Andrew McCarthy Says His ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’ Character Was His ‘Favorite’ (Exclusive)

More than 40 years have passed since the premiere of St. Elmo’s Fire, and star Andrew McCarthy says the movie still has a special place in his heart. 

The 1985 coming-of-age drama, written and directed by Joel Schumacher, follows a group of recent college graduates and their journeys into adulthood. It features an all-star cast, including McCarthy, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy and Judd Nelson.

McCarthy, 63, looked back on the hit movie while speaking exclusively with PEOPLE, saying, “I loved doing that movie.” As for his character, the young and cynical journalist Kevin Dolenz, he says, “It was my favorite character I played when I was a kid.”

“It was great hanging out with everybody and everything. I loved playing the bongo drum scene. I thought that was really fun,” the actor continues.

Deadline reported in June 2024 that a sequel to St. Elmo’s Fire is in the works. The outlet said the project is in early development at Sony Pictures.

Lowe, 61, teased the second movie in an interview with PEOPLE last year, saying, “We’re working on the script, and it’s really getting good.” 

“I think it’s super valid to revisit those characters that continue to mean a lot to people and watch them navigate this chapter of life, because arguably this chapter of life is every bit as interesting and fraught as — ‘What do I do when I get out of college?’ ” he added.

McCarthy had his breakthrough starring in several influential movies in the 1980s, including Pretty in Pink and Weekend at Bernie’s. More recently, the actor appeared in seasons 5 and 6 of The Resident, which premiered in 2022 and 2023, respectively. 

He also directed the 2024 documentary Brats about the “Brat Pack” actors and the impact their 1980s fame had on their lives.

In addition to his Hollywood career, McCarthy is an established travel writer and author of fiction and nonfiction, including the 2017 young adult novel Just Fly Away, the 2021 memoir Brat: An ’80s Story and the 2023 book Walking with Sam.

McCarthy previously spoke with PEOPLE about the inspiration behind his upcoming book, Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America.

“I had dear friends I hadn’t seen in decades, and I thought it was time I did that. I really missed their input in my life. They changed my life when I was young, as friends, and I just hadn’t seen them in so long,” he said. 

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“You get busy with life and parenting and work and all sorts of things,” the actor continued. “You just lose track of what’s important. And then you get to be a certain age and you kind of go, ‘Oh, wait a minute, what’s the value? What’s important?’ ”

Who Needs Friends, which comes out on March 24, charts the author’s “often-unexpected” road trips across America — to places like Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta and the Rocky Mountains — to catch up with his old friends.