Cute brunette friends are an essential part of ’80s movies. Sometimes they even end up dating the main character.
Toni Williams in Secret Admirer (Played by Lori Loughlin)
When Michael Ryan (C. Thomas Howell) receives an anonymous love letter, he assumes its from his blonde crush Deborah (Kelly Preston). But it’s actually from his good friend Toni, who is, in a twist you will never see coming, a brunette.
Through a series of misunderstandings, things escalate, and Michael eventually realizes that Deb is a bit shallow and that he and Toni, of course, belong together. Of course.
Boof in Teen Wolf (Played by Susan Ursitti)
Lisa “Boof” Marconi and Scott Howard (Michael J. Fox) are obviously meant for each other. But Scott foolishly pines after blonde Pamela (Lorie Griffin) — even though Pamela is so shallow that she only likes Scott as a wolf.
Everything about Lisa screams cute brunette friend in an ’80s movie, including her adorable nickname. It takes a closet party game for Scott and Boof to realize they have ferocious chemistry.
Duckie in Pretty in Pink (Played by Jon Cryer)
Phil “Ducky” Dale has impeccable ’80s fashion sense and he’s always there for Andie (Molly Ringwald), who of course pines for the blond, bland Blane (Andrew McCarthy). But Ducky is her true love — at least to Ducky.
Of course, there’s something creepy and cowardly, in retrospect, about Ducky posing as a platonic friend to Andie while secretly hoping to hook up with her.
But it’s not that rare a dynamic in ’80s movies.
Rick Morehouse in Just One of the Guys (Played by Clayton Rohner)
Don’t worry, not every film on this list follows the ’80s movie formula of a hero or heroine who pines after someone yellow-haired while overlooking the brunette who’s been there for them all along.
Take for example the delightfully insane Just One of the Guys, in which female high school journalist Terri Griffith (Joyce Hyser, above left) goes undercover as a boy, for the sake of journalistic investigation, then falls for awkward new student Rick (Clayton Rohner, above right).
Naturally, she poses as his new male best friend to teach him to be one of the guys, before her deception is revealed and many lessons are learned.
And before you impotently protest, “What? The title refers to Terri, not Rick!” please understand that it refers, in fact to both of them: Just One of the Guys is a fascinatingly complex film that works on a multitude of levels.
Allison Bradbury in The Sure Thing (Played by Daphne Zuniga)
Walter (John Cusack) and Allison (Daphne Zuniga) are obviously perfect for each other, but he of course pines for the blonde, mysterious “Sure Thing” of the title (Nicolette Sheridan).
Through a long series of road-trip misadventures, Walter and Allison develop a close affection for each other that finally turns into something more when Walter realizes that he doesn’t feel true love for The Sure Thing.
It was released in 1985, the same year as the next film on our list.
Monique in Better Off Dead (Diane Franklin)
Lane Meyer (John Cusack again) and French exchange student Monique are obviously meant for each other, but he spends his days mooning after blonde ex-girlfriend Beth (Amanda Wyss) and she passes the hours plotting her escape from a semi-hostage situation with Lane’s neighbor Ricky (Dan Schneider).
Monique is a notably fantastic female character for a high school ’80s movie — she’s the smartest, coolest and most capable character in the entire film, good at pitching, fixing cars, skiing, and much more. She’s also the best-dressed person on this list, with the possibly exception of Ducky.
Also, we just realized while doing our intensive research for this gallery that Diane Franklin, the actress who played Monique, is not, in fact, French. She’s just that good. The gold standard of cute brunette friends in ’80s movies.
Cassandra in One Crazy Summer (Played by Demi Moore)
What is it about ’80s John Cusack movies? In this one, our boy — playing a Lane Meyer-like character named Hoops McCann — forms a near-instant rapport with cool musician Cassandra (Demi Moore) but ends up going out with Cookie (Kimberly Foster), the blonde girlfriend of cocky blond guy Teddy Beckersted.
As we’ve noted before, 1986’s One Crazy Summer kind of feels like a sequel to 1985’s Better Off Dead — both are written and directed by the great “Savage” Steve Hollland — given that many actors returned from the first film and some of the One Crazy Summer characters feel like variations of the Better Off Dead ones.
And you know what? Kudos. Why mess with perfection?
Rona in Oxford Blues (Played by Ally Sheedy)
Oxford rower Nick Di Angelo (Rob Lowe) longs to be with Lady Victoria Wingate (Amanda Pays), but ends up becoming close with coxswain Rona (Ally Sheedy), a fellow American. You can guess what happens next.
In a progressive twist on a formula you’re by now familiar with, both Lady Victoria and Rona are brunettes.
Allison Reynolds in The Breakfast Club (Played by Ally Sheedy)
One year after Oxford Blues, Ally Sheedy played another cute brunette friend/hiding in plain sight love interest in this 1985 John Hughes classic.
Allison and Andrew (Emilio Estevez) quickly find common ground during their all-day detention, and after she gets a makeover from Claire (Molly Ringwald), he recognizes her as — yes — cute.
At the end of the day, they part ways with a kiss.
Dez in Desparately Seeking Susan (Played by Aidan Quinn)
When Dez first meets Roberta (Rosanna Arquette) he assumes she’s off-limits because he thinks she’s Susan (Madonna) his best friend’s girl. Roberta, meanwhile, is married to philandering hot-tub king Gary (Mark Blum).
Dez and Roberta pal around New York for a bit as she tries to sort out a case of amnesia, but soon she gives in to the raw chemistry between them, because just look at the guy.
Linda in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Played by Phoebe Cates)
We know: Many people remember Fast Times for either Sean Penn’s role as Jeff Spicoli or Phoebe Cates and the pool fantasy sequence. But in fact Jennifer Jason Leigh as Stacy (above left), was billed above Cates’ brunette Linda (above right) and had the more complex character arc.
The light-haired Stacy looked up to her friend Linda and admired her greater experience, but Stacey is the one we’re most rooting for throughout the movie.
Also, we like how this movie departs from the familiar formula of a regular guy torn between an out-of-his league blonde crush and an extremely available brunette whose inner and outer beauty he has totally failed to recognize.
Liked This List of the Best Brunette Friends in ’80s Movies
Maybe the only character more common than the cute brunette friend in a ’80s movie is the cocky blond guy. Here are 11 of the Best Cocky Blond Guys in ’80s Movies, three of whom appear in movies in this very gallery.
And here are 13 Stars of the ’80s Who Are Still Going Strong, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High star Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Finally, here are 12 Rad ’80s Movies Only Cool Kids Remember.
Main image: Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Universal Pictures.