Molly Ringwald's Iconic Career in Photos
From The Facts of Life to Riverdale — and all of the John Hughes movies in-between.
When you think of popular '80s stars, Molly Ringwald's bright red hair and smiling face probably come immediately to mind. The actress rose to icon status after starring in John Hughes' classic coming-of-age movies, including The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles.
After her rise to fame as part of the famous Brat Pack, Molly went on to star in countless television series, headlined Broadway shows, released an album and even wrote two books. The star's talent truly spans decades and industries, making it impossible to "forget about her."
1979: Her TV Debut
Molly's first television appearance was in 1979, when she was only 11 years old. She played Molly Parker in Diff'rent Strokes.
1979: 'The Facts of Life'
Thanks to Molly's memorable portrayal of Molly Parker — a spunky, feminist character — on Diff'rent Strokes, she was cast on the show's spin-off, The Facts of Life.
1982: First Feature Film
Molly made her feature film debut in the 1982 film, Tempest, directed by Paul Mazursky (pictured right). The actress played supporting role Miranda in the Shakespeare adaption, and was even nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance.
1984: 'Sixteen Candles'
Molly's breakout role was in the 1984 film Sixteen Candles, where she played a teenage girl whose parents forget her 16th birthday. Director John Hughes originally planned to make The Breakfast Club his directorial debut. However, after seeing Molly's headshot, he wrote Sixteen Candles and based it around a character he imaged her headshot to be.
1984: The Brat Pack
After her appearance in Sixteen Candles (1984), Molly became known as a member of the Brat Pack — a group of actors who appeared in prominent films in the 1980s together. However, Molly told NPR that because of her age, she didn't really hang out with the group. "I was, like, the only one that was really the age that I was playing, and most everybody else was already in their 20s," Molly said. "So, you know, there wasn't really a lot of hanging out going on, on my part at least."
1985: 'The Breakfast Club'
Molly appeared in John Hughes' The Breakfast Club in 1985, which was a critical and commercial success — Entertainment Weekly even named it number 1 on its list of "Best High School Movies." The iconic '80s film captured teens during that time in an unprecedented way. "His gift was creating stories, characters and truths about being a teen, and fulfilled them in a way that nobody had ever done before," Molly said in a tribute speech to Hughes.
1985: Behind the Scenes
Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall (her co-star in Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club), were both 17 at the time of filming, the youngest actors in the group. They dated for a brief time, and have remained friends since. "She's wonderful, a great lady," Anthony said in an interview with Page Six. "We've been friends since and I've seen her over the years."
1985: Modern Romeo and Juliet
Switching back to television, Molly starred in the ABC TV film, Surviving: A Family Crisis, with Zach Galligan (right) and River Phoenix in 1985. The movie was a modern day adaption of Romeo and Juliet, and examined more serious themes, including teen suicide.
1986: Lifetime Achievement Awards
As an up-and-coming star, Molly attended the 14th Annual AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards in 1986, honoring legendary filmmaker Billy Wilder.
1986: 'Pretty in Pink'
Molly starred in Pretty in Pink a year after The Breakfast Club, while she was still in high school. Just like Sixteen Candles, John Hughes wrote her Pretty in Pink role specifically for her. The film centers around Andie, who's attempting to navigate the social circles of high school. The romantic film hit number one at the box office, and was her last film with John Hughes.
1986: John Hughes' Muse
Molly's career skyrocketed after appearing in Hughes' iconic '80s films — many of which the roles were written specifically for her. Reflecting on their relationship, Molly told Vogue that Hughes was unlike any other director she'd ever met. "We really clicked and got along almost immediately," she said. "I was fairly introverted, but he just had so much confidence in me, to the point that I felt like I could do anything."
1986: 58th Academy Awards
Molly appeared at the 58th Academy Awards not as a nominee, but as a presenter for the award for "Best Visual Effects," which went to the film Cocoon.
1987: 'Some Kind of Wonderful' Premiere
Although John Hughes wanted Molly to star in his next film, Some Kind of Wonderful, she turned it down, as she thought it was too similar to her previous roles with Hughes. However, she still attended at the premiere alongside Adam Horovitz from the Beastie Boys.
1987: 'The Pick-Up Artist'
Molly starred alongside Robert Downey Jr. in the 1987 film The Pick-Up Artist, directed by James Toback. The romantic-comedy was Molly's first lead in a feature film not directed by John Hughes.
1987: 59th Academy Awards
Molly appeared at the 59th Academy Awards with her partner at the time, Adam Horovitz, as a presenter for "Best Film Editing." Molly and Adam met on the set of The Pick-Up Artist, and dated for around a year.
1988: Co-Stars Again
In 1988, Molly starred alongside Andrew McCarthy once again in the coming-of-age drama, Fresh Horses. The duo previously starred together in Pretty in Pink, which Molly worked hard to get him cast in. "He seemed like the kind of guy that Andie would've been into because Andie wasn't that different from me, and I thought Andrew was really cute," Molly told Vogue.
1988: 'For Keeps'
Molly starred in another coming-of-age high school drama in the film For Keeps? Released in 1988 — and what was considered her final teen movie — Molly played a high schooler who gets pregnant her senior year. She was nominated for "Favorite Movie Actress" at the Kids' Choice Awards for the role, and won "Best Actress" at the Paris Film Festival.
1990: A New Direction
By the '90s, Molly began moving away from the coming-of-age roles she had become known for. After turning down the lead role in Ghost and Pretty Woman, Molly decided to move to France for new material and experiences. "I never felt that I could make mistakes and be ridiculous here," she told the LA Times. "I went to Paris to do that."
1990: The Tonight Show
Her time in France included honing her French, acting in a few French films and even marrying her first husband: Valery Lameignère (more on that later). She also went on The Tonight Show in 1990 to promote one of her two American films that were released that year, Strike It Rich and Betsy's Wedding.
1994: 'The Stand'
Molly starred in the miniseries adaption of Stephen King's classic novel, The Stand, in 1994. The apocalyptic story was adapted for television by Stephen King himself, who even had a minor role in the series.
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