Molly Ringwald is best known for a couple things, her signature red locks and for starring in three of the biggest coming-of-age films of the 80s, John Hughes' Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink. In a recent interview with Lenny Letter, the actress discusses everything from her friendless middle school days to what it feels like when the world has its eyes on you.
"It did feel like the world had a crush on me. Which was a nice feeling. But then if you have any lucidity, or if you are prone to anxiety, which I think I have been my whole life, you always have the feeling that it's going to change, that it's ephemeral and it's not going to last."
Luckily, that doesn't seem to be the case. Despite being frozen in the world's mind at age 16, Ringwald has kept very busy since her Hollywood It Girl days : in addition to acting, she sings jazz, has written three books as well as articles for Vogue, Allure, and The New York Times, and is a mother of three.
Even with a lifetime's worth of success under her belt before she turned 18, and continuing to break past her signature roles, Ringwald still feels like something's missing. "I beat myself up on a regular basis, and still do, for not accomplishing everything that I feel I should have accomplished, or still want to accomplish. I have that critic in my head."
Despite some totally normal and healthy feelings of inadequacy, the actress has learned some lessons from her time in and out of the spotlight, "I've realized that once you define what it is that's important to you, in some way it appears. That's always been my experience in life."