Anthony Michael Hall was a staple of some of the best movies of the ’80s and one of the members of the Brat Pack. While he found plenty of success during that time frame, he hit a rough patch as the ’80s turned into the ’90s. Now, The Breakfast Club star is reflecting on feeling lost during that time, and he revealed some solid advice he got from Vince Vaughn that helped him move forward.
While Hall’s early-on resume is impressive, it didn’t stay that way, there were some hard years. However, even with these bumps in the road, he’s had no problems talking about his past struggles post-Hughes/Brat Pack era. For example, the Weird Science actor shared with People that his career exists because of those incredible Hughes titles, however, he also struggled to find work after, explaining:
I owe it to those guys. Those are, obviously, probably the most beloved of all the films and things that I’ve done. And then, it was interesting. I went through another period in my 20s, where it was really hard for me to get work ’cause I made this kind of big impact.
The Brat Pack phenomenon and John Hughes’ fame is a fascinating part of Hollywood history, in my opinion. For Hall, and any young star of the time connected to him, to explode onto the scene only to be a whisper a decade later is mindboggling.
Hall then went on to share that amidst his troubles and search for work during his 20s, a chance encounter with Vince Vaughn helped change his trajectory. He stated that the actor was someone he looked up to previously and hearing his advice about the business really hit home:
I remember meeting Vince Vaughn back in the ’90s and I was struggling. We happened to both be in Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel — and I looked up to Vince. I thought he was a great comedian, a great actor — and he said something really sweet to me. He goes, ‘Mike don’t worry about it, man. You left an indelible mark and, you know, it’ll come around again.’ It was great. It was really — I’m getting a little choked up thinking about it because it was really encouraging me at that time. It was really sweet.
I always love to hear this kind of encouragement from Hollywood vets. And, this isn’t the only example of the Bad Monkey actor being a person of comfort and inspiration for his fellow peers.
Vaughn’s acting influenced Bradley Cooper, and a young Adam Brody has also stated that the A-Lister’s comedy stylings and career have been a source of inspiration. Needless to say, it seems that the Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story alum has shown his true and supportive colors to his fellow actors.
These days, Anthony Michael Hall is thriving, so I’m thrilled he received this advice that encouraged him to keep going all those years ago.
If you are looking to see what the Brat Pack member is up to right now, you can see him in Season 3 of Reacher, which drops new episodes on Thursdays for those with an Amazon Prime subscription. And when you watch Anthony Michael Hall in the beloved series, make sure to thank him for continuing to act and Vince Vaughn for giving him the advice to not dwell on the past and keep working.
