Molly Ringwald
Molly Ringwald
As a child, Ringwald appeared in many local TV commercials and stage plays in the Sacramento area. In 1978, at the age of 10, she was chosen to play Kate in the West Coast production of Annie, performing in Los Angeles. In 1979, Ringwald appeared in the TV series Diff'rent Strokes and was selected to become a cast member of the spin-off Facts of Life. She played "Molly Parker," a perky, fun-loving student at Eastland Girls School. Although she had essentially a supporting role, one entire episode, "Molly's Holiday" revolved around her character dealing with the effects of her parents' divorce. After the first thirteen episodes, the producers restructured the show to be more like the popular film Little Darlings,[citation needed] so Ringwald and three other girls were written out of the series in 1980. However, she made a final guest appearance at the start of the second season. In 1980, Ringwald performed as a lead vocalist on two Disney albums. On the patriotic album Yankee Doodle Mickey, Ringwald sang "This Is My Country," "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "God Bless America." She later performed one track on a Disney Christmas album. Turning toward motion pictures, she found her breakout role in Sixteen Candles (1984). Molly Ringwald was a member of the so-called Brat Pack of 1980s teen actors. Though she played a high school "princess" in her biggest hit, 1985's The Breakfast Club, Ringwald specialized in portrayals of moody, awkward, brainy, angst-filled characters.
