Is Molly softening towards The Facts of Life?

[RetroGuy2000]

As we all know, Molly Ringwald didn't speak about her stint on The Facts of Life. For thirty years. In 1986, she said going back as a guest star, after she'd been axed from the main cast, was the "worst job" she's ever had. And then she didn't speak about it again... for three decades. Unlike the other Lost Girls, she never, ever, ever spoke of it in interviews, she never appeared on any retrospective, it wasn't listed on any of the job lists she's had, and it was never even brought up in any interview, as if the interviewers had been told not to even bring it up.

But since 2016, Molly seems to be coming around. She stated in the WWHL interview that she was hurt by the rejection, and she talked about her time on the show, a bit. And then she did a cool video for Charlotte Rae's birthday.

I thought maybe we'd get more, when it was announced that Charlotte had passed on, but Molly's Twitter account has been very quiet: nothing since July 25th.

So, is Molly really opening up, or was this brief flurry of FOL talk the only thing we'll ever get?

[RetroGuy2000]

No response?

[Lorimar Television]

It would be nice if she said something. She was part of the original cast afterall dating back to the DS pilot

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

No response?

I thought maybe you made a thread of this already, within the last couple of years? Either that, or, I know some of this has been said in other threads (but obviously not the part about Charlotte's passing, since that has been so recent as of this posting).

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

It would be nice if she said something. She was part of the original cast afterall dating back to the DS pilot

Yep. May 4th, 1979 to November 26, 1980. That's a year and a half timespan working with Charlotte. Maybe she'll break her silence soon.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

I thought maybe you made a thread of this already, within the last couple of years? Either that, or, I know some of this has been said in other threads (but obviously not the part about Charlotte's passing, since that has been so recent as of this posting).

I don't recall having a separate thread, but it's possible. And we definitely talked about it in other threads. I just thought, with Charlotte's passing, that Molly might open up a bit. But so far, that doesn't seem to be the case.

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

In 1986, she said going back as a guest star, after she'd been axed from the main cast, was the "worst job" she's ever had.

If that's how she really felt, she obviously didn't like being on this show to begin with. There's been soap opera stars who have been fired and years later return to the same soap for a guest stunt because they liked being on that show. Look at Shannen Doherty. She was fired from the original 90210 and agreed to return for the reboot with some of the original stars she had supposedly fought with in real life.

I don't understand why Molly is so bitter about The Facts of Life. She had a great career. She should be thanking The Facts of Life for getting her out there and making it possible to do the movies she did in the 80's. Mindy Cohn said back then the network or producers, one of the two, wouldn't let the actors / actresses work on a big screen movie while doing the show. Molly would have had a tv career instead of the movie career if they had kept her on the show. Molly needs to suck it up and be grateful for the path her career took her. The Facts of Life is a big part of that and she needs to be more accepting of it.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Christopher

If that's how she really felt, she obviously didn't like being on this show to begin with.

Oh, I think she loved being on the show, as a regular. But being demoted to an occasional guest star upset her. It felt insulting, which is understandable. And she was 12 at the time.

But Molly also had to think about her career. Would doing guest spots even pay the bills?

There's been soap opera stars who have been fired and years later return to the same soap for a guest stunt because they liked being on that show. Look at Shannen Doherty. She was fired from the original 90210 and agreed to return for the reboot with some of the original stars she had supposedly fought with in real life.

Well, Shannen Doherty has had major conflicts on every show she's ever been on. I'm not sure you could have gotten Shannen to do a guest appearance on any show she'd left/been fired from a year later; in fact, I guarantee you she would not have done so. I read an article that said Shannen even refused to allow her likeness to be used for flashback scenes on Charmed.

Molly, on the other hand, tried one guest spot before deciding she didn't like it. The role was small, and it was just embarrassing for her.

I don't understand why Molly is so bitter about The Facts of Life. She had a great career. She should be thanking The Facts of Life for getting her out there and making it possible to do the movies she did in the 80's. Mindy Cohn said back then the network or producers, one of the two, wouldn't let the actors / actresses work on a big screen movie while doing the show. Molly would have had a tv career instead of the movie career if they had kept her on the show. Molly needs to suck it up and be grateful for the path her career took her. The Facts of Life is a big part of that and she needs to be more accepting of it.

Maybe she is, now. Twice now she's taken part in FOL stuff: Charlotte's birthday, and the WWHL interview, where she seemed very positive.

I hope she will come around more.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Oh, I think she loved being on the show, as a regular. But being demoted to an occasional guest star upset her. It felt insulting, which is understandable. And she was 12 at the time.

Agreed. It had to have been a fun "playground" of sisterhood for her that she immensely enjoyed; but being handed that rose by Al Burton ending her FOL career (a moment in a terrific piece authored by Retro a couple of years ago) was a terrible experience for her particular self at that particular age.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Molly, on the other hand, tried one guest spot before deciding she didn't like it. The role was small, and it was just embarrassing for her.

And it had to have really hurt, seeing "the new girl" (nice, huh? ) who allegedly* replaced you serving up cafeteria food right in front of your face.


*(allegedly replaced Molly, that is, as Molly claims Nancy was hired to replace her [instead of saying Nancy was hired "to replace the four who were let go"], yet another source claims Julie Anne was actually the final Lost Girl to be let go)

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Maybe she is, now. Twice now she's taken part in FOL stuff: Charlotte's birthday, and the WWHL interview, where she seemed very positive.

I hope she will come around more.

Yup, she's able to "let go" now herself.

[MiracleHand]

Molly is 50 now and it's been about 30 years since she was relevant. She had a good stint there in the mid to late 80s but she's been the definition of a hasbeen for a very long time. It isn't like when Clooney will look back snobbishly at his time on the show, which at least he references as being part of his past.

Facts Of Life never would've run until 1988 had they kept the original girls on board. 1981 or 1982 tops.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Agreed. It had to have been a fun "playground" of sisterhood for her that she immensely enjoyed; but being handed that rose by Al Burton ending her FOL career (a moment in a terrific piece authored by Retro a couple of years ago) was a terrible experience for her particular self at that particular age.

Well, my "The Bachelor"-inspired scene was fiction (and I'm flattered you even remember it), but there's no doubt Molly took it hard. Harder than the other Lost Girls, possibly, who continued to appear on the show in guest roles.

And it had to have really hurt, seeing "the new girl" (nice, huh? ) who allegedly* replaced you serving up cafeteria food right in front of your face.

Exactly. You're told "there were too many girls" at a girls' school(!!!), and then who shows up to the table read? Another girl!

*(allegedly replaced Molly, that is, as Molly claims Nancy was hired to replace her [instead of saying Nancy was hired "to replace the four who were let go"], yet another source claims Julie Anne was actually the final Lost Girl to be let go)

Yeah, and on that, I think it's clear that Molly is wrong, at least in the sense of who "replaced" her: as we've discussed, Tootie got her camera and bowl cut, Natalie got her journalism bug. Jo didn't have any of her attributes, that I can recall. Jo replaced Sue Ann and Cindy, for the most part: the foil for Blair, the tomboy, the outsider, the girl whose parents are divorced.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by MiracleHand

Molly is 50 now and it's been about 30 years since she was relevant. She had a good stint there in the mid to late 80s but she's been the definition of a hasbeen for a very long time.

I don't know about that. Don't most Americans still recognize her name? I wouldn't mind having 179,000 followers on Twitter, as she has!

It isn't like when Clooney will look back snobbishly at his time on the show, which at least he references as being part of his past.

He does, which always made me wonder why Molly didn't for so long.

Facts Of Life never would've run until 1988 had they kept the original girls on board. 1981 or 1982 tops.

We'll never know. The summer 1980 reruns were strong. The show was building an audience.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Well, my "The Bachelor"-inspired scene was fiction (and I'm flattered you even remember it)

Yeah, I was just using that fictional moment as an example of truth, since the reaction was indeed true (and "even remember it"? It's printed out and in my Facts of Life binder )

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Exactly. You're told "there were too many girls" at a girls' school(!!!), and then who shows up to the table read? Another girl!

Had to have been very awkward for Molly to slide her tray past Nancy in the cafeteria line...at least, for Molly. Who knows, maybe she wanted to "pie Jo" herself!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Yeah, I was just using that fictional moment as an example of truth, since the reaction was indeed true (and "even remember it"? It's printed out and in my Facts of Life binder )

I remember you mentioned that, and I'm honored. It... also makes me wish I'd taken more time on writing that. I could have done a better job, if I'd known it would be printed out and treasured. It's not like the rest of the items in the binder: actual treasures.

Had to have been very awkward for Molly to slide her tray past Nancy in the cafeteria line...at least, for Molly. Who knows, maybe she wanted to "pie Jo" herself!

And weirdly, it seems to me as though she would have pied Mindy.

To Molly's credit, she never seems to have blamed Nancy McKeon herself, other than the "replaced me" comment, which I don't take as actual criticism of Nancy. (Although Molly's character was more replaced by Tootie and Natalie, and Jo replaced Cindy and Sue Ann, while Nancy was replaced by some Eastland wallpaper).

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Jo replaced Sue Ann and Cindy, for the most part: the foil for Blair, the tomboy, the outsider, the girl whose parents are divorced.

Uh isn't that Molly's storyline?