A Conversation with Actor, Director and Bestselling Author Andrew McCarthy

When Andrew McCarthy’s son asked him, “You don’t really have any friends, do you, Dad?” the question stopped him cold. Like so many men, McCarthy had allowed the demands of adulthood to push once vital friendships to the margins. In , the New York Times bestselling author, filmmaker, and beloved actor sets out on a nearly ten-thousand-mile road trip across America with one purpose: to reconnect. Along the way, he speaks with cowboys, musicians, preachers, and young men searching for belonging, weaving together personal reflection and cultural insight in a moving and provocative exploration of male friendship and loneliness.

Best known for his iconic film roles and celebrated memoirs, McCarthy brings warmth, candor, and curiosity to this timely conversation about connection, vulnerability, and what it truly means to show up for one another.

Your ticket to the event includes a copy of the book, Who Needs Friends, beverages and light dessert. We look forward to seeing you then!

About Who Needs Friends:

"You don't really have any friends, do you, Dad?"

A seemingly innocuous, if direct, question from Andrew McCarthy's son left him reeling. McCarthy did have friends, but like so many other men, the necessities of modern adult life had forced his friendships to the background. At one point his friends had been instrumental in broadening his horizons, bolstering his courage, providing safe harbor. Now, McCarthy found himself questioning what had happened to those friendships, whether he needed them, what he valued, and what he had to offer. A simple question had become a moment that demanded a reckoning.

Who Needs Friends charts McCarthy's journey over nearly ten thousand miles behind the wheel, following him on often-unexpected travels through Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta, the Chihuahuan Desert, the Rocky Mountains with one driving purpose: to reconnect. Along the way he talks to countless men about their male friendships, from cowboys and blues musicians to preachers and rootless teens. What began as a simple desire to catch up with a few friends turned into a deep exploration of the challenges and rewards that men experience in forming bonds with each other.

In McCarthy's own words, "It turns out that guys have a difficult time with friendship." But that's not the way it needs to be.

About Andrew McCarthy:

Andrew McCarthy is the author of four books, Walking with Sam: A Father, A Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain; Brat: An ‘80s Story; Just Fly Away; and The Longest Way Home - all New York Times best sellers. He is an award-winning travel writer and served for a dozen years as an editor-at-large at National Geographic Traveler. Best known as an actor for the past four decades, Andrew has appeared in such iconic films as Pretty in Pink and Less Than Zero. He lives in New York.

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