# Margaret Qualley

Sarah Margaret Qualley (/ˈkwɔːli/ 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 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 Biltmore Forest suburb of Asheville, 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. However, at the age of 16, after she received an offer to become an apprentice with the North Carolina Dance Theater company, she 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." 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
### Modeling

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.

### Acting

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.
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.
She will next star in Ethan Coen's upcoming 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 lives 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

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2013 | Palo Alto | Raquel | |
| 2016 | The Nice Guys | Amelia Kuttner | |
| 2017 | Novitiate | Cathleen Harris | |
| 2017 | The Vanishing of Sidney Hall | Alexandra | |
| 2017 | Death Note | Mia Sutton | |
| 2018 | Donnybrook | Delia Angus | |
| 2019 | Io | Samantha "Sam" Walden | |
| 2019 | Native Son | Mary Dalton | |
| 2019 | Adam | Casey Freeman | |
| 2019 | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | "Pussycat" | |
| 2019 | Strange but True | Melissa Moody | |
| 2019 | Seberg | Linette Solomon | |
| 2020 | My Salinger Year | Joanna Rakoff | |
| 2022 | Stars at Noon | Trish Johnson | |
| 2022 | Sanctuary | Rebecca | Also executive producer |
| 2023 | Poor Things | Felicity | |
| 2024 | Drive-Away Dolls | Jamie Dobbs | |
| 2024 | Kinds of Kindness | Vivian / Martha / Ruth / Rebecca | |
| 2024 | The Substance | Sue | |
| 2025 | Blue Moon | Elizabeth Weiland | |
| 2025 | Honey Don't! † | Honey O'Donahue | Post-production |
| 2025 | Happy Gilmore 2 † | TBA | Post-production |
| TBA | Huntington † | TBA | Post-production |
Key :
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2014–17 | The Leftovers | Jill Garvey | Main role (22 episodes) |
| 2018 | Asesinato en el Hormiguero Express | Herself | Television special |
| 2019 | Fosse/Verdon | Ann Reinking | Miniseries (5 episodes) |
| 2021 | Maid | Alexandra "Alex" Russell | Main role (10 episodes) |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
| 2019 | Death Stranding | Mama/Lockne | Also provided the 3D model and motion capture for both characters |

### Music videos

| Year | Song | Artist | Notes |
| 2017 | "Sweet Sound of Ignorance" | Soko | As the mascot dancer with sister, Rainey Qualley |
| 2019 | "For Your Eyes Only" | Cashmere Cat | Danced as Princess Catgirl using motion capture |
| 2019 | "Emotions" | Cashmere Cat | Danced as Princess Catgirl using motion capture |
| 2020 | "Love Me Like You Hate Me" | Rainsford | Danced with Shia LaBeouf |
| 2023 | "Alma Mater" | Bleachers | Cameo, as Jack Antonoff's wife |
| 2023 | "Tiny Moves" | Bleachers | Danced as Jack Antonoff's wife |

## Awards and nominations

Accolades for Margaret Qualley :
| Award | Year | Work | Category | Result | Ref. |
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | 2024 | The Substance | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
| Astra Film Awards | 2024 | The Substance | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
| Astra Film Awards | 2024 | The Substance | Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller | Nominated | |
| Austin Film Critics Association | 2025 | The Substance | Best Supporting Actress | Won | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | 2024 | The Substance | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
| Columbus Film Critics Association | 2025 | The Substance | Best Supporting Performance | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Awards | 2020 | Fosse/Verdon | Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Awards | 2022 | Maid | Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries | Nominated | |
| Critics' Choice Awards | 2025 | The Substance | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | 2024 | The Substance | Best Supporting Actress | Runner-up | |
| Dorian Awards | 2025 | The Substance | Best Supporting Performance | Nominated | |
| Georgia Film Critics Association | 2024 | The Substance | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | 2022 | Maid | Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | 2025 | The Substance | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Nominated | |
| Houston Film Critics Society | 2025 | The Substance | Best Actress - Supporting Role | Nominated | |
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle | 2024 | The Substance | Best Supporting Actress | Won | |
| London Film Critics' Circle | 2024 | The Substance | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2024 | "Tiny Moves" | Best Direction (with Alex Lockett) | Nominated | |
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2024 | "Tiny Moves" | Best Choreography | Nominated | |
| Online Film Critics Society | 2025 | The Substance | Best Supporting Actress | Won | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2019 | Fosse/Verdon | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie | Nominated | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2022 | Maid | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Nominated | |
| Prix Iris | 2021 | My Salinger Year | Best Actress | Nominated | |
| Satellite Awards | 2025 | The Substance | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Nominated | |
| Saturn Awards | 2025 | The Substance | Best Supporting Actress in a Film | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2020 | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2022 | Maid | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries/Television Movie | Nominated | |
| Seattle Film Critics Society | 2024 | The Substance | Best Supporting Actress | Won | |
| Television Critics Association Awards | 2022 | Maid | Individual Achievement in Drama | Nominated | [122] [123] |
| Vancouver Film Critics Circle | 2025 | The Substance | Best Supporting Female Actor | Won | |