In the 1980s, Molly Ringwald was one of Hollywood’s biggest teen stars, thanks to iconic roles in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink, all crafted by writer/director John Hughes. These roles also made her a member of the famous Brat Pack, a group of young actors who frequently worked together. Now, more than 30 years later, Ringwald’s career is still thriving, and she often appears as the parent of teen characters in modern shows and films.
Ringwald has never stepped away from acting. Her career spans film, TV, and theater, with stage credits including tick, tick… BOOM!, Cabaret, and Sweet Charity. Recent projects include The Secret Life of the American Teenager, the Kissing Booth movies, and Riverdale, where she plays the mother of a new generation of characters. “It’s Archie. I mean, I loved Archie growing up… it turns out I’m Archie’s mom,” she joked in 2017.
Music runs in her family, and Ringwald has followed in her father’s footsteps as a jazz singer. In 2013, she released the album Except Sometimes, drawing on her early experiences performing with her father’s band. “I sang before I acted… every creative endeavor does seem connected. I use my acting ability when I sing a song,” she explained.
Ringwald is also a published author. She released her memoir Getting the Pretty Back in 2010, followed by the story collection When It Happens to You in 2012, and has written essays and advice columns for outlets like The New Yorker and The Guardian. Fluent in French, she even translated Philippe Besson’s novel Lie with Me into English, describing the process as deeply immersive and meticulous.
On the personal front, Ringwald has been married twice and has three children with her second husband, writer Panio Gianopoulos. Her eldest, Mathilda, is 18, and her twins, Adele and Roman, are 12. Watching her early ’80s films with her children has been both nostalgic and challenging, given their dated depictions of sexism, racism, and homophobia, but she appreciates the enduring themes of outsider identity and connection in her work.
At 54, Molly Ringwald continues to balance acting, jazz, writing, and family life, proving that she’s far more than just the teen icon the world first fell in love with.
