Molly Ringwald Calls Her Time on 'The Secret Life of the American Teenager' Her Worst Experience
Molly Ringwald has named The Secret Life of the American Teenager as the worst experience of her acting career.
Speaking on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Ringwald was asked to rate her credits and placed the ABC Family teen drama at the bottom of the list. The clip, titled "Molly Ringwald's True Feelings About The Secret Life Of The American Teenager," is posted on the show's official YouTube channel (Deadline).
Her reason came down to one person. Ringwald attributed the "worst" rating to "one person that was really difficult" on the production, but declined to name them (Deadline). People magazine reported the same comments (People via AOL).
She was quick to separate that individual from the rest of the show. Ringwald said she loved the cast, including Shailene Woodley, who starred as Amy Juergens, a teenager navigating an unplanned pregnancy (Deadline).
Ringwald played Anne Juergens, Amy's mother. She was a series regular for the first four seasons and returned as a guest star for the fifth and final season. The show, created by Brenda Hampton, premiered on ABC Family in 2008 and ran for five seasons, ending in 2013. The ensemble cast also included Ken Baumann, Mark Derwin, India Eisley, Greg Finley, Daren Kagasoff, Megan Park, Francia Raisa, and Steven Schirripa (Deadline).
Ringwald, of course, is best known for the John Hughes films that defined 1980s teen cinema — Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink. Joining a 2000s teen drama was a different world, and two decades on, she has a clear verdict on how it went.
The Watch What Happens Live appearance covered more than one chapter of Ringwald's career. She also said she could see The Breakfast Club becoming a musical, and revealed she regrets turning down a role that eventually went to Demi Moore (WWHL YouTube).
For fans of the show, Ringwald's comments draw a line between the on-screen family she enjoyed and the off-screen dynamic she did not. The person she found difficult remains unnamed, and unless she elaborates, that is where it stays.
