Molly Ringwald on being eternally iconic
UnStyled
Refinery29's UnStyled
4.8 • 527 Ratings
🗓️ 16 September 2019
⏱️ 36 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Molly Ringwald cemented her place in film history as THE face of '80s teen classics — The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Pretty In Pink — movies still referenced and celebrated today for their expert portrayals of adolescence in all its brilliant minutiae. And though these era-defining movies made her an icon, as a teen herself, Molly struggled with something more universal: growing up. Tune in for this week’s episode of UnStyled as Molly discusses her early films, relocating and ultimately coming of age in France, and the eventual on-screen pivot from budding teen superstar to author, writer, and present-day in-demand actress.
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to Unstyled. |
| 0:03.0 | I'm your host, Christine Barberick, co-founder and global editor-in-chief of Refinery 29. |
| 0:08.0 | Each week, I invite a notable person to come in and talk with us as we explore the funny, inspiring, |
| 0:14.0 | sometimes heartbreaking tales of life, work, and love, as told through the things that we wear. |
| 0:35.2 | Molly Ringwald. Hear that name and instantly the image comes to mind. |
| 0:39.6 | The red bob, signature pout, and a heart-sick gaze that came to define an entire era of teenage angst. Indeed, for many years, Molly Ringwald was the very |
| 0:45.5 | definition of the American teenager and teen starlet. But then she did the unthinkable. She grew up. |
| 0:53.2 | Molly Ringwald left Hollywood in her early 20s, fully aware of her |
| 0:56.4 | legacy as a permanent adolescent in the minds of millions. Unlike the many other child stars who followed |
| 1:02.4 | in her legendary path, she didn't stick around and wait to be edged out of the business once she aged |
| 1:07.5 | beyond her high school roles. She dropped her past an image entirely, moved to Paris, |
| 1:12.8 | and dyed her iconic hair. Only then could Molly's own coming-of-age story finally begin. |
| 1:18.8 | She acted in French films and occasionally returned to the U.S. for work. But mostly she took the |
| 1:23.5 | time she needed, the time she never had as one of the most successful and iconic teenage |
| 1:28.3 | actors ever. Molly is now the mother of a teenager herself, and even more conscious of her image |
| 1:34.6 | and its power. Last year she published a widely acclaimed essay in The New Yorker, revisiting one of her |
| 1:40.1 | most recognizable films, The Breakfast Club, reflecting on the time she spent watching the |
| 1:45.1 | cult classic with her daughter. In retrospect, it struck a deep chord to see her young self-objectified |
| 1:51.1 | and fondled on screen. It shook her, too, to re-watch 16 candles with its drunken, exploitative |
| 1:57.1 | rape humor, played for big laughs. While Molly still sees the good in the early work that |
| 2:02.7 | came to define a generation of youth-related films, she recognizes its flaws, too. Rather than shy away |
| 2:09.5 | from these issues, she's made it her business to point them out publicly. It's her legacy, too, after |
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