To millions of moviegoers in the 1980s, Andrew McCarthy seemed to have the perfect Hollywood rise.

With his quiet charm and thoughtful screen presence, he became one of the most recognizable young stars of the decade, appearing in classics like Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire, and Mannequin.

He looked like the picture of effortless success — the kind of actor whose career seemed to fall into place at exactly the right moment. But the journey behind the scenes was far from simple, and his real-life story is far more complex than the polished image audiences saw on screen.