Pretty in Pink 25th Anniversary

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Director Howard Deutch on Pretty and Pink movie photo

Director Howard Deutch on <i>Pretty and Pink</i>

Pretty in Pink was director Howard Deutch's first feature. Before that he worked in advertising (as did Hughes), had directed music videos and created movie trailers. "I didn't really think that I was ever going to get a chance," Deutch told us in a phone interview. "[There was] resistance at Paramount, [but] John fought for me. That's why it happened." Deutch's next film was the Hughes-penned Some Kind of Wonderful, starring Lea Thompson, whom he married in 1989.

Molly Ringwald

Then: Molly Ringwald was Hughes's muse, playing three of his most memorable characters in three consecutive years—Samantha Baker in Sixteen Candles (1984), Claire Standish in The Breakfast Club (1985), and Andie Walsh in Pretty in Pink (1986). A poor kid with few friends, Andie makes her own clothes and takes care of her father (Harry Dean Stanton). In his Chicago Sun-Times review, Roger Ebert compared Ringwald to a "young Elizabeth Taylor"; while she has played many roles since, Andie still ranks as one of her finest performances.

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Molly Ringwald—Now

No longer a teenager herself, Ringwald starred as the mom on the ABC Family show The Secret Life of the American Teenager, a role she plays in real life as well—she and husband Panio Gianopoulos have three children.

Jon Cryer

Then: Duckie! Cryer was fantastic as the slightly bizarre but never dangerous Duckie, desperately in love with Andie but never telling her how he feels. (For the record, the character has a "real" name: Phil Dale.) Duckie's many memorable moments include this immortal description of the rich boy who also loves Andie: "His name is Blane? That's a major appliance, that's not a name!" And let's face it—no one has ever had better hair than the Duckman.

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Jon Cryer—Now

Mr. Cryer just ended a twelve season run on a little TV show on CBS called Two and a Half Men. His former costar, some guy named Charlie Sheen, went off the rails and and got himself fired—something about "winning" and "tiger blood." He was later replaced by Ashton Kutcher. Cryer recently released So That Happened a memoir about his personal life and longtime career.

James Spader

Then: Spader played Steff, who was as infatuated with Andie as Duckie and Blane. Unlike Duckie, he makes a move and gets shot down, which sends him into what can only be described as rich-boy rage, saying nasty things about Andie and threatening to cut off his friendship with Blane. Steff is truly a jerk, but he's so transparent that we almost feel sorry for him. Almost. Okay, not at all.

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James Spader—Now

Spader has worked constantly since Pink, including a long run as attorney Alan Shore on Boston Legal (2004-2008). He appeared on Broadway in David Mamet's Race and is playing Raymond Reddington on NBC's The Blacklist.

Andrew McCarthy

Then: Blane McDonnagh loves Andie and doesn't care who knows it. Well, he cares a little bit. You see, Blane's family is rich, Andie's is poor, and... you know what happens. McCarthy shows genuine sweetness in the role (despite having a name like a major appliance), managing to deliver lines that in other hands could easily become clunkers: "You said you couldn't be with someone who didn't believe in you. Well, I believed in you. I just didn't believe in me." Aww.

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Andrew McCarthy—Now

McCarthy had a recurring role on Lipstick Jungle (2008-2009) and has both appeared on and directed episodes of the CW's Gossip Girl. He's also an author—Simon & Schuster published The Longest Way Home: One Man’s Global Quest for the Courage to Settle Down in 2012.

Harry Dean Stanton

Then: When Andie wakes her father, he asks her, "Where am I?" That one line tells us all we need to know about Jack Walsh. He's lost, unemployed, and alone, except for his devoted daughter. Despite being down on his luck, he delivers the goods when it comes to advice about boys—"You like him, he likes you. It's worth it." Go, Dad.

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Harry Dean Stanton—Now

Now in his late-80s (seriously, look it up), Stanton looks remarkably the same as he did 25 years ago and shows no sign of slowing down. He played the creepy Mormon leader Roman Grant on HBO's Big Love (2006-2010), costarred with Sean Penn in This Must Be the Place, and joined Johnny Depp in lending his voice to the animated feature Rango.

Annie Potts

Then: The always charming Annie Potts played Iona, Andie's employer, best friend, and fashion/love guru. ("Andie, hon. Listen, it's after 7:00. Don't waste good lip gloss.") She even gets a smooch from the Duckman: "I know I'm old enough to be his mother, but when the Duck laid that kiss on me last night, I swear my thighs just went up in flames! He must practice on melons or something." The wonderful wigs she wore were just the icing on a deliciously '80s cake.

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Annie Potts—Now

Potts has found success on screens big and small, spending several years showcasing her Southern charm on the hit series Designing Women (1986-1993). She returned to her roots opposite Kristin Chenoweth (Glee) in ABC's G.C.B., the show formerly known as Good Christian Belles, based on a book called Good Christian Bitches. Duckie would be proud.

Andrew Dice Clay

Then: Prior to making up nursery rhymes that were too dirty for kids, the Dice-man played a bouncer who continually keeps Duckie from entering the club Cats, even though he allows Andie to go in. Here he does a wicked hand jive with a cigarette and a Zippo lighter, moves that eventually made their way into his popular stand-up act.

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Andrew Dice Clay—Now

Dice tells Snakkle, "I have nothing but fond memories of appearing in the movie Pretty in Pink. It was very early in my career, so you could not have asked for a bigger break than appearing in a John Hughes film. John was a great talent, and it's too bad he left us so soon. But the best part for me was that I got to play myself." Since then, Clay has had some ups and downs in his career, but he is still one of the very few comedians who can say he sold out a venue as large as Madison Square Garden on his own. He had a recurring role on the final season of HBO's Entourage. Let's hope he's in the movie!

Gina Gershon

Then: Don't remember Gina Gershon in Pretty in Pink? Neither did we. It turns out that high school student Trombley (Hughes had a way with names) was Gershon's first big role. Somewhat like Harry Dean Stanton, Gershon also looks much the same as she did 25 years ago. Unlike Stanton, she's a bona fide sex symbol, thanks in part to some lady lip-locking in Showgirls (1995) and Bound (1996).

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Gina Gershon—Now

Gershon has gone on to embrace her comedy chops as a wacky dry cleaner on Curb Your Enthusiasm and showed her dramatic side in Killer Joe. She also penned a Y.A. novel, Camp Creepy Time, in 2007. She's recently been on TV shows like Glee and Elementary.