First published 2021
Andrew McCarthy opens his story in 1980s New York City, where he cuts classes to watch films in Village revival theaters and buys marijuana in Washington Square Park. The young actor discovers his passion for movies in those dark screening rooms, unaware that cinema will soon transform his life completely. McCarthy chronicles his unexpected journey into Hollywood's Brat Pack alongside Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, and Demi Moore. He worked with director John Hughes and starred in defining films like Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, Weekend at Bernie's, and Less than Zero. The memoir examines how sudden fame challenged his sense of identity as he navigated conflicted ambition, lost innocence, addiction struggles, and questions about masculinity. McCarthy portrays himself as an outsider who stumbled into extraordinary success without fully understanding its implications. The book captures both the intoxicating energy of 1980s New York and the disorienting experience of young Hollywood stardom, revealing how one person processed fame during a pivotal moment in pop culture history.
Genres: addiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age, autobiography, biography-memoir, film
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, outsider, self-discovery
Setting: New York City, Village, Washington Square Park
Period: 1980s
223 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: addiction, substance-abuse