia Oskerova, 33, in 2020 and they welcomed a son, named Michael, together last June.
Sex tape scandal: An illicit video of Rob Lowe getting intimate with two women – one of whom was only 16 – leaked in 1988
Rob Lowe starred as Sodapop Curtis in The Outsiders (left) and Billy Hicks in St. Elmo’s Fire (right) in the early ’80s
His other credits include About Last Night…, The Stand, The West Wing (seen), the 2004 remake of Salem’s Lot, NBC’s Parks and Recreation, and ABC drama Brothers & Sisters
Rob, 60, spent his childhood in Dayton, Ohio, and from a young age he had a fierce passion for acting.
He starred in a slew of local plays as a child, and earned a small part in the TV show A New Kind of Family in 1979 when he was only 15.
In 1988, a controversial sex tape that showed him getting intimate with two women – one of whom was only 16 years old – came out. He’s seen one year after the sex tape
In 1983, he received a Golden Globe nomination for his role in the movie Thursday’s Child.
After that, he starred as Sodapop Curtis in The Outsiders and Billy Hicks in St. Elmo’s Fire.
Those two roles turned Rob into a massive star, and he went on to act in more than 50 movies and shows, including the rom-com About Last Night…, the post-apocalyptic series The Stand, the political series The West Wing, the 2004 remake of Salem’s Lot, NBC’s Parks and Recreation, ABC drama Brothers & Sisters, the CBS medical show Code Black, and Fox’s 9-1-1: Lone Star.
He has also written a memoir, launched a skincare line called Profile, hosted the competition series Mental Samurai, got his own reality series on A&E in 2017, directed a short documentary about the 2018 mudslides in California, and has started numerous podcasts over the years.
But the acclaimed actor has also become embroiled in numerous scandals over the years.
In 1988, a controversial sex tape that showed him getting intimate with two women – one of whom was only 16 years old – came out.
The events took place in Georgia, where the age of consent was 14 at the time, so while the woman was of legal age, it sparked a slew of backlash for Rob, then 24.
He later confessed to battling drug and alcohol addictions while he was a rising star, but said he got clean in 1990 (pictured then)
Rob married makeup artist Sheryl Berkoff in 1991, and together, they welcomed two sons, Matthew in 1993 and John in 1995
In 2008, two former nannies for the family claimed that Rob (seen in 2015) sexually harassed them; the suits were settled out of court as attorneys later asked for the cases to be dismissed
He later confessed to battling drug and alcohol addictions while he was a rising star, once admitting that he was on so many painkillers that he hardly remembers anything from an entire trip that he took to Australia in 1990.
He got sober after that trip, and a call from his mother ultimately made him realize it was time to make a change.
‘I was ready when one day, back in the days of answering machines, my mother called me and I could hear her voice on the answering machine,’ he told Variety of how he reached that decision.
‘I didn’t want to pick up because I was really, really hungover and I didn’t want her to know.
‘She was telling me that my grandfather, who I loved, was in critical condition in the hospital and she needed my help. And I didn’t pick up.’
Rob married makeup artist Sheryl Berkoff in 1991, and together, they welcomed two sons, Matthew in 1993 and John in 1995.
In 2008, two former nannies for the family claimed that Rob sexually harassed them.
At the time, Rob had sued the two women, as well as a chef, for breach of contract, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
In his lawsuit, Rob said one of the employees were threatening to ‘accuse him and his wife of a vicious laundry list of false terribles’ and was asking for money in exchange to keep quiet.
In response, the two nannies both filed lawsuits against Rob for sexual harassment.
One alleged that he placed his hand inside her pants, grabbed her behind, and exposed himself to her during her employment.
Rob ‘consistently denies any wrongdoing and will be vindicated,’ his lawyer said at the time.
It seems the suits were settled out of court because attorneys later asked for the cases to be dismissed, The San Diego Union-Tribute reported in 2009.
Secret drug battle: Andrew McCarthy later revealed that he struggled with alcohol, cocaine, and Xanax addictions during the height of his career
Andrew McCarthy landed his first role in the film Class in 1983, and two years later, he was cast as Kevin Dolenz in St. Elmo’s Fire. He’s seen in 1985
Andrew’s career completely took off after that, and he starred in Pretty in Pink (left), Mannequin, Less Than Zero (right), and Heaven Help Us in quick succession
Andrew, 61, was raised in Bernardsville, New Jersey, and headed to NYU for college, where he studied acting for two years before he got expelled.
In 1983, he landed his first role in the film Class, and two years later, he was cast as Kevin Dolenz in St. Elmo’s Fire.
Andrew’s career completely took off after that, and he starred in Pretty in Pink, Mannequin, Less Than Zero, and Heaven Help Us in quick succession.
His other big acting credits include the coming-of-age drama Fresh Horses, the crime filmed Kansas, the comedy Weekend at Bernie’s, spy thriller Year of the Gun, 1992 comedy Only You, the neo-noir crime thriller Mulholland Falls, the Spiderwick Chronicles, and 2010 drama Main Street.
He also headed to Broadway in the late ’90s, acing in the show Side Man, which won the Tony Award for Best Play while he was starring in it in 1999.
He then walked for 500 miles across Spain on the ancient pilgrimage trail, called the Camino de Santiago, which led to a new career in travel writing.
He served as the Editor at Large for the National Geographic Traveler magazine and released multiple books, including the best-selling young adult novel Just Fly Away and a memoir entitled Brat: An ’80s Story.
He also headed to Broadway in the late ’90s, acing in the show Side Man, which won the Tony Award for Best Play while he was starring in it in 1999. He’s seen in 1998
In 2004, Andrew (seen in April) revealed that he secretly battled alcoholism throughout the ’80s, but ultimately got clean after he entered into a detoxification program in 1992
He wed a Irish writer named Dolores Rice in 2011, and they had two children together, a daughter named Willow and a son named Rowan. Him and Dolores are pictured in April
In recent years, Andrew dove into directing, and worked on episodes for a slew of shows including Orange Is the New Black, The Blacklist, New Amsterdam, Good Girls, and 13 Reasons Why.
In 2004, Andrew revealed that he secretly battled alcoholism throughout the ’80s.
He told ABC News at the time that the drinking gave him ‘courage,’ adding, ‘I felt confident and sexy and in charge and in control and powerful [when I was drunk] – none of those things I felt in my life.’
He said he started consuming alcohol as young as 12 years old and admitted that he was ‘hungover’ the entire time that he filmed Pretty in Pink.
In his memoir, he also confessed to using cocaine and Xanax, writing, ‘Smiling drug dealers popped by the set like FedEx deliverymen.’
He ultimately got clean in after he entered into a detoxification program in 1992.
In the ’90s, he reconnected with his college sweetheart Carol Schneider and the two tied the knot in 1999.
They welcomed a baby boy, named Sam, together in 2002, but split three years later. Sam went on to follow in his footsteps and become an actor.
He then wed a Irish writer named Dolores Rice in 2011, and they had two children together, a daughter named Willow and a son named Rowan.
Multiple failed marriages: Demi Moore went through three very public divorces to Freddy Moore, Bruce Willis, and Ashton Kutcher
Demi played Jules in St. Elmo’s Fire – and was quickly propelled into the spotlight. She’s seen in St. Elmo’s Fire
After that, she continued to act, starring in One Crazy Summer, Wisdom, The Seventh Sign, We’re No Angels (left), and Ghost (right), which grossed over $505 million at the box office.
Throughout the ’90s, she starred in Nothing But Trouble, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal, Disclosure, Now and Then, These Walls Could Talk, G.I. Jane (seen), and Deconstructing Harry
Demi, 61, was born in Roswell, New Mexico, but moved around a lot as a kid.
At age 16, she dropped out of school, left her family, and married musician Freddy Moore, who was 12 years her senior.
She soon landed a job as a receptionist at 20th Century Fox, and soon after, she signed with Elite Modeling Agency and started posing for a slew of brands and magazines.
She gained attention when she posed nude for Oui magazine at only 17, later revealing she lied and told the casting director she was 18.
In the early ’80s, she started acting, landing small roles in the teen drama Choices and the sci-fi flick Parasite.
Her other early roles included the soap opera General Hospital, the comedy Blame It On Rio, and No Small Affair in 1984.
She then played Jules in St. Elmo’s Fire – and between that and About Last Night… she was quickly propelled into the spotlight.
After that, she continued to act, starring in One Crazy Summer, Wisdom, The Seventh Sign, We’re No Angels (opposite Robert De Niro), and of course, Ghost, which grossed more than $505 million at the box office.
Throughout the ’90s, she starred in the horror comedy Nothing But Trouble, Rob Reiner’s A Few Good Men, the erotic drama Indecent Proposal, Disclosure (alongside Michael Douglas), coming-of-age drama Now and Then, HBO’s If These Walls Could Talk, Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, G.I. Jane, and Woody Allen’s Deconstructing Harry.
Demi has been married and divorced three times; first was to Freddy Moore when she was only 16, but they ended up splitting in 1983. The couple is seen in 1982
She wed Bruce Willis in 1987, and together, they welcomed three daughters: Rumer in 1988, Scout in 1991, and Tallulah in 1994, before splitting in 1998. The family is pictured in 2001
In 2003, she started dating Ashton Kutcher, and they walked down the aisle together in 2005. But in 2011, the two announced that they were going their separate ways
She then took a three-year hiatus from acting to focus on raising her children, and left Hollywood to move to Hailey, Idaho.
She returned to the screen in 2000 in the psychological drama Passion of Mind; her other later roles include Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, Bobby (which was written and directed by Emilio), the thriller Mr. Brooks, The Joneses, the Lifetime anthology film Five, comedy Very Good Girls, Western drama Forsaken, the series Empire, and the new Hulu show Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.
Demi has been married and divorced three times; she and Freddy ended up splitting in 1983, which was followed by her romance with Emilio.
After they went their separate ways due to his infidelities, she wed Bruce Willis in 1987, and together, they welcomed three daughters: Rumer in 1988, Scout in 1991, and Tallulah in 1994.
They separated in 1998, and finalized their divorce two years later. In 2003, she started dating Ashton Kutcher, and they walked down the aisle together in 2005.
But in 2011, the two announced that they were going their separate ways.
Almost fired from set: Judd Nelson came close to getting kicked out of The Breakfast Club because he was picking on his costars behind-the-scenes
Judd Nelson (seen left in The Breakfast Club) starred in The Breakfast Club as John Bender and in St. Elmo’s Fire as Alec Newbury back-to-back in 1985
It’s been said Judd almost got fired from The Breakfast Club because of he used method acting and would pick on his costars when cameras stopped rolling to stay in character
Judd’s (seen in April) other acting credits include From the Hip, Billionaire Boys Club, The Dark Backward, Airheads, Suddenly Susan, Two and a Half Men, and Lifetime’s Girl in the Basement
Judd, 64, grew up in Portland, Maine, and made his acting debut in the 1984 film Making the Grade.
In 1985, he starred in The Breakfast Club as John Bender and in St. Elmo’s Fire as Alec Newbury back-to-back.
It’s been said Judd almost got fired from The Breakfast Club because of his method acting.
According to Collider, he took the role as bad boy John so seriously that he acted like a jerk even when cameras stopped rolling, and it upset director John Hughes.
The director reportedly considered letting him go, but ultimately, the cast had his back and convinced him to keep Judd in the film.
Afterwards, he voiced Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime in The Transformers: The Movie, and narrated the critically acclaimed war movie Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam.
His other acting credits include the comedy From the Hip, the courtroom thriller Billionaire Boys Club, the comedy The Dark Backward, Airheads (with Steve Buscemi and Adam Sandler), NBC’s Suddenly Susan, Two and a Half Men, the psychological horror flick Cabin By the Lake, and Lifetime’s Girl in the Basement.
Endured sexual harassment: Molly Ringwald said a 50-year-old crew member pushed his erection against her when she was only 13
Molly Ringwald starred in the 1982 film Tempest, followed by Sixteen Candles in 1984, and The Breakfast Club (seen) in 1985, playing Claire Standish in the latter
After that, she acted in Pretty in Pink (seen), The Pick-up Artist, For Keeps, Strike It Rich, The Strand, ABC’s Townies, Since You’ve Been Gone, Not Another Teen Movie, and CW’s Riverdale
Molly, 56, was raised in Roseville, California, and started acting when she was only five years old.
One year later, she performed on her musician father Robert Scott ‘Bob’ Ringwald’s jazz album.
At age 10, she was cast as Annie in a West Coast production of the acclaimed musical, and she landed her first TV role a year later, in the show Diff’rent Strokes.
She then joined the show’s spin-off The Facts of Life, and immediately the world became enthralled with the young star.
She went on to star in the 1982 film Tempest, followed by Sixteen Candles in 1984, and The Breakfast Club in 1985, playing Claire Standish in the latter.
After that, she acted in Pretty in Pink, The Pick-up Artist (with Robert Downey Jr.), the coming-of-age drama For Keeps, James Scott’s Strike It Rich, The Strand, ABC’s Townies, the comedy film Since You’ve Been Gone, Not Another Teen Movie, ABC Family show The Secret Life of the American Teenager, crime-drama King Cobra, and the CW series Riverdale.
During the ’90s, she relocated to France but continued to return to the States to star in movies.
Over the course of her decades-long career, she also headed to Broadway, appearing in Cabaret, Enchanted April, and Modern Orthodox, released her own jazz album in 2013, spent a few years running an advice column for The Guardian, and dropped multiple novels.
She married French writer Valéry Lameignère in 1999, but they divorced in 2002.
She then wed Greek author Panio Gianopoulos in 2007, and together, they welcomed a daughter, named Mathilda, in 2003, followed by twins Adele and Roman in 2009.
She married French writer Valéry Lameignère in 1999, but they divorced in 2002. She then wed Greek author Panio Gianopoulos in 2007. She’s seen with Panio in 2008
They welcomed a daughter, named Mathilda, in 2003, followed by twins Adele and Roman in 2009. She’s seen with the twins in April
In 2017, Molly revealed that she was sexually assaulted as a young star during an essay for The New Yorker.
‘When I was 13, a 50-year-old crew member told me that he would teach me to dance, and then proceeded to push against me with an erection,’ she wrote.
‘When I was 14, a married film director stuck his tongue in my mouth on set. At a time when I was trying to figure out what it meant to become a sexually viable young woman, at every turn some older guy tried to help speed up the process.
In 2017, Molly revealed that she was sexually assaulted as a young star during an essay for The New Yorker, claiming a 50-year-old crew member pushed his erection against her when she was only 13. She’s seen in 1982
‘And all this went on despite my having very protective parents who did their best to shield me. I shudder to think of what would have happened had I not had them.
‘In my 20s, I was blindsided during an audition when I was asked by the director, in a somewhat rhetorical manner, to let the lead actor put a dog collar around my neck.
‘This was not remotely in the pages I had studied; I could not even fathom how it made sense in the story.
‘The actor was a friend of mine, and I looked in his eyes with panic. He looked back at me with an “I’m really sorry” expression on his face as his hands reached out toward my neck.
‘I don’t know if the collar ever made it on me, because that’s the closest I’ve had to an out-of-body experience.
‘I’d like to think that I just walked out, but, more than likely, there’s an old VHS tape, disintegrating in a drawer somewhere, of me trying to remember lines with a dog collar around my neck in front of a young man I once had a crush on.
‘I sobbed in the parking lot and, when I got home and called my agent to tell him what happened, he laughed and said, “Well, I guess that’s one for the memoirs….” I fired him and moved to Paris not long after.’
Numerous rehab stints: Ally Sheedy became addicted to sleeping pills after she dated Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora
Ally Sheedy starred in The Breakfast Club as Allison Reynolds (seen) and as Leslie Hunter in St. Elmo’s Fire
In the years that followed, Ally (seen in 1987) appeared in Twice in a Lifetime, Blue City, Maid to Order, Betsy’s Wedding, Only the Lonely, Day Zero, and Welcome to the Rileys
Ally, 61, grew up in New York City, and had a pretty impressive childhood; not only did she start dancing ballet with the American Ballet Theater, but she also released a bestselling novel as a kid called She Was Nice to Mice.
After graduating from high school in 1980, she headed to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California, where she studied drama.
Soon after arriving in LA, she started landing small guest appearances in TV shows, before she made her movie debut in the 1983 flick Bad Boys alongside Sean Penn.
In 1985, she starred in The Breakfast Club as Allison Reynolds followed by St. Elmo’s Fire as Leslie Hunter.
In the years that followed, she continued to act, appearing in the 1985 drama Twice in a Lifetime, the thriller Blue City, the comedy Maid to Order, the rom-com Betsy’s Wedding, Chris Columbus’ Only the Lonely, the drama Day Zero, Welcome to the Rileys in 2010, thriller Sins of Our Youth, and X-Men: Apocalypse.
Her acting career has significantly slowed down in the last few years, and in 2021, she started teaching drama classes at the City College of New York.
Her acting career has significantly slowed down in the last few years, and in 2021, she started teaching drama classes at the City College of New York. She’s seen in 2016
Ally (seen in 2023) struggled with drug addiction in the ’80s. She later said, ‘I went to rehab [for] sleeping pills. I started taking them when I was in a really toxic relationship’
She went on to wed actor David Lansbury in 1992. They welcomed a child in 1994, who came out as trans and changed his name to Beckett
Ally struggled with drug addiction in the early years of her career, and endured multiple rehab stints.
‘I went to rehab [for] sleeping pills,’ she later reflected to Closer Weekly. ‘I started taking them when I was in a really toxic relationship.
‘The person I was with was a real drug addict, and the sleeping pills had something to do with that rocker sort of schedule.’
While she didn’t name any names at first, the actress later alleged that she was talking about Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, who she briefly dated in the 1980s.
She told the Los Angeles Times in 1998, ‘I started taking drugs to be with [Richie] on his level and in his world.
‘It not only relieved the anxiety of being with him but also helped me to deal with someone who’s behaving horribly toward me.’
However, he denied her claims to Us Weekly, stating, ‘These allegations are ludicrous and false,’ per the LA Times.
‘I think, over time, Ally has embellished her memories of the brief time we spent together,’ he added.
She went on to wed actor David Lansbury in 1992, who is best known for producing the musical Godspell.
They welcomed a child in 1994, who later came out as trans and changed his name to Beckett. Ally and David split in 2008.