Molly Ringwald slams nepo-baby criticism, admits she urged daughter Mathilda Gianopoulos to adopt her name
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Feud' star Molly Ringwald condemned the current criticism of so-called nepo-babies while applauding her "emotional and headstrong daughter" for deciding to pursue her career as an actor.
Eldest daughter Mathilda Gianopoulos, 20, began her own career in front of the camera and her mother is proud that she chose to go by the less famous Gianopoulos surname rather than her famous Ringwald surname.
Molly Ringwald credited daughter Mathilda for pursuing her career
Molly Ringwald, 56, is a mother of three with her husband Panio Gianopoulos. Her parents, Adele, a cook, and Robert, a visually impaired jazz pianist, raised Molly outside of the performing arts sector.
However, it was her starring roles in a series of enduringly successful coming-of-age movies, including 'Pretty in Pink', 'The Breakfast Club', and 'Sixteen Candles', that helped Molly become a household figure in the 1980s, per Daily Mail.
Speaking of her eldest daughter, Mathilda, the 'Feud' star told the Sunday Times magazine: "She and I are both emotional and headstrong. When she was learning to walk, if we helped her for a couple of steps she would stop and say, 'Do myself lone' and go back and do it again."
"That’s still her attitude today, including in her acting career. She took Gianopoulos, her father’s name, instead of Ringwald. I said, 'Are you sure? Ringwald is so much easier to spell and it might open some doors'. But she was adamant," Molly added.
In addition, Molly took issue with the stigma attached to kids who want to pursue careers in acting, modeling, or music—especially those whose parents are famous.
"The nepo baby thing is ridiculous. Of course, if you have a parent in the industry, it’s something that you’ve heard about and might be genetically predisposed to," she remarked.
Molly said, "I’ve talked to Mathilda about navigating the spotlight but everyone experiences it differently. Some people don’t mind living completely out loud."
"I’m not one of those people and I don’t think she is either. We’re basically a family of introverts who have had to learn to be more extrovert because of what we do."
Molly Ringwald makes rare red-carpet appearance with twin kids
The 'Riverdale' actress—who is also the mother of twins, Adele and Roman, 14—was honored with the Creative Vanguard Award on Sunday, April 7, at the 41st Miami Film Festival at the Chapman Conference Center.
The 56-year-old mother of three looked gorgeous in a white dress with side cutouts and gold accents. Posing with her 14-year-olds, Molly's distinctive fiery red hair was loosely curled and fell over her shoulders.
The actress chose a light makeup look with a pink blush to accentuate her cheekbones and give her a fresh appearance. Her two kids were dressed in all-black outfits for the rare red carpet appearance.
Variety EVP of Global Content and Executive Editor Steve Gaydos introduced Molly Ringwald, saying: "It’s important to remember that before Molly Ringwald was the iconic young star of John Hughes’ teen angst-driven comedies such as Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club."
"She first starred in Paul Mazursky’s contemporary update of Shakespeare’s Tempest. This is important because the secret of Ringwald’s early success and career longevity is the simple fact she has always been one of American film and television’s most gifted and versatile actresses," Gaydos added.
The festival's Director of Programming also remarked: "Her iconic career across film and television is one worth being admired, including my favorite The Breakfast Club. We’re honored to celebrate the exceptional and long-lasting career of Molly Ringwald."
