Who Is Margaret Qualley? 5 Facts to Know About the Actress – Hollywood Life

Margaret Qualley: 5 Things to Know About the Actress Cast as Amanda Knox

Margaret Qualley has appeared in several movies and TV shows. Learn more about the 'Maid' star who was selected to play Amanda Knox in an upcoming series.

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Margaret Qualley was cast to play Amanda Knox in an upcoming limited series “based on the true story of how Knox was wrongfully convicted for the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher and her 16-year odyssey to set herself free,” according to Variety.

Want to know more about the Margaret? Check out some facts below.

Margaret Has Appeared in Movies & TV

Margaret has a pretty stacked resume when it comes to acting, earning an Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series category for her role in FX’s hit series Fosse/Verdon. In the eight-part series, Margaret plays one of her childhood idols, dancer and choreographer Ann Reinking. In 2019, she appeared in Quentin Tarantino‘s Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood. And in 2021, she starred in the Netflix miniseries, Maid. She’s also worked with some influential names over the years, making her film debut alongside James Franco in Palo Alto and playing Justin Theroux‘s daughter in the HBO series The Leftovers from 2014 – 2017.

Margaret Qualley
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Andie MacDowell Is Her Mother

She is the daughter of A-list actress Andie MacDowell, who is no doubt a Hollywood legend! The beloved actress, who played Margaret’s mom in Maid, has been in a number of iconic films, including Brat Pack flick St. Elmo’s Fire alongside Demi Moore and Emilio Estevez back in 1985. The actress later went on to star in 90’s classics Four Weddings and a Funeral and Groundhog Day. The Golden Globe nominee has more recently appeared in Magic Mike XXL and Hulu’s television reboot of Four Weddings and a Funeral. Andie was previously married to Margaret’s dad Paul Qualley from 1986 to 1999, and they share three kids: Margaret, as well as her older siblings Justin and Rainey.

Margaret Is a Dancer

Before following in her mother’s footsteps in the acting world (she once referred to acting as her “mom’s thing” in a 2019 interview with Elle), she was an aspiring ballerina. She trained throughout her life, even leaving home at the age of 14 to study at the North Carolina Dance Theater Company. At 16, she earned an apprenticeship at the American Ballet Theater in New York City, before ultimately deciding to pursue a career in acting and modeling. “It takes so much dedication, ballet … you’re always striving to be perfect and I was really consumed by that. I realized I was doing it for the wrong reasons,” she told Harper’s Bazaar Australia in 2019. Her role in FX’s Fosse/Verdon — which follows the complex and tumultuous relationship between Gwen Verdon and her husband, famed choreographer Bob Fosse, just happens to combine Margaret’s love for acting and dance!

She Is Married

Margaret and Taylor Swift‘s go-to songwriter Jack Antanoff tied the knot in Long Beach Island on Saturday, August 19 in an intimate affair attended by Taylor (in a blue Erdem corset dress) and famous pals like Zoe Kravitz and Channing Tatum. Margaret looked gorgeous in silk halter dress, in white of course, and a Mary Jane style of flats for her big day!

She Attended NYU

The actress — who was born Sarah Margaret Qualley — enrolled at the prestigious university for acting in 2014, but deferred after a semester, simultaneously landing her role in HBO’s The Leftovers. She later described her time on the series as the most “intense acting school” to Teen Vogue — and based on her success now, it seems like she made the right move!