Anthony Michael Hall may not be getting any younger with each passing day, but his incredible performances over the years have most certainly cemented a legacy that very few could overpower; one that will live forever. In fact, his early roles in the entertainment industry among pieces like The Breakfast Club (1985) even had the actor cum producer recognized among the ‘Brat Pack.’
So when it came to the 2024-released documentary on the same, titled Brats, Hall was expected to grace the screens with his appearance alongside Demi Moore and Rob Lowe as well. And, for the record, he was asked to be a part of the project. But Hall turned down the chance of starring in the same of his own accord as he wanted to move forward in life instead of looking back.
Anthony Michael Hall deliberately opted out of Brats of his own accord
For one whose stage career kickstarted back in 1977 when he was around only nine, Anthony Michael Hall has really outperformed himself in Hollywood over the nearly five decades that he has been active as an actor (and later, producer). His film debut came through Six Pack in 1982, when he was only fourteen, with his breakout being through three John Hughes-directed films: Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Weird Science (1985).
When he earned his breakthrough in the entertainment industry, Hall was only a teenager—barely 15-16 years of age. This was also why mainstream media associated him with the Brat Pack, i.e. the group of young actors who frequently graced their presence together in teen-oriented coming-of-age films in the 1980s. And this, further, was also why he was asked to appear in the Hulu documentary Brats as well.
But instead of joining in like the others from the core cast which included the likes of Demi Moore and Rob Lowe, among others, Hall politely let the offer pass. Talking to TV Insider, he explained the same, saying:
I was asked to be a part of it, but you know what, I’ll tell you my attitude is you have to wish everyone success. It was just something I chose not to do because I’m always trying to move forward and make new things and do new stuff.
Besides including appearances from Lowe and Moore, the Hulu documentary—which was directed by Anthony McCarthy and released in 2024—also had other major actors comprising of the core cast, like Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Timothy Hutton, and Lea Thompson, as well as writer cum director Howard Deutch, producer Lauren Shuler, and of course, David Blum, the very journalist who coined the iconic term Brat Pack in the first place.
Anthony Michael Hall is “happy” to embrace the John Hughes period of his life
While he made it clear that moving on from all his past spectacular works from the early stages of his career was one of the major reasons why he turned down the offer to star in the ‘Brat Pack’ documentary, Anthony Michael Hall also didn’t hesitate to emphasize that he was more than just glad to “embrace” the part of his life and career that he worked on the John Hughes films.
Confessing he hadn’t seen the documentary yet during the same interview, which was held back in July 2024, the National Lampoon’s Vacation star continued to say,
“The truth is, I’ve had to embrace the John Hughes period of my life all my career, and I’m happy to do so. It’s never been an issue for me. But I also think time has taught me you have to wish everyone success.”
At the same time, he also added his appreciation and well-wishes for director McCarty as well, saying, “I think he’s carved out a great career for himself. He’s a writer, and he directs TV. He’s a cool guy. He’s a father, too.” Well, for what it’s worth, Michael Hall is one to say this, for Anthony McCarthy most certainly isn’t the only one who deserves this piece of praise, for sure.
Brats can currently be streamed on Hulu.
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