Margaret Qualleyhas made a name for herself in Hollywood, appearing in a variety of incredible movies and TV shows over her career. Daughter of actress Andy MacDowell, Qualley’s first role was in the 2013 film,Palo Alto. After that, she landed as part of the main cast for HBO’s masterpiece,The Leftovers, before finding herself in a variety of high-profile films, including one of Quentin Tarantino’s best inOnce Upon a Time…in Hollywood,asa member of Manson’s cult, and Yorgos Lanthimos’Poor Things.
The Leftoverswasn’t her only TV role, as she had roles in two other series, including the main character in Netflix’sMaid, whereshe is able to act alongside her mother. Her 2024 slate was especially impressive, with roles in three different quality films, withThe Substancebeing a particular standout. Perhaps one of her coolest roles is voicing a character inDeath Strandingforthe legendary Hideo Kojima.
Kinds of Kindness
Cast
Kinds of Kindness is a 2024 comedy-drama film by writer-director Yorgos Lanthimos. Split across segments, Kinds of Kindness tells the stories of a man trying to reclaim his destiny, a police officer whose wife returns after being lost at sea only to seem like a different person, and a woman tasked with finding a future spiritual leader.
Kinds of Kindnesswas Yorgos Lanthimos' follow-up film afterPoor Thingsenjoyed immense success the year prior. While it doesn’t reach the same cinematic height as that film,Kinds of Kindnessis still a great movie, containing all the quirks audiences have come to expect from the director. With an anthology narrative structure, the movie tells three distinct stories that are all loosely connected in some way, making for an entertaining watch.
Given the nature of the story, each of the actors portrays a different character in the three segments, with Margaret Qualley taking it one step further as four different characters, with two of them being identical twins. She is fantastic in each of the roles, of course, really making each of them feel distinct in their own unique ways.It wasn’t the best film of 2024 for Margaret Qualley, but it was still a great performance.
My Salinger Year
My Salinger Year, released in 2020, follows a college graduate who secures a clerical position at a literary agency representing the celebrated writer J.D. Salinger. The narrative explores her interactions and experiences within the literary world while managing Salinger’s correspondence.
Released in 2020,My Salinger Yearis about a young woman named Joanna who takes a job working for the literary agent for the reclusive, legendary writer J.D. Salinger.My Salinger Yearis a touching, heartfelt journey of a young woman trying to figure out her place in the world, attempting to personally reply to some of the fan mail the author receives.
Margaret Qualley’s Impressive Rotten Tomatoes Streak Is A Reminder Of How Much This 2017 Anime Movie Wasted Her
Margaret Qualley has had a great year, but her career didn’t start out on such a smooth track; one of her first movies was a big disappointment.
Like most of her performances, Margaret Qualley is spectacular inMy Salinger Year, playing Joanna with a lot of empathy and understanding. It’s obvious that Qualley cares deeply for her character, and it shines through in her performance. In a film that features Sigourney Weaver,it’s incredibly impressive that Margaret Qualley shines the brightest here, taking on the challenge of elevating the entire movie.
Novitiate
Novitiate, released in 2017, explores a young woman’s journey to become a nun during the Vatican II era in the 1960s, delving into her struggles with faith, sexuality, and the evolving Catholic Church.
Novitiateis a film about a young woman who trains to become a Catholic nun, questioning her faith along the journey. What makes the movie so fascinating is how it explores faith in nuanced ways, while diving deep into who Sister Cathleen Harris, the main character, is as a person both separate and alongside her faith in God. It’s a powerful film about women within the church and what that also means, and how they grapple with that while keeping their faith.
Margaret Qualley is perfect in her depiction of a young woman grappling with her faith.
Margaret Qualley is magnificent as Sister Cathleen Harris in the movie,exploring who she is as a character and giving her a significant amount of depth. There is a lot of complexity to the character, and she is used to explore much larger ideas, and Margaret Qualley is perfect in her depiction of a young woman grappling with her faith.
Sanctuary
Sanctuary is a drama-thriller film that follows Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbot as Rebecca and Hal, a dominatrix and a wealthy heir to a fortune who engage in a strained relationship. Set over a single night, Rebecca is incensed when Hal decides to end their relationship, leading to a night-long catastrophe for him.
Telling the story of a wealthy heir and his dominatrix,Sanctuaryrevolves around the last night between the two characters, after she discovers that he wants to end their relationship. It’s both horrifying and quite funny, while also having a tense atmosphere throughout most of the film’s runtime. It’s a beautiful looking film with a great script, with two incredible performances from Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbot.
With the diverse set of roles Qualley has played in her career,Sanctuaryis another strong performance to add to that list.
Margaret Qualley seems to always fully commit to whatever character she is playing, and she does so inSanctuary, as her dominatrix character is one of her strongest performances. It’s a wild ride from start to finish and the chemistry between Qualley and Christopher Abbot elevates the film, making it a harrowing and entertaining journey throughout. With the diverse set of roles Qualley has played in her career,Sanctuaryis another strong performance to add to that list.
The Substance
Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading celebrity, turns to a mysterious drug that promises to restore her youth by creating a younger, more beautiful version of herself. But splitting time between her original and new body leads to horrifying consequences as her alternate self, Sue, begins to unravel her life in a disturbing body-horror descent.
The Substancewas one of the most surprising movies of 2024, as it seemed to become something of a cultural icon for a lot of people on the internet, which is fitting given how good it is. Led by a stunning performance from Demi Moore,The Substancetackles beauty standards placed on women and the obsession with youth and beauty, resulting in some pretty gnarly body horror throughout the film, and it is not for the faint of heart.
“They Couldn’t Shoot My Face Anymore”: The Substance Prosthetics Messed Up Margaret Qualley’s Skin So Much That Some Scenes Had To Hide Her Face (But She Used It For Another 2024 Movie)
The Substance’s Margaret Qualley was under a lot of prosthetics for the body horror film, so much so that they ended up damaging her real skin.
Margaret Qualley plays Sue in the movie, a younger version of Demi Moore’s character that emerges from her back after she takes “The Substance,” a black market serum that promises people a younger and more beautiful version of themselves. Despite Demi Moore having one of the year’s best performances,Margaret Qualley is still fantastic in the film, channeling a vibrant and youthful energy that is perfect for her character of Sue.
Poor Things
Poor Things is a sci-fi romance film from The Lobster director Yorgos Lanthimos. The story focuses on the bizarre and fantastical world of Bella Baxter after a scientist named Dr. Godwin Baxter brings her back to life. The film is based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray.
Poor Thingsis an incredibly strange movie, but that is also what makes it so good, content with doing its own thing no matter how offbeat or quirky it might be. What makesPoor Thingsreally stand out is how committed Emma Stone was to her role, making it one of the most impressive performances of the past several years, rightfully earning her an Academy Award in the process. While it didn’t take home Best Picture, it won four awards, including Emma Stone’s.
Poor Thingswas the first of two collaborations between Qualley and director Yorgos Lanthimos.
Margaret Qualley plays Felicity inPoor Things, the replacement for Stone’s Bella after she leaves her “father” behind in order to learn about the world. It’s not the most substantial role in Qualley’s career, but she is still great in it, portraying the same type of baby and toddler mannerisms that Emma Stone’s character had early on in the film. If anything,she should have had an even bigger role, given how great she is in it.
The Nice Guys
Directed by Shane Black and starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, The Nice Guys tells the story of a private investigator and a hired enforcer who team up to investigate the disappearance of a young woman. Set in 1970s Los Angeles, the 2016 comedy thriller puts a modern spin on the noir genre.
Featuring two outstanding performances from Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe,The Nice Guysis a hilarious neo-noir buddy comedy about two private detectives teaming up to investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl. Directed by Shane Black,The Nice Guysis one of the most underrated movies of the past 15 years, with fans calling for a sequel for a long time at this point. The chemistry between Crowe and Gosling is palpable in the film, resulting in something truly special.
Margaret Qualley plays Amelia Kuttner, the missing teenage girl Crowe and Gosling are looking for. While the movie is a vehicle for Gosling and Crowe to show just how talented they are as actors,Margaret Qualley still does an admirable job with her somewhat limited screen time. Despite that, her character is the propelling narrative force of the entire film, making her one of the most important characters in it.
Maid - Season 1
Maidis an incredible Netflix miniseries that tells the story of Alex Russell, a young mother who leaves her abusive boyfriend behind and takes her two-year-old daughter with her, starting work as a maid.Maidnavigates its sensitive subject matter with care, crafting a superb season of television that is empathetic and powerfully poignant. It’s an important story to tell andMaidexceeds on all levels.
She proves that she is more than up for the challenge, giving a mesmerizing, heartbreaking performance as the character.
A lot of the show is placed on Margaret Qualley’s shoulders as she plays Alex, and she proves that she is more than up for the challenge, giving a mesmerizing, heartbreaking performance as the character. It is the best performance of her career, earning her multiple award nominations, including an Emmy nod, proving that she is one of the best actors working in Hollywood at the moment, setting the stage for her career going forward.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, which takes place in Los Angeles in 1969, at the height of hippy Hollywood. The two lead characters are Rick Dalton, the former star of a western TV series, and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth. Both struggle to make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognize anymore, but Rick soon realizes he’s the next-door neighbor of the infamous Sharon Tate.
It’s reasonable to rankOnce Upon a Time… in Hollywoodalongside the best films by Quentin Tarantino, with knockout performances from both Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, showing why they have endured as Hollywood stars for so long. Essentially Tarantino’s “hangout” film,Once Upon a Time… in Hollywoodtells the story of a fading actor coming to terms with his new place in the industry. It’s often hilarious throughout, with one of the most electric endings in Tarantino’s filmography.
While not one of the main focuses of the film, Margaret Qualley is fantastic as “Pussycat,” a member of the Manson family who likes to flirt with Brad Pitt’s character multiple times throughout the movie. It’s a committed, energetic performance thatstands out from most of the other members of the Manson family, making her one of the most memorable side characters in the movie.
The Leftovers
The Leftovers is a three-season drama that follows a group of people as they deal with the effects of the sudden disappearance of 2% of the word’s population. It was created by Lost co-producer Damon Lindelof and Election writer Tom Perrotta, with famous actors such as Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler, Margaret Qualley, and Justin Theroux in the ensemble cast.
Sometimes, it feels likeThe Leftoversgets left behind when talking aboutHBO’s best shows of all time, despite it being an incredible, harrowing, and thought-provoking experience for all three seasons. Following the mysterious disappearance of 2% of the global population, the series focuses on a small New York community who attempts to continue to live their lives while dealing with the tragedy. It raises a lot of existential questions that allow viewers to sit with it for a long time.
The Leftovers Ending, Explained
The ending of The Leftovers offers more questions than answers but also presents a delicate conclusion to Kevin and Nora’s beautiful love story.
Her first significant role, Margaret Qualley is nothing short of spectacular inThe Leftovers, playing Jill Garvey, who is the daughter of Justin Theroux and Amy Brenneman’s characters. Margaret Qualley is able to tap into the sadness of Jill Garvey, who is dealing with some of her classmates disappearing, as well as her mother’s involvement with a cult. For being so early in her career, Margaret Qualley showed just how capable she was as an actor.
