Molly Ringwald Is Asked If Being John Hughes’ Muse Was ‘Creepy’

Entertainment

Molly Ringwald was asked by podcast host Monica Lewinsky if being director John Hughes’ muse was “creepy,” prompting an intriguing response from the actor. (Watch the video below.)

The story went that Hughes plucked her headshot from a pile and posted it on the wall as inspiration while he wrote “Sixteen Candles” (1984). He later cast her in the lead role.

“Complimentary or strange weird, creepy in any way?” Lewinsky said on an episode of her “Reclaiming” show posted Tuesday.

Ringwald laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, it’s peculiar,” the actor replied. “It’s complimentary. It always felt incredibly complimentary. But yeah, looking back on it, there was something a little peculiar.”

Ringwald was 15 and Hughes was a married father of two at the time.

“It didn’t seem that strange to me,” Ringwald said. “I mean, now it does.”

While Ringwald did not suggest anything untoward ever happened, she spoke of conflicting feelings around their dynamic.

“It’s definitely complex and it’s something that I turn over in my head a lot and try to figure out how that all affected me,” she said. “I feel like I’m still processing all of that, and I probably will until the day I die.”

Ringwald, now 57, also starred in two other iconic teen movies, “The Breakfast Club” (1985) and “Pretty in Pink” (1986), for Hughes, who died in 2009.

Enjoy HuffPost Entertainment — Ad Free

We’re bringing you the exclusives, scoops and hot takes on the news all your friends are talking about. Join our loyalty program to support our work and go ad-free.

You’ve supported HuffPost before, and we’ll be honest — we could use your help again. We won’t back down from our mission of providing free, fair news during this critical moment. But we can’t do it without you.

For the first time, we’re offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless journalism. We hope you’ll join us.

You’ve supported HuffPost before, and we’ll be honest — we could use your help again. We won’t back down from our mission of providing free, fair news during this critical moment. But we can’t do it without you.

For the first time, we’re offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless journalism. We hope you’ll join us.

Support HuffPost

Fast-forward to 9:15 for her reflections on being a muse for the filmmaker:

<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="YouTube" data-component-id="7295" data-component-props="{"itemType":"video","index":14,"contentIndexByType":2,"contentListType":"embed","code":"

","type":"video","meta":{"author":"Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz_ATkawVLP2Tsj6x7yqlfQ","cache_age":86400,"description":"This week on Reclaiming, we sit down with the incomparable Molly Ringwald, the actress who defined a generation and shaped ’80s pop culture forever (Pretty In Pink, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club). In this intimate conversation, Molly pulls back the curtain on her meteoric rise to fame, sharing candid revelations about navigating Hollywood as a teenage icon. She offers a fascinating glimpse into her creative partnership with legendary director John Hughes, and reveals the untold story of how her own headshot unexpectedly inspired the classic \"Pretty in Pink.\" Plus, Molly reflects on her years in Paris, where she rediscovered herself away from the American spotlight. Don’t miss this nostalgic yet deeply personal episode with the original teen queen who continues to captivate audiences decades later.\n\nWatch more episodes of Reclaiming: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMJUnI6nPG8Em8EZyWhZ_C_2ZFS3T2hnO \n\nConnect with Monica:\nhttps://www.instagram.com/monica_lewinsky\nhttps://x.com/monicalewinsky\nhttps://www.facebook.com/MonicaLewinsky/\n\nConnect with Wondery:\nhttps://instagram.com/wonderymedia \nhttps://tiktok.com/@wonderymedia \nhttps://facebook.com/wonderymedia \nhttps://x.com/wonderymedia \n\nAbout the show:\nIf you’re interested in unexpected conversations that go uncharted places, are remotely self-aware and like to laugh, then please join me as I continue to find my public voice on Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky. (That’s me.) I will have honest, wide-ranging interviews with all kinds of people – recognizable names, regular folks, experts and friends – about what it means to reclaim what’s been lost or taken in the broadest sense. Every week, I’ll draw from my own unique experiences (like say, surviving a global scandal at 24 years old), and delve into the personal and often messy ways people find their way back to themselves. And because I love a good tangent, we’ll probably also touch on other stuff, too. Listen to Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky premieres early and ad-free at https://wondery.com/shows/reclaiming-with-monica-lewinsky. \n\nChapters:\n00:00: INTRODUCTION\n3:05: EARLY FAME AND ICONIC ROLES\n5:25: THE JOHN HUGHES CONNECTION\n11:40 NAVIGATING PUBLIC LIFE\n13:43: THE IMPACT OF FAME\n21:06: LIFE IN PARIS\n28:46: DISAPPOINTMENT AND PARENTAL EXPECTATIONS\n30:54: COPING WITH GRIEF AND LOSS\n34:32: EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING\n37:26: NAVIGATING IMPOSTER SYNDROME\n40:42: EXPLORING THE HUMAN CONDITION THROUGH WRITING\n44:34: REEVALUATING PAST EXPERIENCES THROUGH A MODERN LENS\n52:02: PUBLIC ATTENTION AND PERSONAL GROWTH\n1:01:07: THE PROCESS OF RECLAIMING SELF-BELIEF\n\n#monicalewinsky #reclaiming #wondery #mollyringwald #johnhughes","options":{"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"_end":{"label":"End on","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"_start":{"label":"Start from","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"click_to_play":{"label":"Add your own player cover","value":false}},"provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/chbgCSsfb5U/maxresdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"Molly Ringwald on Fame, Teenhood & Being a John Hughes Muse | Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky","type":"video","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chbgCSsfb5U","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://www.huffpost.com","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"67d1634fe4b0668b4e9ce0b4","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/molly-ringwald-john-hughes-creepy-peculiar_n_67d1634fe4b0668b4e9ce0b4","entryTagsList":"molly-ringwald,john-hughes,@us_huffpost_now","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":"entertainment","sectionRedirectUrl":"https://www.huffpost.com/entertainment","subcategories":"women,celebrity,tv","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22","noAdsPlayer":"deeeda04-49cb-4a1d-ac6c-c388a685b58e"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/d6448d4b-594f-4762-b25e-222c7a4f2289/1_th.jpg?crop=629:354,smart&width=629&height=354&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":8},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"67d1634fe4b0668b4e9ce0b4","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"molly ringwald","slug":"molly-ringwald","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/molly-ringwald","permalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/molly-ringwald","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/molly-ringwald"},"url":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/molly-ringwald"},{"name":"john hughes","slug":"john-hughes","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/john-hughes","permalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/john-hughes","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/john-hughes"},"relegenceId":2808043,"url":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/john-hughes"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-1\", \"entry_paragraph_1\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-2\", \"entry_paragraph_3\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-infinite\", \"repeating_dynamic_display\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}”>

[embedded content]

You might also like More from author

Comments are closed.