Molly Ringwald

Molly Ringwald (also credited as Molly Kathleen Ringwald) is an American screen artist—actor, singer, dancer, and author—born February 18, 1968, in Roseville, California. She broke through early after a casting director noticed her onstage in Annie, leading to her first major TV job on NBC’s The Facts of Life. Soon after, she made her feature debut in Tempest (1982), earning a Golden Globe nomination as a promising new talent.

Ringwald became a defining face of 1980s youth cinema through her landmark collaborations with filmmaker John Hughes. Her performances in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club (as Claire Standish), and Pretty in Pink (as Andie Walsh) cemented her status as a teen icon and a key figure associated with the “Brat Pack,” including a top ranking on VH1’s list of greatest teen stars.

Her career has remained versatile across decades, spanning films such as For Keeps (as Darcy Elliot Bobrucz), Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone, and later turns like Not Another Teen Movie and Teaching Mrs. Tingle. She also appeared in the short film Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade and took on roles in projects like Cut.

On television, Ringwald reached new audiences with substantial runs on The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Riverdale, and Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, while younger viewers also recognize her from The Kissing Booth films.