What Happened to Andrew McCarthy? Now a Travel Writer in 2026

If you came of age in the 1980s, Andrew McCarthy was the sensitive one — the soulful, slightly-out-of-his-depth romantic lead of Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire, and Mannequin. He was a charter member of the “Brat Pack,” that label that defined — and, he’d argue, haunted — a generation of young actors. Then the megastar roles faded, and he seemed to step out of the conversation. So whatever happened to Andrew McCarthy? The surprising answer: he quietly built one of the most interesting second acts in Hollywood. Here’s where he is now in 2026.

01Profile

Full name

Andrew Thomas McCarthy

Born

November 29, 1962 (63 years old)

Birthplace

Westfield, New Jersey, USA

Occupation

Actor, director, travel writer, author

Best known for

"Pretty in Pink" (1986), "St. Elmo's Fire" (1985), "Weekend at Bernie's" (1989)

Later career

TV director; award-winning travel writer

Here’s something most people don’t realize about the Pretty in Pink heartthrob: he’s a genuinely respected travel writer, an Editor at Large at National Geographic Traveler, and a published author several times over. The acting was just the beginning.

02The Rise: The Sensitive Brat Packer

The 1980s heartthrob

McCarthy broke out in the mid-1980s as one of the defining young faces of the era. St. Elmo’s Fire (1985) and Pretty in Pink (1986) made him a teen idol, usually cast as the thoughtful, romantic counterweight to flashier leading men. Then came Mannequin (1987) and the cult comedy Weekend at Bernie’s (1989), which gave him a comedic edge.

The Brat Pack label

McCarthy was lumped in with the “Brat Pack” — the group of young actors who dominated ’80s coming-of-age movies. The label made them famous, but McCarthy has been candid that it also became a kind of cage, pigeonholing serious young actors and following them around for decades. As the ’90s arrived and the era’s films went out of fashion, the megastar roles dried up.

03Reinvention Behind the Camera and on the Page

Instead of fighting to stay a leading man, McCarthy reinvented himself — twice.

• 1985–1989Stars in "St. Elmo's Fire," "Pretty in Pink," "Mannequin," and "Weekend at Bernie's."
• Mid-2000sLaunches a second career as a travel writer, eventually becoming an Editor at Large at National Geographic Traveler.
• 2010sBecomes a prolific TV director, with credits including "Orange Is the New Black" and many other series.
• 2021Publishes the memoir "Brat: An '80s Story."
• 2024Directs the documentary "Brats," reuniting with his Brat Pack peers.

McCarthy became a sought-after travel writer for outlets including National Geographic Traveler, Travel+Leisure, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal — winning real industry recognition for his work. At the same time, he built a busy career as a television director, helming episodes of acclaimed series like Orange Is the New Black. Two entire careers, neither of which required him to be a heartthrob.

04Making Peace With the Brat Pack

For years, McCarthy had a complicated relationship with the label that defined his youth. In 2021 he published a memoir, Brat: An ’80s Story, working through what that period meant to him. Then in 2024, he went further, directing the documentary Brats, in which he reunited with his former co-stars to talk about how the “Brat Pack” tag affected all of their lives.

“What I found shocked me.” — Andrew McCarthy, on revisiting the Brat Pack era for his documentary

The project was widely seen as McCarthy finally making peace with — and reclaiming — a chapter of his life he’d once resented. Instead of running from the label, he turned it into art.

05What He Is Doing Now

Still acting, on his terms

In 2026, McCarthy is as busy as ever across multiple disciplines. On the acting side, he took the lead in the 2025 sci-fi thriller Orion and has a film, Fate, slated for a 2026 theatrical release. He picks projects that interest him rather than chasing the spotlight — a luxury his other careers afford him.

A new book on male friendship

In March 2026, McCarthy published Who Needs Friends? An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America — a nonfiction book he’s framed as a thoughtful counter to toxic masculinity. It’s a natural extension of the introspective, curious voice that’s defined his writing for two decades.

A family legacy in acting

McCarthy’s reinvention has even passed to the next generation — his son has become a working actor as well. For McCarthy, who spent years untangling his own relationship with fame, watching his kid choose the craft on his own terms seems to be a source of pride.

06Summary

Andrew McCarthy is the rare ’80s star whose post-fame life is arguably more impressive than his fame. He didn’t disappear — he diversified, becoming a respected writer and director while quietly continuing to act.

The sensitive heartthrob of the Brat Pack turned out to be exactly that — sensitive, thoughtful, and curious — in a way that fueled a whole second life as a writer and filmmaker. Andrew McCarthy didn’t need a comeback. He just kept quietly building, and somewhere along the way became one of the most quietly accomplished members of his famous generation.