Molly Ringwald recently opened up about her time on the ABC Family series “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” admitting she did not enjoy the experience. During the August 4 episode of “Watch What Happens Live,” the 58-year-old actress rated her tenure on the teen drama, which spanned 96 episodes from 2008 to 2013, a “one out of 10.” When host Andy Cohen asked her to rank various projects from her career, Ringwald bluntly labeled the show “the worst.”
While Ringwald noted that she held affection for the cast, including her on-screen daughter Shailene Woodley, she attributed the low rating to a specific individual. “There was one person that was really difficult and I’m not going to say who that person is,” she explained. When Cohen confirmed that this single person was responsible for the dismal score, Ringwald agreed.
The actress also used the segment to reflect on other career milestones. She gave her 1986 classic “Pretty in Pink” a perfect score of 10, noting that the project was especially meaningful because director John Hughes wrote it specifically for her. She fondly recalled her costumes from the film, noting that she kept a personal collage of the production in her bedroom. Conversely, she assigned a two to her early sitcom work on “The Facts of Life” and “Diff’rent Strokes,” a four to “Not Another Teen Movie,” an eight to “Teaching Mrs. Tingle,” and a seven to “Jem and the Holograms.”
Ringwald remains a prominent figure in entertainment, recognized for her iconic 1980s roles in “Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club,” and “Pretty in Pink,” as well as more recent television appearances in “Riverdale” and “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.”
Looking ahead, Ringwald is set to appear in the upcoming romantic comedy “One Night Only.” The film, which also stars Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro, is scheduled for a nationwide theatrical release on Friday, August 7.
Ringwald played Amy Juergens’ mother, Anne Juergens, for 96 episodes of the ABC Family series, which ran for five seasons from 2008 to 2013.