Although the collective Brat Pack has suffered a lack of fame in their post-80s lives, no other member has been quite so easy for the public to forget as Ally Sheedy. Being that she already set the tone for her career by starring in a string of TV movies in the early stages of it, perhaps it was only inevitable that Sheedy would become the most likely to fade into obscurity. Lamenting fading fame
Sheedy’s first big break came in 1983. She starred in Bad Boys (which no one remembers because Will Smith and Martin Lawrence had to go ahead and take claim to that title) with Sean Penn. Her next major film was an iconic one, WarGames, also starring Matthew Broderick. And this was perhaps what launched her into the role that she will forever be known for, Allison Reynolds in The Breakfast Club. As Jennifer in WarGames
As one of the original prototypes for moody, angst-ridden teens like Angela Chase in My So-Called Life and Daria (no explanation needed), Sheedy plays the character John Hughes created to depression-level perfection. Classic lines like, “When you grow up, your heart dies” and “My home life is unsatisfying,” are what make Sheedy’s character the most endearing.
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Among other of Sheedy’s spotlight-making moments in the 80s was dating the guitarist from Bon Jovi. Proving that Richie Sambora has surprisingly varied taste in women, Sheedy dated him briefly before his Heather Locklear phase. After The Breakfast Club in 1985, it was as though Sheedy’s stock plummeted. She had St. Elmo’s Fire, which was largely successful because of the Brat Pack cast, but afterward, campier projects like Maid to Order (which is amazing and mirrors the underratedness of Molly Ringwald in The Pick-Up Artist) failed to catch on with mainstream audiences. By the early 90s, Sheedy was relegated to roles like “NY Ticket Agent” in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. 80s steez
While Sheedy has continued to remain active as an actress, including a well-received performance as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch and recurring roles on shows like Psych, she has remained largely out of the limelight in comparison to some of her fellow Breakfast Club co-stars.
