Hollywood star Molly Ringwald has revealed that filming the late 2000s TV series The Secret Life of an American Teenager was the 'worst experience of her career'. The 58-year-old actress made the admission during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen this week, where she was asked to rank ten of her most notable projects.
Ranking Her Career
Ringwald, known for iconic films such as Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club, placed Pretty in Pink at the top of her list, praising the entire process. However, the conversation took a turn when discussing The Secret Life of an American Teenager, which aired from 2008 to 2013. In the series, Shailene Woodley played a pregnant 15-year-old, with Ringwald portraying her mother, Anne, across all five seasons.
Despite appearing in 96 episodes, Ringwald ranked the show at the bottom of her list, calling it the 'worst'. Her candid response drew shocked gasps from the studio audience.
Difficult Co-Star
When asked to elaborate, Ringwald said: 'It was hard… I loved the cast, I loved Shailene, so many people that I worked with [but] there was one person that was really difficult.' She added: 'I'm not gonna say who that one person is, but they brought it down to a one.'
Ringwald has been open about the challenges in her career, including encountering 'predators' early on. In 2024, she discussed on a podcast how young actresses in Hollywood face such risks. She noted, 'You can't be a young actress in Hollywood and not have predators around,' while expressing gratitude that she was not a victim of Harvey Weinstein, despite starring in his film Strike It Rich.
Survival and Family
Reflecting on her experiences, Ringwald said she was 'definitely in questionable situations' but credited her 'incredible survival instinct' and 'pretty big superego' for helping her navigate the industry. She concluded, 'But it can be harrowing.'
Her daughter, Mathilda, has pursued acting, appearing in The Idea of You on Amazon Prime. Ringwald previously shared, 'I have a 20-year-old daughter now who is going into the same profession, even though I did everything I could to convince her to do something else. And it's hard.'
