Meet Margaret Qualley: the star of Netflix’s Maid, former Chanel model, and rumoured Jack Antonoff beau is following in her Hollywood mum Andie Macdowell’s footsteps
- Qualley, who modelled for Valentino and Ralph Lauren, had her breakout role in Quentin Tarantino movie Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood alongside Brad Pitt
- The Leftovers actress, who’s rumoured to be dating Taylor Swift songwriter Jack Antonoff, was previously linked to SNL comedian Pete Davidson and Shia LaBeouf
Actress Margaret Qualley has become a phenomenon thanks to her role of Alex in Maid, Netflix’s biggest limited series. It drew 67 million viewers after one month since its release on October 1, beating last year’s most successful streaming miniseries The Queen’s Gambit with 62 million viewers during the same time frame, according to Forbes. It’s also among Netflix’s “Top 5 Shows” – most viewed across the globe – of all time.
So, what else do we know about the model-turned-actress?
Her dream was to become a dancer
Though she grew up around films, Qualley wanted to become a professional dancer. She started studying ballet very early, at the age of four. She continued dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and moved to New York City to study at the American Ballet theatre at age 16 where she danced Monday to Saturday, eight hours a day, according to Vogue.
But Qualley decided not to pursue a career in dance. The former model says she had an epiphany after seeing a woman in a wheelchair in one of her classes.
“We were in the middle of barre, and I just started watching her. She was so happy, really listening to the music and taking it all in. Obviously she’s not going to be a dancer. She can’t even stand up, and she’s not getting anything out of this class other than the joy it brings her to watch ballet, to listen to the music, to learn these combinations. I was like, ‘OK, why am I here? I’m not having fun, I’m not enjoying myself,” Qualley told C Magazine.