Jon Cryer is remembering his iconic dance as Duckie in Pretty in Pink
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In a new interview, the actor said he "always felt like it was Duckie's moment to sort of prove how great he could be"
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He acknowledged, however, that some of his costars thought it was "cringe" at the time
AsPretty in Pinkcelebrates its 40th anniversary, Jon Cryer is looking back on one of the film's most unforgettable scenes — Duckie's now-legendary dance.
During an appearance onThe Viewon Friday, May 1, while he was promoting his role in the Off-Broadway revival ofThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Cryer was reminded just how much time has passed since the beloved John Hughes film first hit theaters on Feb. 28, 1986.
When Cryer, 60, was reminded that the film turned 40 in February, he playfully pushed back, joking, “I don't know what you're talking about! We shot that about a month ago!”
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Cryer then touched on the moment that has stood the test of time — his character Duckie's energetic dance at the record store set to Otis Redding's “Try a Little Tenderness.” The scene has become one of the most iconic sequences in teen movie history, and one that fans, and the cast, still talk about decades later.
“[I] feel great about it now, obviously, and I felt good about it at the time,” Cryer said. “I wanted to make a point. I always felt like it was Duckie's moment to sort of prove how great he could be.”
At the time, however, not everyone saw it the same way.
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“Whereas Andrew [McCarthy] at the time thought it was kind of cringe,” Cryer added, referencing his costar, who played Blane. “But that's who we were at the time.”
McCarthy, 63, spoke to PEOPLE ina recent interview, saying, "I remember watching John Cryer do that dance scene. And I remember watching him do the beginning of it. I was like, 'Wow, this is really embarrassing for him.' "
McCarthy continued: "And then I kept watching and I went, 'Wow, this is really great of him,' you know? So it was an interesting evolution — and I don't know if it was me, that I gave it up or whether he relaxed in the infinitesimal degree — but Jon always jumped right in."
Looking back, Cryer said age and a bit of hindsight have changed how they view those moments.
“And it's funny because as adults — we've talked and I went on his podcast and he made a documentary calledBrats, he did a great job on it,” Cryer shared of McCarthy. “And he's a wonderful travel writer by the way, if you've ever read any of his travel writing. But as adults, you just go, ‘Oh my God, we were such teenage idiots.' "
McCarthy's relationship with Cryer was the subject of headlines in the 1980s, withPretty in Pinkthe source of some reported clashes between the two, who played rivals in the film.The two ultimately mended their rift in 2012 while backstage at — of all places —The View.
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