Despite starring in one of the 1980s’ best classic movies, Jon Cryer wasn’t officially considered part of the young Hollywood stars dubbed the “Brat Pack.” Brat Pack member Andrew McCarthy created a new documentary, Brats, which explores the group’s existence and its most famous members. The Brat Pack consisted of beloved young actors from the 1980s, like Emilio Estevez and Anthony Michael Hall. Twelve films are deemed official Brat Pack movies, all with varying levels of popularity and relevance.

Even though Cryer and McCarthy shared the screen in Pretty in Pink, a cornerstone of John Hughes’ movie legacy, Cryer has seldom been associated with the Brat Pack. In a vlog-style clip featured in the 2024 documentary, Cryer humorously asserts, “I am not in the Brat Pack,” though the sincerity of his remark is ambiguous. Despite this playful clip about his exclusion from the group, Cryer’s enduring impact on 1980s cinema is undeniable, with his performances contributing a distinct charm to one of the era’s most iconic films.

Jon Cryer Believed He Wasn’t “Cool Enough” To Be In The Brat Pack

Adversity With Co-Stars Made It Hard To Fit In

Although he played a love interest in Pretty in Pink, Cryer was not in The Breakfast Club or St. Elmo’s Fire, both of which are considered essential to the Brat Pack canon. Cryer claims he felt he wasn’t cool enough to be part of the group, and his tense relationship with co-star McCarthy didn’t help. During a Q&A at the Brats documentary’s Tribeca Film Festival premiere, People reports that Cryer said of McCarthy, “When we had done Pretty in Pink together, we did not get along because he was a d***.” The two have since reconciled and become friends.

How Jon Cryer Will Always Be Connected To The Brat Pack

Romantic And Cinematic History Bind Cryer To The Group

Despite not being considered an official part of the group, Cryer is undeniably linked to the other members of the Brat Pack. His role alongside McCarthy and Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink — and his brief romance with Demi Moore during the filming of No Small Affair — underscore his ties to the iconic members. Even Cryer’s inclusion in the Brats documentary almost 40 years later proves that the actor is associated with the group, at least enough to merit an interview. This ongoing connection highlights his enduring relevance in Hollywood and Brat Pack discussions.

And Cryer’s perceived exclusion from the Brat Pack was arguably better for his career. As the Hulu documentary reveals, the Brat Pack actors struggled to find work after the group was named, with Hollywood treating them differently. By contrast, Cryer went on to land many more TV and movie roles, including that of Alan Harper in Two and a Half Men. Even though he felt excluded, based on his appearance in Brats, it’s clear he got the best of both worlds. Cryer remains associated with the group, but he also went beyond that association to build a much larger career.

Source: People