Celebrity Jobber with Jeff Zito - Andrew McCarthy

Summary

---

Celebrity Jobber with Jeff Zito: Andrew McCarthy

Date: March 27, 2026
Podcast: Celebrity Jobber
Host: Jeff Zito
Guest: Andrew McCarthy

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jeff Zito speaks with actor, director, travel writer, and author Andrew McCarthy, best known as a member of the iconic "Brat Pack" of 1980s Hollywood. The discussion covers McCarthy’s early jobs, the impact of the "Brat Pack" label, his evolution into writing, and his latest book, Who Needs Friends—a meditation on male friendship and reconnecting with the past. The conversation is candid, nostalgic, and engaging, appealing to anyone interested in celebrity journeys, personal growth, and cultural history.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Roots and Early Jobs

• New Jersey Connection

  • Both Zito and McCarthy reminisce about growing up in neighboring towns in New Jersey. McCarthy is from Westfield and attended Pingree School.
  • [04:24]

    “I grew up in Westfield, not far from [Watchung].” —Andrew McCarthy

• First Paid Job

  • McCarthy’s first job was as a dishwasher at Pizza Pub in Seaside Heights, NJ, during the summer after high school.
  • He fondly remembers sharing a shabby apartment with friends and working kitchen shifts.
  • [05:32]

    “My first job, I was a dishwasher at the pizza pub in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, down the shore. Yeah. And, and it was great. I loved it.” —Andrew McCarthy

2. Turning Point: Kicked Out of NYU

• NYU Drama & Departure
  • McCarthy was in NYU’s acting program but frequently skipped academic classes. After two years, he was dismissed for lack of attendance.
  • There’s humor and pride in how he recounts this episode.
  • [06:20]

    “I was interested in the acting stuff, but I wasn't interested in the other. So they said after two years, you know what, we'll just struggle on without you here.” —Andrew McCarthy

3. Family Influence and Writing

• Parents’ Professions
  • His dad worked in finance; his mom sold advertising for magazines and art in a gallery.
• Late Start as a Writer
  • McCarthy didn’t become interested in writing until his thirties, prompted by solo travels.
  • His “aha” moment was in Saigon—writing about an overwhelming day led to self-discovery.
  • [08:05]

    “I didn't read any of the books I was supposed to read in high school… One day I just picked up a pen… It was the exact same feeling I had when I was 15 years old and walked out on stage in the high school play… There I am.” —Andrew McCarthy

4. Current Focus: The Book ‘Who Needs Friends’

• Origin Story

  • Sparked by a pointed observation from his 21-year-old son:

    “You don’t really have any friends, do you, dad?”

  • Led McCarthy to reevaluate and seek reconnection with old friends across America.
  • [09:52]

    “I said, ‘You know what, Sammy? I do have friends. I just don't see them, but I know they're there, and that's enough.’ And he went, ‘Yeah, okay, whatever.’ ...And I thought, you know what? It's not enough. I need to go see my friends." —Andrew McCarthy

• The Road Trip and Male Connection

  • He drove 10,000 miles to see old friends and initiated conversations on friendship with strangers.
  • He observed that men frequently avoid vulnerability, seldom talk about loneliness, and grow isolated with age.
  • [11:25]

    “The more I connected with these people, the more I felt… like there were all these people in the car with me then… I just started to feel happier and more relaxed and more like who I know myself to be on a good, good day.” —Andrew McCarthy

5. Reflections on the Brat Pack

• Documentary & Cultural Impact

  • McCarthy discusses the Hulu documentary Brats, the resentment the group felt about the "Brat Pack" label, and his eventual gratitude for being part of a generational touchstone.
  • Many actors, especially Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, and Judd Nelson, initially disliked the term, feeling pigeonholed.
  • [15:13]

    “Over time, I've come to realize it's one of the greatest blessings of my life and my professional life, certainly... We represent that moment in time when you’re young and blossoming, and to that generation, that’s a real gift.” —Andrew McCarthy

• His ‘Big Break’ Moment

  • The pivotal audition for Pretty in Pink, where Molly Ringwald advocated for his casting over John Hughes’ initial skepticism:
  • [16:26]

    "Molly turned around to John Hughes and said, 'That's the guy.' And John Hughes looked up at her and said, 'That wimp?' She said, 'No, he's romantic and, you know, poetic. He's the guy.' And I'd say, that was the day that changed my life." —Andrew McCarthy

6. Would There Ever Be a Brat Pack Reunion?

• Zito floats the idea of a reunion movie; McCarthy is receptive and says the group has discussed the possibility.
• [18:48]

  “I'm with you, dude. I'm with you, Jeff. Let's shoot!” —Andrew McCarthy

---

Memorable Quotes

• “I can't hold a job apparently.” —Andrew McCarthy [04:53]
• “School was getting in the way of... That was getting. That was my mentality at the time." —Andrew McCarthy [07:00]
• “…I represent that… To that generation and to… That's a real gift. And it took me a long time to realize that.” —Andrew McCarthy [15:13]
• “That was the day that changed my life.” —Andrew McCarthy, about being cast in Pretty in Pink [16:26]
• “It's so nice to sort of bring your life up into the present and realize what value all of it has, you know, and that's really, really important.” —Andrew McCarthy [14:02]

---

Notable Segments (with Timestamps)

• NJ Upbringing and First Job: 04:09–06:00
• Kicked Out of NYU: 06:20–07:00
• On Writing and Self-Discovery: 08:05–08:51
• **Origin of Who Needs Friends: 09:36–12:32
• On Reconnecting with Friends: 12:36–14:02
• Brat Pack Label & Nostalgia: 15:13–16:26
• ‘Pretty in Pink’ Breakthrough: 16:26–17:13
• Reunion Movie Idea: 18:04–19:11

---

Tone and Style

• Warmly nostalgic, candid, and sprinkled with humor and self-deprecation.
• Reflective, especially on the themes of friendship, career evolution, and generational identity.
• Accessible, with both Jeff Zito and Andrew McCarthy sharing relatable anecdotes and insights.

---

Summary Takeaways

• Andrew McCarthy's journey—from a pizza pub dishwasher to Brat Pack fame, through career lulls and reinventions as a writer—offers rich commentary on chance, identity, and adapting over time.
• His latest book, Who Needs Friends, is not just a memoir but a sociological exploration of how men’s friendships shift and dissipate, and how reconnection can be transformative.
• The Brat Pack generation’s mixed feelings about the label reflect the complexity of early success, cultural legacy, and personal growth.
• The episode is a must-listen (or highly enlightening summary!) for anyone invested in pop culture, personal reinvention, or simply in need of a thoughtful take on friendship and nostalgia.

---

Transcript

[Capital One Announcer]

This message is brought to you by the Capital One Venture X Card. Venture X offers the premium benefits you expect, like a $300 annual Capital One travel credit for less than you expect. Elevate your earn with unlimited double miles on every purchase, bringing you one step closer to your next dream destination. Plus, enjoy access to over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide. The Capital One Venture X Card what's in your wallet? Terms apply. Lounge access is subject to change. See capitalone.com for details.

[Grainger Announcer]

If you work in university maintenance, Grainger considers you an MVP because your playbook ensures your arena is always ready for tip off. And Grainger is your trusted partner, offering the products you need all in one place, from H Vac and plumbing supplies to lighting and more. And all delivered with plenty of time left on the clock so your team always gets the win. Call 1-800-GRAINGER visit grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Andrew McCarthy]

Foreign.

[Jeff Zito]

Hey, it's Jeff Zito and thanks for checking out another episode of the Celebrity Jobber podcast we're streaming on Apple. Podcast, Spotify, Iheart, wherever you listen to podcasts, so please subscribe. Would love a five star rating and if you could please leave a review. If you want to go back in time, check out our past guests and episodes, you can do so by going to celebrityjobber.com taking a look at slash celebrities before fame, their first jobs, the moment that changed everything for them, and maybe, just maybe, will go into a direction that you don't know. Some of these celebrities were famous, you know, years ago and now you haven't heard of them in a while. So what are they doing? And that's pretty much what we're going to get into today with my guest, Andrew McCarthy. You remember him as a member of the Brat pack in the 1980s, a group of young actors who were cast in all these movies that were catering to a younger audience and it became a phenomenon. And actually Andrew McCarthy did a documentary on Hulu about a year or so ago. It's called Bratz. And it was really interesting to hear how they hated that term, the Brat Pack. And after all of these years later, instead of embracing the term, they still resent it, you know, especially Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald and Judd Nelson. And it all pretty much came from an article that was written in the mid-80s and perhaps they were too young and took the term too literal. So anyway, we're going to talk about that. We haven't seen Andrew McCarthy in film or TV in quite some time so what is he doing now? I can tell you one thing that he's doing. He's an author and has a new book out and we'll talk to him about that. Not to mention his big break, his first job. And what's interesting is we kind of grew up in the same area of New Jersey. And I always feel like people from New Jersey share this certain bond, if you will. But I don't know, maybe not. I remember mentioning to Laura Prepon, Donna from that 70s show that I lived right down the road from the street. She used to live on Old Sterling Road and she couldn't have cared less. Actually, I think I kind of creeped her out. So maybe I'll keep away from the Jersey thing with Andrew McCarthy, but I just can't help myself. Really excited about this episode featuring actor Andrew McCarthy, my guest this week on

[Celebrity Jobber Podcast Announcer]

Celebrity Jobber, the Celebrity Jobber podcast with Jeff Zito. If you like what you hear, please subscribe, give a five star rating and leave a review. Check out all our past episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you pod. What if these celebrities weren't famous? What would they have become? What was their first job? We're about to find out.

[Jeff Zito]

Hey, Andrew, how are you?

[Andrew McCarthy]

Good, how are you?

[Jeff Zito]

I'm doing great. You know, I, I usually, I don't know if this is true anymore, but I, I guess we're neighbors, kind of. We were. I'm from Watchong, New Jersey. I had no idea you were from, From New Jersey all these years. I had no idea you were from New Jersey.

[Andrew McCarthy]

Yeah, I grew up in Westfield, not far from.

[Jeff Zito]

Not far at all. There's actually a bunch of kids that went to my CCD that went to Pingree and you went to Pingree, so

[Andrew McCarthy]

you don't have to say it with that kind of pointed snap, you know, I understand.

[Jeff Zito]

So, you know, this is really cool to talk to you. Actor, director, filmmaker, travel writer, author. Those are, those are all of your, your jobs.

[Andrew McCarthy]

I can't hold a job apparently.

[Jeff Zito]

What's your favorite out of all of those?

[Andrew McCarthy]

Oh, kind of all. I just finished acting. I was, I just acted in a play that just finished yesterday and I hadn't done a play in 20 years, so that was kind of fun to do and. But I have to say, I do like sitting alone in a room and the older I get and just sort of writing. I find that.

[Jeff Zito]

Right.

[Andrew McCarthy]

Yeah, I love that.

[Jeff Zito]

Tell me. I want to talk about your current job, which is as an author. You have a new book. But I wanted to Talk about your very first job. Can, can you rewind all the way back and tell and maybe, maybe it wasn't in. In showbiz, what was your very first paycheck? Do you remember that day?

[Andrew McCarthy]

My first job, I was a dishwasher at the pizza pub in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, down the shore. Yeah. And, and it was great. I loved it. I absolutely loved it. It was, it was the summer after my high school graduation, you know, and I was fantastic. I was rented a rat hole of an apartment with two other buds and we were all worked in the kitchen at this one really bad seedy restaurant and had a great time, had a great summer.

[Jeff Zito]

So that was the summer before you went to nyu. And I'm, you know, I just watched the documentary Bratz not too long ago just to familiarize myself again. I thought it was great. I saw it when it first came out you mentioned and you kind of wear it like a badge of honor. You get kicked out of nyu, can you tell us, can you tell us why? What did you do?

[Andrew McCarthy]

I do, I am very proud of it. Although my daughter goes to NYU right now. So I'm like, do as I say, not as I do. Anyway, yeah, I was in the acting program, so that meant three days a week I was in acting classes. Two days a week I was in academic classes and I just sort of didn't show up for my academic classes. I was interested in the acting stuff, but I wasn't interested in the other. So they said after two years, you know what, we'll just struggle on without you here.

[Jeff Zito]

Okay. So there's no big story. There's no. Just bad. You weren't going, you were bother to show up.

[Andrew McCarthy]

Yeah.

[Jeff Zito]

You were buying those two joints from the Rastafarian guy in the park every day.

[Andrew McCarthy]

Every day.

[Jeff Zito]

Yeah, that was getting in the way of school. Okay, I get it.

[Andrew McCarthy]

School was getting in the way of. That was getting. That was my mentality at the time.

[Celebrity Jobber Podcast Announcer]

Celebrity jobber.

[Alex Kanchowitz]

Hi, this is Alex Kanchowitz. I'm the host of Big Technology Podcast, a longtime reporter and an on air contributor to cnbc. And if you're like me, you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives. So each week on Big Technology, I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it, asking where this is all going. They come from places like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon and plenty more. So if you want to be smart with your wallet, your career choices, in meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties, Listen to Big Technology podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

[Celebrity Jobber Podcast Announcer]

The Celebrity Jobber podcast with Jeff Zito.

[Jeff Zito]

So your dad was in the world of finance. Your mom wrote for a newspaper. Did she write for the Star Ledger? What did your mom do?

[Andrew McCarthy]

My mom actually sold advertising for newspapers and then New Jersey Monthly magazine. And she also sold art in an art gallery at one point. Yeah.

[Jeff Zito]

And your love of writing, where did that come from?

[Andrew McCarthy]

I have no idea. I didn't write anything until I was in my 30s. I didn't read any of the books I was supposed to read in high school. I didn't do any of that. One day I just picked up a pen and I said, you know, I was traveling the world and it's a longer story, but I. It's why I became a travel writer. I was in Saigon and I just picked. I had an amazing day and I just wrote about. I didn't know what to do when I got back to my hotel. I was so excited. And so I just picked up a pen and just wrote about what happened. And I was like, whoa, there I am. And it was the exact same feeling I had when I was 15 years old and walked out on stage in the high school play of the Artful as the Artful Dodger, you know, and there was that sense of like, oh my gosh, there I am. You know what I mean? So it was a very similar feeling. So that, that sort of started my writing kind of journey and then I became a travel writer for magazines and then that led to books and whatnot.

[Jeff Zito]

So books. Let's talk about your new book. It's called who Needs Friends? And I find it kind of funny because I think a lot of people, regular, average, everyday ham and eggers like me can relate to a guy like you in Hollywood and you know, getting into, you know, the middle of your life at all these times, you had all these experiences with these friends, like you thought these friends, they would never die, these experiences. And then you find yourself in middle age losing contact with all of them. Now tell me a little bit about the book who Needs Friends and how this began.

[Andrew McCarthy]

Yeah, I was, I was sitting at the kitchen table, it was a very clear moment and my son was telling me a story about one of his bum. 21 year old son was telling me a story about one of his buds. Really funny. We're laughing. And then as we kind of settled down, he looked up at me and said, you don't really have any friends, do you, dad? And I just.

[Jeff Zito]

How'd that make you Feel I took

[Andrew McCarthy]

the hit and I said, you know what, Sammy? I do have friends. I just don't see them, but I know they're there, and that's enough. And he went, yeah, okay, whatever. And he went off to see his girlfriend. And I sat with him. And I thought, you know what? It's not enough. I need to go see my friends, you know, And I, like many guys, had this core group when I was young, and, you know, through life and careers and families, they sort of scattered. And I realized I hadn't seen these dear friends in years and years, sometimes decades. And so I thought, I just need to go see these people. And so I got in my car, and since I hate driving on highways, I started driving back roads across America. I drove 10,000 miles to go zigzagging all over America to see these people. And along the way, I. Because it was on my mind, this notion of friendship. I started approaching random men on this. Gas stations and restaurants, wherever. And I said, hey, will you talk to me about your friends? And they all looked at me like, whoa, what are we talking about? But Matt said, no, I'm going to see my old friends. And I just thought, you know, what's. You know, and then variable guys. Oh, yeah, okay. And not a single guy the kind to talk to me. Everybody would, once they sort of warmed to the topic, loved talking about it. And so many of them kind of went, you know what? I've never talked about this before. And so I just thought it was an interesting kind of topic. It grew into this kind of thing and about, you know, somewhere in the middle of Kentucky or somewhere, I thought, you know, there's a book in this thing. Because it's just. There's an overriding theme of men being isolated. As the older we get and we lose track of our friends and we just. We have them. But somehow, how come we're like. Not like my wife, following up? How come we're not following up? How come I'm not seeing these people? My wife is constantly making efforts to see her friends and guys, you know, some. Somewhere along the line, the idea of being an American male and the man is to be stoic and go it alone and pull your hat down and carry your own water, you know, and it's like. And that leads to a lot of isolation. And it was interesting. I'd ask a lot, everyone I asked, everyone I met if they were lonely. And the young people, young guys would go, oh, yeah, yeah, I'm lonely. And old guys, older guys like me would say, no, not get lonely. And it was so interesting because loneliness is kind of. That can be construed as weakness. And the one thing a man can't be is weak. You know what I mean? So they just. Which just further isolates us, you know what I mean? So there seemed to be this common thread evolving as I. The more people I talk to. So I just found that kind of fascinating. And then the more I reconnected with my friends and connected with these people, the more I felt driving in my car all alone across the country, the more I felt like there were all these people in the car with me then, you know what I mean? And I just started to feel happier and more relaxed and more like who I know myself to be on a good, good day. Connection.

[Celebrity Jobber Podcast Announcer]

The Celebrity Jobber Podcast with Jeff Zito.

[Cool Stuff Daily Announcer]

Every day, the world gets a little weirder and a lot more awesome. Cool Stuff Daily takes a look at everything from mining in space to the latest in the fight against cancer to how AI is basically changing everything. It's all the cool stuff you didn't know you needed to know. Join us for Cool Stuff Daily as we take a quick look at science tech and the.

[Jeff Zito]

Wait, what?

[Cool Stuff Daily Announcer]

Stories that make you sound way smarter at dinner. Subscribe to Cool Stuff Daily now because the future's happening fast, and it's way too fun to miss.

[Celebrity Jobber Podcast Announcer]

The Celebrity Jobber Podcast with Jeff Zito.

[Jeff Zito]

These friends, were they, like, people from. From high school or Pingree? Were they people from.

[Andrew McCarthy]

One of them. One of them was from high school, and the rest were just folks I met before I was a successful actor. There were people that I just known. Okay, most of them, but there were none of the. None of my Brat Pack brethren. Or that. Although I did just this morning get a text from Emilio Estevez saying that he'd read an excerpt from my book. And so that was really nice to get right. And like, with that, I did this documentary about the Brat Pack a couple years ago, and I reconnected with all those people. Thanks. And like, since then, I've stayed in touch with them again, where I hadn't been in touch with them in decades. And so it's so nice to sort of bring your life up into the present and realize what value all of it has, you know, and that's really, really important.

[Jeff Zito]

And I could tell that it's been, like, 30 years since you talked to some of those guys. And I just wanted to say this from an outside perspective because I found it very interesting in that documentary, which, again, very well done because it was a centerpiece. It was the center of my life. I was a few years younger, but those movies were everything to me and still are. And I found it amazing that almost all of you had this negative. Now, I will. Granted, I didn't read the article, the scathing article, but you all had this negative thing from the term Brat Pack. And when I'm telling you, me and my friends in 1986, we were the Brat Pack. We wanted to be you guys. I thought it was a cool term. I thought, rat Pack. Those guys are cool. Brat Pack. You're younger, so, you know, kind of a play on words. But I was just amazed to see how hurt you guys, most of you were by that term. And I just wanted to tell you from an outsider's perspective, I wouldn't have taken it that way at all.

[Andrew McCarthy]

Yeah, I know. It's one of those crazy things. And over time, I've come to realize it's one of the greatest blessings of my life and my professional life, certainly, that, you know, because people come up to me, people like you or whoever of a certain generation come up and they go, oh, my God, those movies, man. And they start talking, and pretty soon their eyes kind of glaze over, and I realize, oh, they're not talking to me anymore. They're talking to their own youth. And, you know, I represent that. Me and other members of the Brat Pack represent that to people. And it's such a great gift to be able to just receive them, because that moment in time when you're young and blossoming, like my son was when he said that to me about, you don't have any friends, it's, you know, your life's a blank slate to be written on, and it's a wondrous time in life. We represent that to that generation and to. That's a real gift. And it took me a long time to realize that.

[Jeff Zito]

That's cool, though.

[Andrew McCarthy]

Do you.

[Jeff Zito]

Do you consider a moment in your life. I don't know if it was class or just a moment in time where there was something on stage, a big break, something that happened to you that led to the Brat Pack that basically changed your life forever? A particular phone call, meeting with a director. Is there that. That one moment, or was it kind of a gradual path to success for you?

[Andrew McCarthy]

Well, I mean, I think when we're living our life forward, nothing seems like one big moment. But looking back, you can kind of pin things. I went in and auditioned for the movie Pretty in Pink, and Molly was in the audition room. Molly Ringwald And I read the scene and I went to audition and she was there reading. And I. And when I left the room, Molly turned around to John Hughes and said, that's the guy. And John Hughes looked up at her and said, that wimp? She said, no, he's romantic and, you know, poetic. He's the guy. And I'd say, that was the day that changed my life.

[Jeff Zito]

Really? I thought you were a star before Pretty in Pink.

[Andrew McCarthy]

Well, that was before St. Elmo's Fire had come out, too. And so it was that. But that was the moment where things just really changed in that way.

[Jeff Zito]

Wow. And I didn't know that was a wig at the end of the film either. Just so you know, I had a

[Andrew McCarthy]

bad wig if you had no idea. If you watch that movie again, you'll see I look just really sad and forlorn, but it's just bad wig acting.

[Celebrity Jobber Podcast Announcer]

The Celebrity Jobber Podcast with Jeff Zito.

[Alex Kanchowitz]

Hi, this is Alex Canceroitz. I'm the host of Big Technology Podcast, a longtime reporter and an on air contributor to cnbc. And if you're like me, you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is changing the business world and our lives. So each week on Big Technology, I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it, asking where this is all going. They come from places like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and plenty more. So if you want to be smart with your wallet, your career choices, in meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties, listen to Big Technology Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

[Celebrity Jobber Podcast Announcer]

Celebrity Jobber.

[Jeff Zito]

Now, I'm going to make a suggestion, and I don't know if anybody's going to listen to me, but here I am. I'm 50 years old, almost 51, and I know Molly, Judd and Emilio are not going to do this, but, but, man, what about, you know, we're getting older and the Brat Pack is like, you know, a reunion, a film. I mean, I think a lot of people would love to see something like that again. I know there, there seems like there's a few of them that are still kind of, you know, not where you are yet. But I think Rob Lows in. I think you're in. I think Ali Sheedy's in, Demi's in. I mean, what do you, what do you think, man?

[Andrew McCarthy]

I'm with you, dude. I'm with you, Jeff. Let's shoot.

[Jeff Zito]

I don't know anything about what you do, but I'm just saying, have you ever talked, have you guys talked about it?

[Andrew McCarthy]

Or no, yeah, we kicked the idea around. I think it'd be a great idea. I think it'd be fun. You know what I mean? And it's also. It led me reconnecting with all those guys and everything about all that made me have so much more affection for my youth, too, which was a really nice thing.

[Jeff Zito]

That's cool. It's been. I mean, let me tell you, man, I was really excited to talk to you about all this stuff and relive some of this. Some of this. So thanks so much. I want to just plug the book once again. Who needs friends? Andrew McCarthy, of course. Of course. You know, actor, director, filmmaker. You got to see Bratz if you haven't still on Hulu. I just watched it last night. Travel, writer, author. A lot of different jobs. His first job was at a pizza place in Seaside Heights right before he got kicked out of nyu. Been a real pleasure. And again, the book, who Needs Friends? Everywhere. It's. It's out right now, Andrew.

[Andrew McCarthy]

It is. Yeah.

[Jeff Zito]

There you go. Andrew McCarthy, again, a real pleasure. Thanks so much.

[Andrew McCarthy]

Thanks, Jeff.

[Jeff Zito]

I'm going to tell you that I've been in this business for over 30 years, and I've talked to pretty much every rock star celebrity on the podcast planet. And I'm going to be honest with you, when I found out Andrew McCarthy, I was going to be able to talk to him face to face on. On Zoom. I was a little nervous and. Because he was like, a really big star, you know, in my youth, you know, in the mid-80s, he was like a really big star. And I was, you know, thinking about what I was going to say to him for weeks. I was really. And he couldn't have been any nicer and really cool guy. But this is the one thing that I wanted to say about the Brat Pack that, again, I didn't read the initial interview that came out in the mid-80s, which I think was about Emilio. It was at some party, and it was this journalist who kind of coined the phrase the Brat Pack that took on a life of its own. But. But the. The Brat Pack members, if you will. Andrew McCarthy, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Ali Sheedy, maybe Anthony Michael hall was in there. They really resented the term. And maybe looking at it from their perspective, they. They may have resented the term because it pigeonholed them to doing these teeny bopper John Hughes flicks. And maybe some of them wanted to become, you know, serious actors and win an Oscar, and maybe they felt like term prevented that from happening. And maybe they felt like being pigeonholed as a Brat Pack would have some kind of ill effects on their career. Now one could say, you know, we haven't seen Andrew McCarthy in a movie in, in quite some time. So was labeling him a member of the Brat Pack the reason for that? You know, I don't think so personally, but I, I do think that a number of them feel that way. And again, I'll point out Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson and Emilio Estevez, they are not fond of that term, the Brat Pack. And I urge you to check out the documentary Bratz, which is on Hulu. Andrew grew up in Westfield, New Jersey. His father was in finance. His mother worked at a newspaper, got interested in acting during high school, kicked out of NYU film school and went on to have a phenomenal career in film. In the movies class, St. Elmo's Fire, Pretty in Pink, Less Than Zero, Weekend at Bernie's, the list goes on and on. And Andrew started writing for travel magazines and then also wrote young adult novel. His memoir, he's been a New York Times bestseller. And his latest book is called who Needs Friends. And I guess the, the whole concept came from his son Sam, who's also an actor. If you remember the Netflix series Dead to Me, he was in that. But I guess a question from his son Sam asking his father, why didn't he have any friends? So it got Andrew into examining why guys over time lose connection to people that played a very important role in their lives when they were younger. You know, your friends, your buddies, you know, over time you get married, you have families, jobs, take in different directions, and you lose touch. I think it's something, something all guys can pretty much relate to. So Andrew goes on a cross country journey in search of some of the friends of his youth and not talking about Brat Pack brethren, like real friends not in showbiz from his earlier years. So again, very relatable to a lot of us guys. I only have like one friend from like 8th or 9th grade and through high school that I still talk to a couple times a week. Other than that, not many. Who needs friends from actor, travel writer, television director, filmmaker and author Andrew McCarthy. First Job, by the way, at a pizza place on Seaside Heights right after he graduated from high school and before he got kicked out of nyu. And what's funny to me is that he mentioned his big break was on the set of Pretty in Pink and after his audition he walked out. Molly Ringwald said that's the guy. Filmmaker John Hughes said that Wimp I totally get it. But maybe it was Molly Ringwald who ultimately got Andrew McCarthy to become a member of the Brat Pack. Hey, I sure hope he takes my advice of doing a current Brat Pack style film with all those guys. I think it would be really, really cool. Great stuff. Thanks so much for listening to another episode of the Celebrity Jobber podcast. Follow on Instagram celebrity_jobberpodcast. Also YouTube.com the Signce Celebrity Jobber and follow on Substack Celebrity Jobber. So if you really like the podcast and you want more content, I recommend subscribing to Substack. Who are these people? Who were they before they were famous? Some of them might hold a commercial. Completely different job today than what we initially knew them from years ago. Just like Andrew McCarthy, now an author, but always in my mind a member of the Brat Pack. Thanks so much for listening and until next week. I'll see you then. I'm Jeff Zito.

[Capital One Announcer]

This message is brought to you by the Capital One Venture X Card. Venture X offers the premium benefits you expect, like a $300 annual Capital One travel credit for less than you expect. Elevate your earn with unlimited double miles every purchase, bringing you one step closer to your next dream destination. Plus, enjoy access to over 1000 airport lounges worldwide. The Capital One Venture X card what's in your wallet? Terms Apply Lounge access is subject to change. See capital1.com for details.

[Alex Kanchowitz]

Hi, this is Alex Canceroitz. I'm the host of Big Technology Podcast, a longtime reporter and an on air contributor to cnbc. And if you're like me, you're trying to figure out how artificial intelligence is is changing the business world and our lives. So each week on Big Technology, I bring on key actors from companies building AI tech and outsiders trying to influence it, asking where this is all going. They come from places like Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon and plenty more. So if you want to be smart with your wallet, your career choices, in meetings with your colleagues and at dinner parties, listen to Big Technology Podcast. Wherever you get your podcasts.