Margaret Qualley
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Sarah Margaret Qualley, born October 23rd, 1994, is an American actress whose journey began not on a soundstage, but on the ballet barre. Daughter of the iconic Andie MacDowell, Qualley's early life was steeped in discipline and artistry as she trained as a ballet dancer. Her acting debut arrived in 2013 with the drama *Palo Alto*, but it was her compelling supporting role in the HBO series *The Leftovers* that truly began to capture attention from 2014 to 2017.
Her diverse portfolio quickly expanded, featuring in films like the stylish action-comedy *The Nice Guys* in 2016, the intense adaptation of *Death Note* in 2017, and Quentin Tarantino's star-studded *Once Upon a Time in Hollywood* in 2019. That same year, she lent her voice and presence to the groundbreaking video game *Death Stranding*. Qualley's talent earned significant acclaim and nominations, including Primetime Emmy nods for her portrayal of Ann Reinking in the miniseries *Fosse/Verdon* and for her titular role in the critically lauded Netflix drama *Maid*, which also garnered her a Golden Globe nomination. More recently, she's impressed in Yorgos Lanthimos' distinctive films *Poor Things* in 2023 and *Kinds of Kindness* in 2024, and delivered a powerful performance in the body horror film *The Substance*, earning a second Golden Globe nomination.
Born in Kalispell, Montana, Sarah Margaret Qualley is the daughter of actress and model Andie MacDowell and former model Paul Qualley. She grew up with an older brother, Justin, and an older sister, actress and singer Rainey Qualley. Their Scottish ancestry connects them to a lineage of performers. The family moved from a Montana ranch to Asheville, North Carolina, when Sarah was four. Her parents' separation at age five meant she split her time between them, living just miles apart.
As a teenager in Asheville, Sarah and her sister Rainey experienced the glamour of debutante balls, making their grand entrance at the Bal des débutantes in Paris. At fourteen, Sarah left home to attend the North Carolina School of the Arts, pursuing her passion for dance. Her dedication led to an apprenticeship with the American Ballet Theatre and studies at New York's Professional Children's School.
By sixteen, a pivotal moment arrived. Offered an apprenticeship with the North Carolina Dance Theater company, Qualley made a bold decision to shift her focus. To remain in New York, she embraced modeling, a strategic move she presented to her mother with such organized foresight that refusal was impossible. Her modeling agency suggested shortening her name, a decision she later regretted but has kept. This period paved the way for her acting aspirations, leading her to attend London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art summer program and later New York University, though she left after just one semester to pursue acting roles.
Qualley's career officially launched in 2011, at sixteen, with her modeling debut at New York Fashion Week for Alberta Ferretti. Her runway presence soon graced Paris Fashion Week for Valentino and Chanel, and she continued to walk for Chanel in their Fall/Winter 2012 shows. Her striking image graced the covers and editorials of numerous prestigious publications including *Teen Vogue*, *Elle*, *W*, *Harper's Bazaar*, and *Vogue* in various international editions. She also became a familiar face in advertising campaigns for brands like Kenzo, Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade, and Celine, and remains a house ambassador for Chanel.
Her first on-screen appearance was a small role in Gia Coppola's 2013 film *Palo Alto*, a part she secured serendipitously while visiting her then-boyfriend on set. In June 2013, she joined the cast of HBO's *The Leftovers* as Jill Garvey, reprising the role for its second and third seasons. In 2015, she appeared in Tory Burch's short promotional film *L'Américaine*. A standout moment came in 2016 with her starring role in a Spike Jonze-directed commercial for KENZO World, where her classical ballet training shone through in an improvised dance routine. She then joined the cast of Shane Black's 2016 comedy *The Nice Guys*.
2017 saw Qualley in Shawn Christensen's *The Vanishing of Sidney Hall*, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, alongside her other film, *Novitiate*. In *Novitiate*, she delivered a compelling performance as Sister Cathleen, a young woman grappling with her faith. That same year, she also starred in Adam Wingard's *Death Note* and appeared in the music video for Soko's "Sweet Sound of Ignorance" with her sister. Her 2018 filmography included Tim Sutton's *Donnybrook*, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
2019 marked a significant breakthrough for Qualley. She starred in the Netflix sci-fi film *IO* and took on the role of Mary Dalton in HBO's adaptation of *Native Son*. Her portrayal of Ann Reinking in the FX miniseries *Fosse/Verdon* earned her critical acclaim and nominations for a Primetime Emmy and a Critics' Choice Television Award. She also made a memorable appearance as Pussycat in Quentin Tarantino's *Once Upon a Time in Hollywood*, earning a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for the cast's ensemble performance. That year also saw her in Benedict Andrews' *Seberg* and the highly anticipated PlayStation 4 game *Death Stranding*, where she voiced and portrayed both Mama and her twin sister, Lockne.
In 2020, Qualley starred in Olivia Wilde's short film *Wake Up* and the feature film *My Salinger Year*, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. Her role in the 2021 Netflix miniseries *Maid*, based on Stephanie Land's memoir, garnered her Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Actress. In 2022, she starred opposite Joe Alwyn in Claire Denis's *Stars at Noon*.
Qualley's recent work continues to impress. In 2023, she executive produced and starred in the erotic thriller *Sanctuary* and appeared in Yorgos Lanthimos' surrealist fantasy *Poor Things*. 2024 saw her in Ethan Coen's comedy road film *Drive-Away Dolls*, a reunion with Lanthimos and Emma Stone in *Kinds of Kindness*, where she showcased her range by playing four distinct characters, and a powerful turn in the body horror film *The Substance*, both premiering at the Cannes Film Festival. Looking ahead, Qualley is set to co-star in Richard Linklater's *Blue Moon*, Ethan Coen's detective comedy *Honey Don't!*, and John Patton Ford's black comedy thriller *Huntington*.
As of November 2019, Sarah Margaret Qualley resided in New York. She previously shared a home in Los Angeles with her sister, Rainey, whom she considers her idol and closest friend. Qualley was briefly linked to Pete Davidson in 2019 and began dating Shia LaBeouf in 2020 after working together on a music video. Their relationship concluded in January 2021 amidst controversies surrounding LaBeouf. In September 2021, Qualley publicly supported the allegations made by FKA Twigs. In a personal milestone, Qualley married musician Jack Antonoff on August 19, 2023. Her life and persona are also the subject of Lana Del Rey's 2023 song "Margaret."
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Sarah Margaret Qualley ( KWAW-lee; born October 23, 1994) is an American actress. A daughter of actress Andie MacDowell, she trained as a ballet dancer in her youth. She made her acting debut in the 2013 drama film Palo Alto and gained recognition for her supporting role in the HBO drama series The Leftovers (2014–2017).
Qualley was featured in the films The Nice Guys (2016), Death Note (2017), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), as well as the video game Death Stranding (2019). She received praise and nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards for playing Ann Reinking in the FX biographical miniseries Fosse/Verdon (2019) and for playing the title role in the Netflix drama miniseries Maid (2021); she also received a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for the latter. Qualley has since featured in Yorgos Lanthimos' films Poor Things (2023) and Kinds of Kindness (2024), and earned a second Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the body horror film The Substance (2024).
== Early life ==
Sarah Margaret Qualley was born in Kalispell, Montana. Her parents are actress and model Andie MacDowell and former model Paul Qualley. Margaret has an older brother, Justin, and an older sister, actress and singer Rainey Qualley. Through their mother, the siblings have Scottish ancestry. They lived on a ranch in Missoula, Montana and moved to the Asheville suburb of Biltmore Forest, North Carolina, when Margaret was four. Margaret's parents separated when she was five years old and she split her time equally between them. For many years her parents lived just 3 miles (5 km) apart. Her family home with MacDowell is in North Carolina and they have extended family nearby.
As a teenager growing up in Asheville, Margaret and her sister were both debutantes; they made their debuts at the Bal des débutantes in Paris. Qualley left home at 14 to board at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where she studied dance. She trained as a ballet dancer, earning an apprenticeship at the American Ballet Theatre and studying at New York's Professional Children's School.
At the age of 16, after receiving an offer to become an apprentice with the North Carolina Dance Theater company, Qualley decided to quit dance. In order to stay in New York, she began working as a model. She says of that time, "I wrote to my mom saying 'Look, I don't think I want to be a dancer any more so I'm going to quit ballet and stay here. I will have this and this income next week.' I laid it out in a way that she couldn't say no because I was so organised." The modelling agency she signed with forced her to shorten her full name, and similar to her mother, Qualley went by her middle name. She regretted the decision but has no plans to change it. Qualley later changed her focus to acting and attended London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art summer program. She attended New York University but left after a semester for acting roles.
== Career ==
=== 2011–2018: Modeling work and early roles ===
In 2011, at age 16, Qualley made her modeling debut during New York Fashion Week, walking for Alberta Ferretti. She modeled during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2012 for Valentino and Chanel. She walked for Chanel again during their Fall/Winter 2012 show. She has appeared on the covers and editorials of Evening Standard, Jolie, Teen Vogue, Paper, Elle, W, Hunger, Harper's Bazaar, Porter, Document Journal, AnOther, Interview, Vogue (and international editions Vogue Australia, Vogue China, Vogue Russia, Vogue Ukraine and youth edition Teen Vogue), Vanity Fair, Nylon, V, The Cut, and C. She appeared in advertising campaigns for Kenzo, Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade, and Celine. Qualley was in numerous campaigns for Chanel, for which she is a house ambassador.
Qualley first appeared on screen in 2013 playing a small part in Gia Coppola's film Palo Alto. Qualley received the part because she happened to be on set visiting her then-boyfriend, Nat Wolff. In June 2013, she was cast as a series regular in the HBO television series The Leftovers and reprised her role as Jill Garvey for the second and third seasons of the drama series in 2015 and 2017, respectively. In 2015, Qualley appeared in the short promotional film L'Américaine for American fashion label Tory Burch. In 2016, Qualley appeared as the central character in a Spike Jonze-directed commercial for KENZO World; choreographed by Ryan Heffington, Qualley improvised much of the dance routine using her training in classical ballet. She next appeared in Shane Black's 2016 comedy The Nice Guys starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe.
In April 2016, Qualley was announced to have joined the cast of Shawn Christensen's The Vanishing of Sidney Hall. The film premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, alongside another film of hers, Novitiate. In Novitiate, Qualley starred as Sister Cathleen, a young woman who begins to question her faith as she trains to be a nun. The film was released on October 27, 2017. In the same year, Qualley starred in Death Note, directed by Adam Wingard. She also appeared in the music video for Soko's 2017 single "Sweet Sound of Ignorance" alongside her sister Rainey. In 2018, Qualley appeared in Donnybrook, directed by Tim Sutton and co-starring Jamie Bell and Frank Grillo. The film had its premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.
=== 2019–present: Breakthrough and expansion ===
In 2019, Qualley starred in the Netflix science-fiction film IO. Also in 2019, Qualley portrayed the role of Mary Dalton in Rashid Johnson's HBO adaption of Native Son. She portrayed actress and dancer Ann Reinking in the FX miniseries Fosse/Verdon, for which she received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries. She appeared in Quentin Tarantino's period comedy-drama film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), playing a member of the Manson Family named Pussycat. For the film, Qualley and the rest of the cast were nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
She also starred in Seberg (2019) opposite Kristen Stewart and Jack O'Connell. directed by Benedict Andrews. On May 29, 2019, it was revealed that Qualley would be playing Mama in Hideo Kojima's PlayStation 4 game Death Stranding. She also played the character of Lockne, Mama's twin sister, in the game. In 2020, Qualley starred in Wake Up, a short film directed by Olivia Wilde, and in the feature My Salinger Year, opposite Sigourney Weaver and directed by Philippe Falardeau, which had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2020. In 2021, Qualley starred in the miniseries Maid based upon Stephanie Land's memoir for Netflix. For her performance she received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie. In 2022, she starred in Claire Denis's Stars at Noon, opposite Joe Alwyn.
In 2023, Qualley executive produced and starred in the erotic thriller Sanctuary opposite Christopher Abbott. In the same year, she appeared in director Yorgos Lanthimos's surrealist fantasy film Poor Things, along with Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo. In 2024, Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan starred in director Ethan Coen's comedy road film Drive-Away Dolls. She reunited with Lanthimos and Stone in Kinds of Kindness, playing four different characters in three separate storylines. The film premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. She starred in the body horror film The Substance with Demi Moore and Dennis Quaid, which also premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
In 2025, Qualley co-starred in Richard Linklater's Blue Moon which premiered at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in February. She next starred in Ethan Coen's detective comedy film Honey Don't! with Aubrey Plaza and Chris Evans, and John Patton Ford's upcoming black comedy thriller Huntington with Glen Powell.
== Personal life ==
As of November 2019, Qualley lived in New York. Qualley formerly lived in Los Angeles with her sister Rainey, whom she described as "my idol, my best friend in the whole world".
Qualley was briefly romantically linked to Pete Davidson in 2019. She began dating actor Shia LaBeouf in 2020 after they were co-stars in Rainey's music video "Love Me Like You Hate Me". Qualley and LaBeouf's relationship ended in January 2021 after he became the subject of several controversies, including a lawsuit for sexual battery and assault brought by his ex-girlfriend, singer FKA Twigs. In September 2021, Qualley told Harper's Bazaar that she believed FKA Twigs's allegations.
Qualley married musician Jack Antonoff on August 19, 2023. She is the subject of the 2023 song "Margaret", a song by Lana Del Rey from her album Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.
== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
=== Television ===
=== Video games ===
=== Music videos ===
== Awards and nominations ==
== References ==
== External links ==
Margaret Qualley at IMDb
Margaret Qualley on Instagram
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