'St. Elmo's Fire' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Dotdash Meredith and Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.

Image
Image

Columbia Pictures/Everett

Decades after the "Brat Pack" classic hit theaters, the post-grad coming-of-age film still packs a nostalgic punch. The actors behind the Georgetown gang have become Hollywood mainstays and appear in some of the most beloved movies and TV shows in recent memory. Read up on the star-studded cast here.

Demi Moore as Julianna "Jules" Van Patten

ST. ELMO'S FIRE, Demi Moore
ST. ELMO'S FIRE, Demi Moore

Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett ; Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Following the release of St. Elmo's Fire and officially joining the "Brat Pack," Demi Moore enjoyed a string of '90s hits, including Ghost (1990), A Few Good Men (1992) and Indecent Proposal (1993). Since then, the actress has remained in the spotlight.

In 2017, Moore was cast in a recurring role on Empire and in the girls-night-out comedy Rough Night (2017)The actress penned the best-selling 2019 memoir Inside Out, chronicling her upbringing and struggles in Hollywood. Moore has also been committed to raising awareness and promoting the prevention of human trafficking, even launching a nonprofit in 2012 with then-husband Ashton Kutcher.

Moore shares three daughters — RumerScout and Tallulah — with ex-husband Bruce Willis.

Rob Lowe as Billy Hicks

Rob Lowe St Elmo's Fire - 1985
Rob Lowe St Elmo's Fire - 1985

Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock ; John Lamparski/Getty

Despite Rob Lowe acting steadily in film and on TV throughout the late '80s and '90s, his role as Sam Seaborn on NBC's The West Wing would define his career. He earned an Emmy nomination in 2001 and back-to-back Golden Globe nominations in 2000 and 2001 for his performance on the Aaron Sorkin series.

He later starred on Brothers & Sisters and Parks and Recreation and has had a recurring role on the spin-off 9-1-1: Lone Star since 2020. Lowe also acted onstage in the 2005 West End production of A Few Good Men. In 2022, he announced he would executive produce and appear on the 2023 Netflix comedy series Unstable alongside his real-life son John Owen.

Lowe has kept busy off-screen, too. In 2020, the actor launched his podcast, Literally! With Rob Lowe and one year later, the Parks and Recreation-themed podcast Parks and Recollection.

He has been married to makeup artist Sheryl Berkoff since 1991, with whom he shares sons Matthew and John Owen.

Ally Sheedy as Leslie Hunter

ST. ELMO'S FIRE, Ally Sheedy, 1985
ST. ELMO'S FIRE, Ally Sheedy, 1985

Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett ; Dia Dipasupil/Getty

In the years following St. Elmo's Fire, Ally Sheedy starred in Short Circuit (1986) and High Art (1998) and had recurring roles on Kyle XY and Psych. However, in the late 2000s, she took a step back from acting.

Sheedy returned to the big screen with a cameo in 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse and booked a leading role on the Freeform comedy series Single Drunk Female in 2022.

Sheedy married David Lansbury — nephew of the late actress Angela Lansbury — in 1992, and the two welcomed their son Beckett in 1994 before splitting in 2008.

Emilio Estevez as Kirby Keger

Emilio Estevez - St Elmo's Fire - 1985
Emilio Estevez - St Elmo's Fire - 1985

Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock ; Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic

Emilio Estevez found continued success after St. Elmo's Fire with movies like Stakeout (1987), Young Guns (1988) and The Mighty Ducks (1992). In 2021, he reprised his role as Gordon Bombay on the Disney+ series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, based on the popular movie franchise.

The actor also wrote, directed and starred in 2010's The Way with his father, Martin Sheen. Estevez went on to direct and write 2018's The Public, featuring Christian SlaterAlec Baldwin and Jena Malone.

He married Paula Abdul in April 1992, but the couple divorced two years later. Estevez later became engaged to writer Sonja Magdevski in 2006, and the two live together at Estevez's owned-and-operated vineyard in Malibu.

Mare Winningham as Wendy Beamish

Mare Winningham St Elmo's Fire - 1985
Mare Winningham St Elmo's Fire - 1985

Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock ; Michael Buckner/Variety/Getty

Before starring in St. Elmo's Fire, Mare Winningham already had a few films and TV shows on her lengthy résumé. Since its release, she starred in Miracle Mile (1988), Turner & Hooch (1989) and Georgia (1995), for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Winningham also appeared in the two-part biographical film George Wallace (1997), winning an Emmy and earning a Golden Globe nomination in 1998. Her other TV credits include Grey's AnatomyMildred PierceHatfields & McCoys, American Horror StoryThe AffairThe Outsider and Dopesick. She also received an Emmy nomination in 2012 for her performance in Hatfields & McCoys and in 2022 for Dopesick.

The award-winning actress is also a singer, releasing her fourth studio album, What's Left Behind, in 2014. Winningham joined the cast of the Broadway musical Girl from the North Country in March 2020, later nabbing a Tony nomination in 2022 for lead actress.

Winningham has been married to former Miracle Mile costar Anthony Edwards since 2021, and the two even appeared together in Girl from the North Country in May 2022. She shares five children with ex-husband William Mapel, whom she divorced in 1996 after 14 years together. She was also married to A Martinez from 1981 to 1982 and to Jason Trucco from 2008 to 2012.

Judd Nelson as Alec Newbury

ST. ELMO'S FIRE, Judd Nelson
ST. ELMO'S FIRE, Judd Nelson

Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett ; Steve Granitz/WireImage

Following the success of his star-turning roles in 1985's The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire, Judd Nelson starred on the 1987 TV miniseries Billionaire Boys Club, for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination. He was featured in New Jack City (1991), the film remake of Billionaire Boys Club (2018) and Girl in the Basement (2021) Nelson also appeared opposite Brooke Shields on three seasons of the sitcom Suddenly Susan and had a recurring role on Empire.

Nelson is an author and has three children: daughter Mathilda and twins Adele and Roman.

Andrew McCarthy as Kevin Dolenz

St Elmo's Fire - 1985 - Andrew McCarthy
St Elmo's Fire - 1985 - Andrew McCarthy

Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock ; Slaven Vlasic/Getty

Andrew McCarthy starred in a slew of '80s films after St. Elmo's Fire, including Pretty in Pink (1986), Mannequin (1987) and Weekend at Bernie's (1989). The actor has had an impressive run behind the camera as well, directing episodes of Gossip GirlOrange Is the New Black, Good Girls, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens and The BlacklistSince 2022, he has had a recurring role on Fox's The Resident. 

In addition to his TV work, McCarthy has worked as a travel writer and editor at National Geographic Traveler, earning several journalism awards. McCarthy also published the best-selling novel Just Fly Away in 2017 and followed up his literary success in 2021 when he published his nostalgic memoirBrat: An '80s Story.

McCarthy wed Irish director and writer Dolores Rice in 2011 and has two children — daughter Willow and son Sam from his previous marriage to Carol Schnieder.

Andie MacDowell as Dale Biberman

ST. ELMO'S FIRE, Andie Macdowell, 1985
ST. ELMO'S FIRE, Andie Macdowell, 1985

Colombia Pictures/ Courtesy Everett ; Mike Coppola/Getty

Like her costarsAndie MacDowell has also found success on both the big and small screen post-St. Elmo's Fire. Her most famous films include Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989), Groundhog Day (1993) and Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). MacDowell also appeared in Magic Mike XXL (2015) and in the hit horror film Ready or Not (2019). In 2021, she appeared on Netflix's Maid alongside her real-life daughterMargaret Qualley, earning a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actress in 2022. Since 2023, MacDowell has starred on Hallmark Channel's The Way Home.

MacDowell has three children from her marriage to model-turned-contractor Paul Qualley: Margaret, Rainey and Justin. Following her divorce from Paul in 1999, she married businessman Rhett Hartzog in November 2001. However, the two split in 2004 after three years together.