With the instant success of Maid on Netflix, lead actress Margaret Qualley is on the path to becoming a household name—but she may already be familiar to many viewers.
In Maid, Qualley plays Alex, a single mother who escapes an abusive boyfriend but is forced to live in poverty while working as a cleaner to provide for her daughter. The series is based on a true story, adapted from Stephanie Land's memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother's Will to Survive.
The series has been released to positive reviews, with Qualley being singled out for praise. Read on to find out where you may have seen her before, and the unusual familial connection she has with a fellow cast member in the Netflix series Maid.
Who Is Margaret Qualley?
Qualley is an American actress born in Montana in October 1994 and raised in North Carolina. Her mother is actress Andie MacDowell and her father is former model and rancher Paul Qualley.
Coincidentally, MacDowell plays Qualley's mother in Maid.
Her older sister is actress and musician Rainey Qualley, who is known for appearing in Falcon Song and Ocean's 8.
Margaret made her first on-screen appearance in the 2013 movie Palo Alto, where she played Raquel in Gia Coppola's drama.
Margaret Qualley's Biggest Roles
Qualley is perhaps most recognizable for her role in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood. She played a young woman with the nickname Pussycat who flirts with Brad Pitt's Cliff Booth after he gives her a ride.
On television she had a major role in The Leftovers. Appearing in all three seasons as Jill Garvey, she starred alongside the likes of Regina King, Justin Theroux and Christopher Eccleston.
She received recognition in 2019 as she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in Fosse/Verdon. She played Ann Reinking, the real life dancer who had a relationship with choreographer Bob Fosse.
Qualley has also appeared in other major projects like The Nice Guys alongside Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, Seberg alongside Kristen Stewart, My Salinger Year with Sigourney Weaver and IO alongside Anthony Mackie. She was also directed by OIivia Wilde in the short film Wake Up.
Life in the Public Eye
Qualley's love life has been the subject of many column inches due to the number of famous boyfriends she's appeared to have had.
Most famously, she was in a relationship with Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson in 2019. They went public with their relationship at the 2019 Venice International Film Festival, but US Weekly reported that it was over by October that year with the pair "remaining friends."
She reportedly dated Shia LaBeouf in late 2020, but they had broken up by January 2021 amid accusations made against LaBeouf by his ex-girlfriend FKA Twigs. Qualley publicly supported FKA Twigs on her Instagram in February 2021, and told Harper's Bazaar, "It was important to me for her to know that I believe her - and it's as simple as that."
Qualley has also been linked to musician Jack Antonoff as well as actor Nat Wolff.
All 10 episodes of Qualley's limited series Maid are available to watch on Netflix now.
