Molly Ringwald is an '80s icon, having starred in cult movies including The Breakfast Club and Pretty In Pink, but she let her actress daughter, Mathilda Gianopoulos, take center stage when she joined her mom at Netflix's Monster: The Ed Gein Story world premiere in New York City on Tuesday. The 21-year-old looked the image of her famous mother as they posed for photos at The Plaza Hotel. Molly, 57, looked incredible in a white satin blouse with a pleated leather midi skirt, while Mathilda looked beautiful in a long, white, silky dress with a plunging neckline.
Molly also took to Instagram to share three photos of her daughter as they enjoyed some quality time together before mingling with the star-studded guestlist. "My date and my [heart]," she captioned the shots, and her followers agreed that Mathilda was "beautiful," just like her mother. "Like mother like daughter. Both beauties," one commented. A second said: "Oh, she's so beautiful." A third added: "Lovely, has your eyes." A fourth penned: "Such a beautiful family."
Mathilda has followed in Molly's footsteps and is pursuing a career as an actress, having starred in 2024's The Idea of You. Instead of cashing in on her mom's famous last name, however, she opted to use her dad's, Panio Gianopoulos, with whom Molly shares three kids. "She and I are both emotional and headstrong," Molly told The Times in 2024.
"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."
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© InstagramThe Sixteen Candles star also thinks it's "ridiculous" to condemn children for following in their famous parents' footsteps. She added: "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.
© Getty Images"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."
© Getty ImagesWhile Molly is supportive of her daughter's career choice, she drew the line at allowing her to act at an early age. "She fought us on that — she's still kind of mad about it, but it was the right decision," Molly added. "I don't think that professional acting is a great way for kids to grow up. It's way too stressful, and it's a crap shoot on whether or not the kids can make it through."
