Alex Carson
The 1986 film Pretty in Pink cast was made of the iconic “Brat Pack,” a group of teen actors known for starring in films like The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles. The film was not only immensely popular at the time of its release, but is also still regarded as a cult classic. Pretty in Pink was produced by Paramount Pictures and released in the United States on February 28th, 1986.
The film earned $40.5 million during its theatrical run, placing it as the 22nd highest grossing film of the year. While many critics were tired of the plot, which focused on the drama surrounding cliques in high school, they still found the writing to be witty and sentimental. Furthermore, even the harshest of critics couldn’t deny that the stellar cast brought fresh life to the age-old plot.
Today, Pretty in Pink is still so popular that it was re-released by Paramount Pictures just in time for Valentine’s Day. While the fashion and lingo of the film may be cemented in the 1980s, even the younger generation of today can still see themselves in the film’s characters. While a lot of teenage drama has transitioned to technology, social castes and cliques remain very much the same.
The film was written and co-executive produced by John Hughes, who, by the mid 1980s, was already well known for his work on Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, among a variety of other films. Hughes had already established himself as the dominating force of high school and coming of age films in the industry. However, despite his close ties to the Brat Pack, he left the casting of Pretty in Pink up to director Howard Deutch.
Pretty in Pink was the first film that Howard Deutch would ever direct, and while he had plenty of misgivings going into this high pressure new career, the ultimate success of the film would greatly affect his career.
Despite an impressive filmography, Pretty in Pink still remains one of the crowning film achievements of his career, and it’s no wonder! This cult classic has garnered attention from audience members for decades, largely in part to its wonderful cast. But did you know that the cast for Pretty in Pink almost looked very different?
In today’s video, we’re going to take a look at how Howard Deutch almost cast some very different actors for the beloved characters we know today. Make sure you stick around, because we’re going to reveal which other actress nearly replaced Molly Ringwald as the film’s lead actress!
The Lead Character Andie Was Almost Played by Jennifer Beals
As we all know, the lead character Andie was beautifully portrayed by iconic actress Molly Ringwald, who also acted in films like Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink. But did you know that she almost didn’t play the character Andie at all?
John Hughes specifically wrote the script for Pretty in Pink intending to cast Molly Ringwald as the lead character. However, Paramount Pictures had a different idea in mind. They wanted to cast a more popular actress, Jennifer Beals. At the time, Beals was incredibly famous for her performance in the film Flashdance.
Because Ringwald had already starred in two other teen dramas, it took awhile for Hughes and Deutch to convince her to accept the role. She was reluctant to star in yet another coming of age teen drama, but with a bit of convincing, she finally said yes. Later on, Ringwald admitted that she was very glad she took the role, and that filming the movie was a great experience for her.
There Were a Lot of Conflicting Ideas Surrounding the Casting of Duckie
Director Howard Deutch desperately wanted the role of Duckie to be portrayed by Anthony Michael Hall, another member of the “Brat Pack.” Molly Ringwald, was resolutely against his appearance in the film, asserting that, should he be cast, the film would too closely resemble Sixteen Candles. Instead, Molly Ringwald wanted the role to be played by Robert Downey Jr.
In the end, neither Deutch nor Ringwald got their way, as the role finally went to Jon Cryer. The film turned out to be Jon Cryer’s breakout role, who, until that time, had only played minor roles. Today, he is known for winning two Primetime Emmy Awards in the popular sitcom Two and a Half Men, as well as for his roles in films such as Hot Shots, Shorts, and Holy Man.
How one Pretty in Pink Casting Decision Changed the Movie’s Ending
Believe it or not, Jon Cryer’s casting had immense consequences on the film. In the original script, John Hughes intended for Andie and Duckie to end up in a relationship together. Howard Deutch was all for that ending… until Jon Cryer was cast, that is. After seeing Jon Cryer and learning the ending of the script, Molly Ringwald had inhibitions, too. She simply couldn’t imagine her character having romantic feelings towards Duckie. Poor Jon Cryer admitted in an interview that his initial internal reaction was, “Wow, so I’m that unattractive? Thanks, Mol!” To add insult to injury, Ringwald added that she would have been fine with her character getting together with Duckie had he been played by Robert Downey Jr.
Howard Deutch gave in and changed the ending so that Andie gets together with the character Blane in the end. Years later, Deutch was filled with regrets over the decision. In an interview, he explained, “Duckie should have the girl and it was all built for that and it was designed for that. And I could have ended that way, had I not [messed] with one thing: I cast Jon Cryer.”
While the alternate ending didn’t seem to upset many fans, it certainly had consequences for the creators of the film! Make sure you stick around until the very end, because we’re also going to reveal how the changed ending destroyed director Howard Deutch’s relationship with writer John Hughes! And if you’re enjoying this video so far, please take a moment to like this video, and don’t forget to subscribe to Facts Verse for more!
Molly Ringwald Pushed for Andrew McCarthy’s Casting
The creators of the show may have ignored Ringwald’s pleas to cast Robert Downey Jr. as Duckie, but she did have a say in the casting of Blane. Originally, the creators wanted the character of Blane to be hunky and square-jawed, but Ringwald simply wasn’t attracted to that kind of guy. But, after seeing Andrew McCarthy audition, Ringwald felt he was perfect for the role. She couldn’t help but admit she thought he was cute, and felt that her character, Andie, would also be attracted to him.
After a lot of pushing, the casting directors finally relented, and Andrew McCarthy was cast as Blane.
Jon Cryer Added Two Iconic Lines to the Film
While Ringwald and Deutch both had misgivings about the casting of Jon Cryer, he actually had quite a lot to add to Pretty in Pink. In one scene, while entering the woman’s bathroom and seeing the tampon machine, Cryer says “We don’t have a candy machine in the boy’s room.” The hilarious line was actually pulled from Cryer’s personal experience. The first time he saw a tampon machine, he actually thought it was a candy dispenser!
A second line that Cryer added to the movie was the line, “His name is Blane? That’s a major appliance, not a name.” Whatever you think about the decision to cast Jon Cryer, you can’t deny he made some bold (and hilarious) choices!
How the Changed Ending Destroyed Howard Deutch’s Relationship With John Hughes
John Hughes had initially written Duckie and Andie to get together as a couple. Howard Deutch, however, ultimately decided to cast Jon Cryer as Duckie, which caused both him and Molly Ringwald to reimagine Andie’s chemistry towards the character. Finally, Deutch made the decision to change the ending, so that Duckie ended up with another girl, and Andie got together with Blane.
John Hughes was furious at the change of his script, and it caused a huge falling out between him and Deutch. However, Deutch had a very difficult decision to make.
Originally, he actually did try to film a version where Andie and Duckie ended up together. During a test run, however, audience members despised the ending so much that they even booed at it! Finally, Deutch realized that what most young audience members at the time wanted was for the lead woman to get the cute guy. This, combined with Ringwald’s desire for her character to end up with Blane, caused Deutch to change the ending with a heavy heart.
As you can see, the changes in cast members had a huge impact on the final rendition of the film Pretty in Pink. Do you think the original ending that John Hughes wrote was a better fit for the film, or do you agree with Howard Deutch’s decision to make Andie and Blane end up together? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe to Facts Verse for more!
