Margaret Qualley Bio, Age, Height, Husband, Career, Net Worth, Movies & Facts

Margaret Qualley has become one of Hollywood’s most captivating young actresses, blending indie credibility with mainstream appeal. From her breakout television role in The Leftovers to her Emmy-nominated turn in Maid and her scene-stealing performance in the body-horror hit The Substance, the Montana-born star has built a résumé that spans prestige television, auteur cinema, and blockbuster collaborations. In 2026, she continues to balance high-profile film projects with a personal life that has recently made headlines.

Quick Facts

Early Life & Education

Sarah Margaret Qualley was born on October 23, 1994, in Kalispell, Montana, to actress Andie MacDowell and former model and rancher Paul Qualley. She grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, alongside her older sister Rainey (a singer and actress) and her older brother Justin. Her parents separated when she was five years old, and she was raised primarily in the South.

Qualley trained rigorously in ballet from a young age, studying at the North Carolina Dance Theater and later moving to New York to attend the Professional Children’s School. She apprenticed with the American Ballet Theatre and simultaneously launched a modeling career, walking in New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week for major labels.

Though dance was her first love, Qualley eventually shifted her focus to acting. She took summer courses at Britain’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) before enrolling at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She left after just one semester when acting opportunities began to arrive.

Career Journey

Beginnings and Breakthrough Television (2013–2017)

Qualley made her screen debut in 2013 with a small role in Gia Coppola’s Palo Alto. Her first major breakthrough came when she was cast as Jill Garvey in HBO’s critically acclaimed drama The Leftovers (2014–2017), created by Damon Lindelof. The role introduced her to a wide audience and proved she could handle emotionally complex material.

During this period, she also appeared in films like The Nice Guys (2016) and the Netflix adaptation of Death Note (2017), while earning praise for her lead role in the independent drama Novitiate (2017) as a young nun questioning her faith.

Critical Recognition and A-List Collaborations (2019–2021)

The year 2019 marked Qualley’s arrival as a serious dramatic force. She portrayed dancer Ann Reinking in FX’s Fosse/Verdon, earning her first Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. She also appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Pussycat, a member of the Manson Family, and starred in the Netflix sci-fi film IO.

In 2021, Qualley delivered what many consider her definitive performance to date, starring as Alex in the Netflix limited series Maid. Based on Stephanie Land’s memoir, the show was a commercial and critical triumph. Her raw, vulnerable portrayal of a young mother escaping domestic abuse earned her nominations for a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a second Primetime Emmy.

Auteur Cinema and Recent Success (2022–2025)

Qualley transitioned into art-house cinema with Claire Denis’s Stars at Noon (2022), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. She then entered a prolific creative partnership with director Yorgos Lanthimos, appearing in Poor Things (2023) alongside Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo, and later in Kinds of Kindness (2024), where she played four distinct characters across three storylines.

In 2024, she starred opposite Demi Moore in the body-horror sensation The Substance, playing Sue, the younger, perfect clone of Moore’s character. The performance was widely acclaimed, earning her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress and wins from the Austin Film Critics Association, Online Film Critics Society, and Seattle Film Critics Society, among others.

She also starred in Ethan Coen’s comedic road film Drive-Away Dolls (2024) and executive produced the erotic thriller Sanctuary (2023) opposite Christopher Abbott.

Current and Upcoming Projects (2025–2026)

In 2025, Qualley appeared in Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon as Elizabeth Weiland, a young Yale student and the love interest of lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke). The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and earned strong reviews. She also starred in Ethan Coen’s detective comedy Honey Don’t! and had a small role in Happy Gilmore 2.

Looking ahead, Qualley is set to star in Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi epic The Dog Stars (2026) alongside Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin, playing Cima, a young medic and love interest to Elordi’s character. The film is scheduled for release on August 28, 2026. She is also attached to the horror film Possession, which is currently in pre-production.

Career Stats

Personal Life

Family Background

Qualley comes from a creative family. Her mother, Andie MacDowell, is an iconic actress known for Four Weddings and a Funeral and Groundhog Day. Her father, Paul Qualley, is a former model and rancher. Her sister, Rainey Qualley, performs under the name Rainsford and is a singer-songwriter and actress. Her brother, Justin Qualley, stays out of the spotlight. The siblings remain close, and Margaret has often spoken about how her brother and sister are her best friends.

Marriage to Jack Antonoff

Qualley began dating musician and producer Jack Antonoff in August 2021 after meeting at a rooftop party in New York. Antonoff, the frontman of Bleachers and a Grammy-winning producer for artists like Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey, later said he knew he would marry her the “second” they met. The couple went public in early 2022 and announced their engagement in May 2022.

They married on August 19, 2023, in Beach Haven, New Jersey, in a star-studded ceremony attended by Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Zoë Kravitz, Channing Tatum, and Cara Delevingne. The wedding rehearsal dinner drew such large crowds of fans that local police had to disperse them.

In interviews, Qualley spoke warmly about finding her “person.” In a February 2026 Vanity Fair cover story, she said, “I’ve always been very love-oriented… Jack has helped me for sure, because he has made me feel more confident to explore all the parts of myself.” She also expressed a desire to have children someday, saying, “I’d be thrilled with two.”

Separation (July 2026)

In July 2026, just weeks before their third wedding anniversary, reports confirmed that Qualley and Antonoff had separated. Sources described the marriage as “rocky” and noted that conflicting schedules and distance had made the relationship difficult. Antonoff was photographed attending Taylor Swift’s July 3 wedding to Travis Kelce without Qualley, and Qualley had quietly removed wedding photos from her Instagram account.

However, Qualley’s representative issued a statement pushing back on some narratives, saying, “The narratives running in the press about Margaret and Jack are categorically untrue. There are no trust issues. There was no infidelity or anything outside of respect and partnership in this relationship. They have deep love and care for one another.” The rep asked for privacy, noting that the couple is “figuring things out.” As of July 2026, no divorce proceedings have been filed.

Dating History

Before Antonoff, Qualley was linked to several high-profile names:

• Nat Wolff (circa 2014–2017): Her Palo Alto co-star. They made red carpet appearances together before parting amicably.
• Pete Davidson (2019): The Saturday Night Live alum and Qualley dated for a few months after meeting on the Seberg press circuit. They split in October 2019 but remained friendly.
• Shia LaBeouf (2020–2021): The pair met while filming her sister Rainey’s music video. They split in January 2021 amid allegations against LaBeouf from his former girlfriend FKA Twigs. Qualley publicly supported Twigs, stating, “It was important to me for her to know that I believe her.”

Controversies

Qualley has largely avoided major public scandals, though her personal life has occasionally drawn media scrutiny. Her relationship with Shia LaBeouf ended amid his legal troubles, and her decision to publicly support FKA Twigs was widely praised. The recent separation from Jack Antonoff has generated significant tabloid coverage, but Qualley’s team has actively worked to correct what they call false narratives, emphasizing that there was no infidelity involved.

Awards & Achievements

• Primetime Emmy Nominations: 2 (Fosse/Verdon, Maid)
• Golden Globe Nominations: 2 (Maid, The Substance)
• Screen Actors Guild Award Nominations: 2 (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Maid)
• Critics Choice Award Nominations: 3 (Fosse/Verdon, Maid, The Substance)
• Major Wins for The Substance:
• Austin Film Critics Association — Best Supporting Actress
• Online Film Critics Society — Best Supporting Actress
• Seattle Film Critics Society — Best Supporting Actress
• Vancouver Film Critics Circle — Best Supporting Female Actor
• Kansas City Film Critics Circle — Best Supporting Actress
• Indiana Film Journalists Association — Best Supporting Performance
• Music City Film Critics’ Association — Best Supporting Actress
• North Carolina Film Critics Association — Best Supporting Actress
• North Dakota Film Society — Best Supporting Actress
• Chicago Indie Critics — Best Supporting Actress
• Golden Scythe Horror Awards — Best Supporting Actress
• VHS Awards — Best Supporting Actress
• Online Film & Television Association — Best Supporting Actress

Physical Statistics

Quotes

• “I am so happy that I found my person… And it’s real. It’s amazing. It’s the best feeling in the world. I’m so excited and so at ease all at once.” — On her marriage to Jack Antonoff, Harper’s Bazaar, 2023.
• “I’ve always been very love-oriented. I’ve always been looking for my person, and I met Jack. Jack has helped me for sure, because he has made me feel more confident to explore all the parts of myself.” — Vanity Fair, February 2026.
• “Until about a month before I met Jack, I never had any furniture… I never made a home at all. I didn’t care; I cared about movies. It’s really exciting now to be making a home and to have something to care for.” — Harper’s Bazaar, 2023.

Favorites

Earnings

As of 2026, Margaret Qualley’s net worth is estimated at approximately $3 million. Her income is derived primarily from her acting career in film and television, with additional revenue from modeling, brand endorsements, and her work as an executive producer. While she has appeared in major studio films and Netflix hits, she has often prioritized indie and auteur projects that offer artistic fulfillment over massive paychecks. Her recent string of critically acclaimed roles suggests her earning potential is on an upward trajectory.

Interesting Facts

• Qualley is the subject of Lana Del Rey’s song “Margaret” from the 2023 album Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. Her voice even appears on the track “Taco Truck x VB”.
• Before acting, she was a serious ballet dancer and considered a professional dance career.
• She made her modeling debut at New York Fashion Week for Alberta Ferretti.
• She appeared in the viral Kenzo World perfume commercial directed by Spike Jonze in 2016, which showcased her dance background.
• She provided voice and motion-capture performances for the video game Death Stranding (2019) and its 2025 sequel.
• On the set of Honey Don’t!, she and director Talia Ryder created musical alter egos Lace Manhattan and Dixie Normus, releasing songs produced by Jack Antonoff.
• She wrote in her journal on the very day she met Jack Antonoff that she would marry him.

Did You Know Already?

• Margaret Qualley originally planned to be a professional ballerina before an injury and shifting interests led her to acting.
• She dropped out of NYU’s Tisch School after just one semester because she started booking real acting roles.
• Her mother, Andie MacDowell, did not push her into acting; Qualley has said she wanted to prove herself independently.
• She is one of the few actresses to have successfully navigated both the Cannes Film Festival circuit and Netflix mainstream success in the same career phase.

Social Media Links

• Instagram: @margaretqualley
• Twitter/X: Not officially active
• Facebook: No verified public page
• TikTok: Not officially active
• YouTube: Appears in official trailers and music videos via studio channels

Note: Qualley maintains a relatively low social media profile and has recently scrubbed some personal photos from her Instagram amid her separation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Margaret Qualley in 2026?
Margaret Qualley is 31 years old. She was born on October 23, 1994.

What is Margaret Qualley famous for?
She is best known for her leading role in the Netflix series Maid, her Emmy-nominated performance in Fosse/Verdon, and her critically acclaimed supporting role in the 2024 horror film The Substance. She is also recognized as the daughter of actress Andie MacDowell.

Who is Margaret Qualley’s husband?
She married musician and producer Jack Antonoff in August 2023. However, as of July 2026, the couple has separated after nearly three years of marriage. They are reportedly “figuring things out,” and no divorce has been filed.

What is Margaret Qualley’s net worth?
Her net worth is estimated at approximately $3 million as of 2026, earned through acting, producing, modeling, and endorsements.

What are Margaret Qualley’s upcoming movies?
Her next major release is Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars, scheduled for August 28, 2026. She is also in pre-production for the horror film Possession.

Conclusion

Margaret Qualley has carved out a unique space in modern Hollywood—equally at home in a Yorgos Lanthimos surrealist fable, a Netflix domestic drama, and a Ridley Scott sci-fi epic. With two Emmy nominations, a Golden Globe nod, and over 20 critics’ awards for The Substance, she has proven that she is far more than just Andie MacDowell’s daughter. As she navigates a highly public separation from Jack Antonoff and prepares for a busy slate of 2026 releases, Qualley remains one of the most watchable and unpredictable talents of her generation.

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