Molly Ringwald
Born 1968 · Age 57
American actress, writer, translator and singer; child actor who became a 1980s teen icon via John Hughes films (Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink). Continued career in film, TV, stage, music and as an author/translator.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Roseville, California
Molly Kathleen Ringwald born to Adele Edith (née Frembd) and Robert Scott 'Bob' Ringwald, a blind jazz pianist.
Stage debut as the Dormouse in Alice in Wonderland
At age five she appeared in a stage production of Alice in Wonderland as the Dormouse.
Recorded jazz album with her father
Recorded Molly Sings: I Wanna Be Loved by You, a Dixieland/jazz album with her father and his band.
Cast as Kate in West Coast production of Annie
Chosen to play Kate in the West Coast production of the musical Annie in Los Angeles.
Cast in The Facts of Life (Season 1–2)
Selected as part of the large cast for the Facts of Life spin-off and played Molly Parker; was later cut when the show was revamped.
TV appearance on Diff'rent Strokes
Appeared on the TV series Diff'rent Strokes (led to inclusion in a spin-off casting).
Recorded lead vocals on Disney albums
Performed as lead vocalist on Yankee Doodle Mickey and sang 'The First Noel' on Disney's Merry Christmas Carols.
Feature film role in Tempest
Got a key supporting role as Miranda Dimitrius in Paul Mazursky's film Tempest (film released 1982).
Young Artist Awards nomination for Tempest
Nominated for Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for Tempest (Young Artist Awards).
Golden Globe nomination for Tempest
Nominated for a Golden Globe (New Star of the Year – Actress) for her role in Tempest.
Film role: Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone
Appeared in the sci‑fi feature Spacehunter as Niki.
Breakout lead role in Sixteen Candles
Cast as Samantha 'Sam' Baker in John Hughes's Sixteen Candles; breakout performance that made her a teen idol.
Associated with 'Brat Pack' media label
Following John Hughes films, media frequently referred to her as part of the 'Brat Pack' group of young 1980s actors (she contested full membership).
Starred in The Breakfast Club
Cast as Claire Standish in John Hughes's The Breakfast Club; the film was a commercial and critical success.
Won Young Artist Award for Sixteen Candles
Won Young Artist Award (Best Young Actress in a Motion Picture) for Sixteen Candles.
Project cancelled: Oil and Vinegar (Hughes)
Was set to star in John Hughes's Oil and Vinegar, but the project was scrapped when Hughes refused to rewrite the script.
Lead in Pretty in Pink
Cast as Andie Walsh in John Hughes-produced Pretty in Pink, another high-profile teen film.
Featured on the cover of Time magazine
Appeared on the cover of Time (May 26, 1986) during the peak of her teen-star prominence.
Starred in The Pick-up Artist
Played Randy Jensen opposite Robert Downey Jr.; the film received mixed reviews and moderate box-office success.
Turned down Some Kind of Wonderful
Offered a role in John Hughes's Some Kind of Wonderful but declined, citing similarity to previous roles.
Starred in For Keeps (considered final teen movie)
Played Darcy Elliot in For Keeps, a film about teen pregnancy; commercially successful and notable in her filmography.
Starred in Fresh Horses
Appeared in Fresh Horses; film underperformed critically and commercially.
Kids' Choice Awards nomination for For Keeps
Nominated for Kids' Choice Awards (Favorite Movie Actress) for For Keeps.
Starred in Strike It Rich and Betsy's Wedding
Appeared in Strike It Rich and played Betsy Hopper in Betsy's Wedding; mixed reviews though Betsy's Wedding was commercially successful.
Razzie nomination for Betsy's Wedding
Nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award (Worst Actress) for Betsy's Wedding.
Starred in Something to Live for: The Alison Gertz Story
Portrayed Alison Gertz in the TV film about AIDS activist Alison Gertz.
Lead role in TV miniseries The Stand
Cast as Frannie Goldsmith in the ABC miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand.
Moved to Paris and starred in French films
Having been educated at the Lycée Français de Los Angeles and fluent in French, she moved to Paris and worked in French-language cinema.
Starred in Malicious
Played Melissa Nelson in the thriller Malicious.
Lead role in ABC sitcom Townies
Starred as Carrie Donovan on the ABC sitcom Townies.
TV film Since You've Been Gone
Appeared alongside Lara Flynn Boyle and Teri Hatcher in the made-for-television film Since You've Been Gone.
Starred in Paula Vogel's How I Learned to Drive
Played 'Li'l Bit' in Paula Vogel's acclaimed play at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.
Married Valéry Lameignère in Bordeaux
Married French writer Valéry Lameignère in Bordeaux, France.
TV: The Outer Limits and film In the Weeds
Appeared in an episode of Showtime's The Outer Limits ('Judgment Day') and in ensemble film In the Weeds.
Cameo in Not Another Teen Movie
Made a cameo appearance in the commercially successful Not Another Teen Movie (earned an MTV Movie Award nomination later).
Began starring as Sally Bowles in Broadway revival of Cabaret
Headlined as Sally Bowles on Broadway starting December 18, 2001.
MTV Movie Award nomination for Best Cameo
Nominated for Best Cameo for Not Another Teen Movie.
Divorce from Valéry Lameignère finalized
Marriage to Valéry Lameignère (1999–2002) ended in divorce.
Left Cabaret on Broadway
Departed the Broadway revival of Cabaret on April 28, 2002.
Birth of daughter Mathilda
Welcomed daughter Mathilda (Mathilda Ereni Gianopoulos) in 2003.
Joined Broadway cast of Enchanted April
Started performances in Enchanted April on Broadway on April 8, 2003.
Left Enchanted April due to pregnancy
Exited Enchanted April on June 15, 2003 because of pregnancy.
Starred in Modern Orthodox on Broadway
Appeared in the play Modern Orthodox opposite Jason Biggs and Craig Bierko.
Received Silver Bucket of Excellence for The Breakfast Club
Honored with the Silver Bucket of Excellence Award recognizing The Breakfast Club's cultural impact.
Starred in TV film The Wives He Forgot and Sweet Charity tour
Appeared in The Wives He Forgot and starred in the national tour of Sweet Charity (Charity Hope Valentine) in fall/winter 2006.
Appeared in Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front
Played Molly McIntire's mother Helen in the TV film.
Married Panio Gianopoulos
Married Greek-American writer and book editor Panio Gianopoulos.
Starred in The Secret Life of the American Teenager (series premiere)
Began role as Anne Juergens on ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager (series premiered July 1, 2008).
Teen Choice Awards nomination
Nominated (Choice TV Parental Unit) for her role on The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
Birth of twins Adele and Roman
Welcomed fraternal twins Adele Georgiana and Roman Stylianos (born July 2009); pregnancy was written into The Secret Life storyline.
Published Getting the Pretty Back
Released memoir/advice book Getting the Pretty Back: Friendship, Family, and Finding the Perfect Lipstick.
Read audiobook of The Middlesteins
Narrated the audiobook edition of Jami Attenberg's novel The Middlesteins (2012 audio release credited).
Published When It Happens to You
Published the novel-in-stories When It Happens to You (2012).
Released jazz album Except Sometimes
Released Except Sometimes, a jazz record paying homage to her family's jazz tradition.
Public: Resumed music and family jazz tradition
Released jazz album and publicly discussed lifelong connection to jazz through her father; reaffirmed musical career strand.
Began writing advice column for The Guardian
Started a weekly/regular advice column for The Guardian addressing love, family and life questions (September 2014).
Role in Lifetime film Wishin' and Hopin'
Played Madame Frechette in the Lifetime Christmas film Wishin' and Hopin'.
Starred in Jem and the Holograms
Played Aunt Bailey in the feature film Jem and the Holograms.
Cast in King Cobra
Played Amy in the crime-drama film King Cobra.
Series lead in Raising Expectations
Began main role as Paige Wayney on the Family Channel / Family Channel series Raising Expectations (2016–2018).
Public reflection and media appearances on 1980s legacy
Participated in interviews, essays and features reflecting on her role in John Hughes films and the Brat Pack legacy (including pieces in New Yorker and other outlets around #MeToo-era reappraisals).
Who Do You Think You Are? episode
Featured on the genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are? (Season 7 episode aired April 24, 2016).
Joined Riverdale as Mary Andrews (recurring)
Took recurring role as Mary Andrews on The CW's Riverdale beginning in 2017.
Career resurgence via streaming teen/young-adult projects
Experienced renewed mainstream visibility through Riverdale recurring role and The Kissing Booth film series (2018–2021).
Starred in Siberia and The Kissing Booth (film series start)
Had starring roles in Siberia and played Mrs. Flynn in The Kissing Booth (first film in the series released 2018).
Translated Lie With Me (Philippe Besson) into English
Credited as translator for Philippe Besson's novel Lie With Me (English edition 2019).
The Kissing Booth 2 released
Reprised role of Mrs. Flynn in the second film of The Kissing Booth series (released 2020).
The Kissing Booth 3 released
Starred again as Mrs. Flynn in the third installment of The Kissing Booth (2021).
Main role as Shari Dahmer on Monster (Dahmer series)
Played Shari Dahmer (stepmother to Jeffrey Dahmer) in the Netflix biographical anthology Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022).
Continued recurring role on Riverdale through 2023
Maintained recurring/starring presence as Mary Andrews on Riverdale (2017–2023; recurring across multiple seasons).
Translated My Cousin Maria Schneider (Vanessa Schneider)
Translated Vanessa Schneider's memoir My Cousin Maria Schneider into English (published 2023).
Estimated net worth around mid-single-digit millions
Based on decades of film/TV/stage income, book sales, translations and ongoing roles, estimated net worth increased to an approximate mid-single-digit million USD range.
Cast as Joanne Carson in Feud Season 2
Played Joanne Carson on the second season of FX's biographical anthology series Feud (Capote vs. The Swans).
Runway modeling debut at New York Fashion Week
Made runway modeling debut walking for Batsheva at NYFW (February 2024).
Key Achievement Ages
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