Andrew McCarthy gained fame as an actor in the 1980s, appearing in such iconic films as Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire and Less Than Zero, as well as cult favorites Weekend at Bernie’s and Mannequin. He has starred on Broadway and made numerous television appearances, most recently seen as a regular on Fox’s The Resident.
McCarthy most recently directed Brats, an intimate and provocative new feature documentary, which premiered on Hulu in June 2024. The documentary explores the iconic films of the 80s as well as their stars, branded with the name “Brat Pack.” In the film, McCarthy has conversations with some of the most iconic members of the Pack, learning how the frenzy impacted each of them.
He recently wrapped production on the new sci-fi thriller Orion in which he will star alongside Debby Ryan and Drew Van Acker.
McCarthy has directed some of today’s most popular television shows, including Orange Is the New Black, The Blacklist and Awkwafina is Nora from Queens.
Beyond his work in front of and behind the camera, he has become an accomplished author. His newest book, Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America, is set to be published in March 2026. The work chronicles his cross-country journey reconnecting with old friends and exploring the complexities of male friendship.
He is one of today’s leading travel writers. McCarthy was an editor-at-large at National Geographic Traveler magazine and has written for numerous other publications, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. His previous book, Walking with Sam, released in May 2023, immediately became a New York Times bestseller. An intimate, funny and poignant travel memoir, it follows the author and actor as he walks the Camino de Santiago with his son, Sam, in an effort to get to know each other as adults. His book Brat: An 80s Story debuted to critical acclaim in April 2021. The book is a revealing look at coming of age in a maelstrom, reckoning with conflicted ambition, innocence, addiction and masculinity. His travel memoir The Longest Way Home became a New York Times bestseller in 2012. Algonquin published his fiction debut, a young adult novel called Just Fly Away, which is also a New York Times bestseller. He lives in New York with his wife and three kids.
“You don’t really have any friends, do you, Dad?”
A seemingly innocuous, if direct, question from McCarthy’s son left him reeling. McCarthy did have friends, but like so many other men, the necessities of modern adult life had forced his friendships to the background. At one point his friends had been instrumental in broadening his horizons, bolstering his courage and providing safe harbor. Now, McCarthy found himself questioning what had happened to those friendships, whether he needed them, what he valued and what he had to offer. A simple question had become a moment that demanded a reckoning.
Who Needs Friends charts McCarthy’s journey over nearly ten thousand miles behind the wheel, following him on often unexpected travels through Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta, the Chihuahuan Desert and the Rocky Mountains with one driving purpose: to reconnect. Along the way, he talks to countless men about their male friendships, from cowboys and blues musicians to preachers and rootless teens. What began as a simple desire to catch up with a few friends turned into a deep exploration of the challenges and rewards that men experience in forming bonds with each other.
In McCarthy’s own words, “It turns out that guys have a difficult time with friendship.” But that’s not the way it needs to be.
The first 200 people at this event will receive a FREE copy of Who Needs Friends.
Writers Series events are free to the public. This event will be live streaming. WATCH HERE.