'Sixteen Candles' Cast: Where Are They Now? (PHOTOS) Sixteen Candles, which debuted in theaters May 4, 1984, was the start of so many great things: It made Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall stars, it helped launch The Brat Pack and it might have been the first place you ever saw future stars John Cusack, Joan Cusack, and Jami Gertz.