This Hollywood star’s real-life story is far more gripping than any of his movies

He was the boy every girl swooned over and every teen idolized in the ’80s — the kind of face that seemed to belong on posters, lunchboxes, and magazine covers.

With tousled dark hair, a disarming smile, and a quiet charm, he made awkward high school crushes feel personal.

But behind the perfectly framed photos and the heartthrob persona, a darker story was unfolding.

Totally unprepared for the stardom

Known for iconic 1980s films like St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink, Mannequin (1987), and later Weekend at Bernie’s, this actor quickly became one of Hollywood’s most recognizable young stars.

But he was born just a regular kid in 1962, in Westfield, New Jersey, the third of four boys. His mother worked at a newspaper, and his father dealt in investments and stocks – a typical, hardworking family far removed from the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown.

“I was totally unprepared for any kind of success when I was a young person. I didn’t know anyone who was successful in that way in show business, or famous,” he once shared. “I also temperamentally wasn’t particularly suited for it. Attention made me recoil.”

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During his high school years, it became clear that this future star had a strong passion for performing. But his school years weren’t exactly smooth sailing.

“I just felt sort of very lonely at school. I just didn’t feel like I belonged there,” he once said.

After graduating, he enrolled at NYU to study acting, though he was expelled after two years.

“I didn’t really go [to class],” as he later put it.

In bed with Jacqueline Bisset

Given that he’d just been kicked out of school, nothing could have prepared the young, aspiring actor for how quickly he would break into the movie business. Just a few weeks after being unceremoniously dismissed, he decided to respond to an “open call” in the newspaper for a role in Class, which starred Jacqueline Bisset.

“I waited for hours with 500 other kids and they call me back. It was so out of the blue. One week I was in school and the next week I’m in bed with Jacqueline Bisset. I thought, ’I’m doing something right here,’” he recalled.

After playing Jonathan in Class, where he famously romanced his prep school roommate’s mother (Jacqueline Bisset) the New Jersey-born actor suddenly became the talk of the town.

“Then [NYU] offered that I come back, pay the tuition and I could use [the movie] as independent study. I told them to go f*** themselves.”

A few years later, he hit the big time with St. Elmo’s Fire in 1985. Despite harsh reviews, the film was a massive hit and starred a powerhouse cast including Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, and Demi Moore.

Our star was undeniably a box-office draw, but his reputation took a hit from being lumped together with other young actors — some of questionable talent and notorious for their arrogance and partying. They were dubbed the “Brat Pack.”

By 1986, he had fully cemented his place as a teen heartthrob. Acting alongside Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink, he became known for his quiet charm and sensitive, understated presence that won over audiences everywhere.

And now maybe you can guess who we’re talking about? That’s right, none other than Andrew McCarthy!