picture of affluent young people in Los Angeles. McCarthy played Clay alongside Jami Gertz and Robert Downey Jr. The subject matter included addiction and destructive behavior, themes that were particularly striking given McCarthy’s own private struggles. There is no reason to treat his fictional role as a direct representation of his personal life, but the contrast between his successful professional career and increasing dependence on alcohol became sharper as the decade continued.
Another major commercial success came with Weekend at Bernie’s in 1989. McCarthy played Larry Wilson opposite Jonathan Silverman’s
