Although critics were divided, audiences embraced the film, and McCarthy quickly became one of Hollywood’s hottest young actors.
The following year, his role as Blane McDonough in Pretty in Pink opposite Molly Ringwald cemented his status as a teen idol.
His quiet, sensitive performances helped separate him from many of the louder personalities of the era, even as he became associated with the group of young actors known as the “Brat Pack.”
The Secret Struggle Behind the Fame
While fans saw a polished movie star, McCarthy later admitted he was quietly slipping into alcoholism.
He had begun drinking socially and smoking marijuana during high school, but fame accelerated the problem.
Looking back at filming Pretty in Pink, he revealed something that shocked many longtime fans.
“People said, ‘He’s so sensitive and lovely in that movie.’ I was so hungover for that whole movie.”
