Molly Ringwald has identified the movie she most regrets turning down, and her answer surprised both Andy Cohen and the studio audience at Watch What Happens Live.
Asked to name one project she still wishes she had accepted, Ringwald answered, “Ghost.”
The role of Molly Jensen ultimately went to Demi Moore, who starred opposite Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg in the 1990 supernatural romance.
Ringwald immediately praised Moore’s performance and acknowledged that accepting the movie could have changed the direction of her own career.
Ringwald Needed Only One Word to Answer
Ringwald made the admission during the August 4th episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, where she appeared alongside chef and television personality Kristen Kish.
Cohen asked Ringwald to name “one project she still regrets turning down.” “Um, Ghost,” she replied. The answer drew an audible reaction from the audience. Kish exclaimed, “Whoa, Molly,” while Cohen leaned back in surprise. The brief exchange was also shared in an official Bravo highlight.
“But Demi is great in it, so, good for Demi,” she said. “She did a great job.” “Not to make this worse for you, but, like, that would’ve changed the entire trajectory of your career,” Cohen responded. “I know,” Ringwald said before adding, “It just was not meant to be.”
‘Ghost’ Earned Five Oscar Nominations and Two Wins
Moore played Molly Jensen, whose boyfriend, Sam Wheat, is murdered and returns as a ghost. With help from psychic medium Oda Mae Brown, Sam attempts to protect Molly from the person responsible for his death. Directed by Jerry Zucker, Ghost became one of the defining box-office successes of 1990.
The film received five nominations at the 1991 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Whoopi Goldberg won Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Oda Mae, while Bruce Joel Rubin received the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Its other nominations recognized Maurice Jarre’s original score and Walter Murch’s film editing.
Ringwald Was Promoting ‘One Night Only’
Ringwald made the revelation while promoting her latest movie, One Night Only. The romantic comedy stars Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner as two strangers who meet in a fictionalized New York City where single people are permitted to have sex on only one night each year.
Written and directed by Will Gluck, the film also features Maya Hawke, Julia Fox, King Princess, Ziwe, Ben Marshall and LeVar Burton. One Night Only opens in U.S. theaters on August 7th.