Literally! With Rob Lowe Andrew McCarthy: Old Friends
Mar 26, 2026
Andrew McCarthy, actor/director/author known for St. Elmo’s Fire and Pretty in Pink, chats about his new book on adult friendship and his return to theater in Dublin. He recalls freezing on stage and the rituals of curtain calls. He also shares surprising reconnections with Brat Pack peers and explores how men find and sustain meaningful friendships.
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Make The First Move To Rebuild Friendships
- Reconnect proactively: go visit or call old friends rather than assuming 'they're there' is enough.
- McCarthy physically traveled to tell friends they mattered, which reopened emotional safety nets.
Friendship Directly Affects Physical Health
- Lack of friendships carries measurable health risks like doubled dementia risk and higher heart disease and stroke rates.
- McCarthy cites stats: close-friendlessness rose from 3% in 1990 to 18% today and half of men are unsatisfied with their friendships.
Alone Versus Isolated Is A Slippery Line
- Introversion can slip into harmful isolation when one stops opting into social contact, even for people with busy public lives.
- McCarthy's wife pointed out he crossed a line where solitude made his life smaller, prompting change.
