Molly Ringwald says John Hughes wrote ‘Sixteen Candles’ to her

Molly Ringwald on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Todd O’Young/NBC

If it weren’t for Molly Ringwald falling headfirst into John Hughes’ desk, the world might not have seen this classic now. Sixteen candles.

During his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonRingwald shared that she never had to audition for Hughes because their first collaboration was written with her in mind.

“He got my photo from a collection of photos taken by ICM, and he hung it on his wall,” he wrote Sixteen candles “Over the weekend, I look at my picture,” she told the late-night host. “So, when it came time to throw the picture, he threw the girl in the picture.”

Ringwald starred alongside Anthony Michael Hall in the 1984 film Hughes, before reuniting with both men for Breakfast Club. The writer-director showed the actors the 1985 film when they finished filming sixteen candles, And the Riverdale The actress said she immediately wanted to take on the role.

Not only did the crew rehearse for two weeks or more before production began, but they also helped restructure the script after Hughes had changed much of it by the time they were to begin filming.

“He was trying to please everyone, trying to please the studio and kind of add things,” she recalled. “There was a teacher who was naked at one point, swimming. And he said, ‘Are you excited to do this?’ And I said, ‘Yes, I’m excited,’ but it’s really different than it was, you know, when I agreed to do it.”

The next day, he brought a huge pile of papers and sat down with the actors. They all went through it together and shared what they felt should be kept, re-added or removed.

“He was really helpful,” she continued. “It was so well written that we would always do it as written, and then he would say, ‘Now just do what you want.’”

Ringwald’s latest project, Feud: Cabot vs. Swanswill premiere on FX on January 31.