10 quick questions for andrew mccarthy | members only access

Andrew McCarthy, 60, is best known for being a member of the Brat Pack, that group of young actors — including Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore and Ally Sheedy — who starred in iconic 1980s

coming-of-age hits such as _Pretty in Pink _and _St. Elmo’s Fire_. In addition to acting, McCarthy has moved on to directing and travel writing, and his latest book,_ Walking With Sam: A

Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain,_ details his five-week-long trek along Spain’s Camino de Santiago with his 19-year-old son. We spoke to McCarthy about the exhausting,

epic journey, the benefits of aging, the TV shows he’s loving and more. WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF YOUR TRIP? I’d say ultimately it was most challenging physically. There were

moments near the end where I was just like,_ Oh my God, my body is done here_. Although then the closer to the end it gets, the more emotionally satisfying it becomes. So you’re at a weird

sort of juxtaposition of physically getting exhausted and emotionally becoming more elated.  HOW WAS IT BEING WITH YOUR TEENAGER NONSTOP FOR THAT LONG? McCarthy's new book is a memoir

about traveling in Spain with his son. Grand Central Publishing We fought constantly. I was frustrated with him, he was irritated with me often, and yet we had great laughs, and I think we

both got more respect for each other. I think he saw me as who I am as opposed to just his dad. And, consequently, we enjoyed each other more because we slipped out of that [father-son]

dynamic. And on the last day, he said to me, “That was the only 10 out of 10 thing I’ve ever done in my life.”  AS AN AVID TRAVELER, WHAT’S ONE ESSENTIAL YOU NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT? I

bring almond butter and rice crackers with me when I travel, because airplane food is so bad. And I’m like my kids: If I get too hungry, things just go south. I get hangry, which is a term I

just learned.  WHAT DESTINATION IS AT THE TOP OF YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET LIST? I was supposed to go to Antarctica twice and I've had to cancel both times at the last minute, so I would like

to get there before it melts. ARE THERE ANY TV SHOWS YOU’RE CURRENTLY WATCHING? I recently watched this show _Slow Horses _with Gary Oldman. I thought that was terrific. I like spy shows a

lot. And I'm watching _Shrinking_ right now — the one with Harrison Ford — which I’m really enjoying.