Molly Ringwald celebrated her daughter Mathilda Gianopoulos’s 23rd birthday with two photographs taken years apart, pairing a childhood portrait with a recent picture of the young actress, as Entertainment Weekly reported.
The tribute appeared on Instagram on Thursday, October 22. “Happy birthday my beautiful firstborn. I love you so much!!” Ringwald wrote, adding birthday cake, black cat and heart emojis.
Ringwald, 58, shares Mathilda with her husband, author Panio Gianopoulos. The couple are also parents to 17-year-old twins Adele and Roman.
Ringwald became a teenage star through films including Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink, making her surname familiar to generations of moviegoers.
Ringwald Shares a Childhood Portrait and a Recent Night Out
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The first photograph shows Mathilda wearing a fluffy white coat and matching hat, looking toward the camera. In the second, she wears a black graphic halter top edged with lace while holding a drink in a dimly lit venue.
Mathilda is entering an industry her mother has worked in since childhood. In an April 2024 interview with The Times, Ringwald recalled making a practical argument for using her name in Hollywood. “I said, ‘Are you sure? Ringwald is so much easier to spell and it might open some doors.’ But she was adamant.”
Ringwald also recalled Mathilda insisting on doing things herself as a toddler, starting over if someone helped her walk. She said that independence continued into her daughter’s career. Gianopoulos was already the name Mathilda used publicly. At 13, she made her New York Fashion Week modeling debut in a February 2017 J.Crew presentation alongside Julianne Moore’s daughter, Liv Freundlich.
Entertainment Tonight documented both mothers celebrating the occasion. Ringwald shared backstage photographs and jokingly described herself as a stage mom. Mathilda later appeared as Georgia in the 2024 romantic comedy The Idea of You, directed by Michael Showalter and starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine.
Mathilda Jokes That Her Mother Is Strict About Dating
The two discussed their relationship with E! News at the August 3 New York premiere of Ringwald’s film One Night Only. Mathilda attended with her younger siblings.
Ringwald said she encourages her daughter to be herself, respect herself and resist pressure to do anything she does not want to do. Mathilda offered a blunter version: “No second chances, don’t put up with all that.”
She laughed and pulled her mother closer for a hug before adding, “I feel like you’re very strict.” Mathilda said she tells her mother everything and treats her as a confidante.
Ringwald Supported Acting Lessons but Set Limits on Professional Work
Ringwald and her husband decided against allowing Mathilda to become a professional child actor. During a February 2024 NPR interview, she explained that they supported her interest through acting lessons and discussions about films.
They would study performances together, including James Gandolfini’s monologues in The Sopranos, stopping and replaying scenes to examine what made them effective. Ringwald also wanted her daughter to understand that talent does not guarantee a career and that rejection is part of the profession.
Watching movies had prompted lessons for Ringwald, too. She recalled showing Mathilda The Breakfast Club when she was 10 because her daughter wanted to see it with her rather than at a slumber party.
Their conversation afterward exposed how much pressure Ringwald was putting on Mathilda over homework and expectations about what kind of student she should be. Ringwald said it changed her parenting.
At the American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala in October 2023, Mathilda told PEOPLE that her mother’s career advice included being prepared to wait and treating people kindly. Ringwald added one practical instruction: “Remember people’s names.”