Margaret Qualley Biography: The Ballerina-Turned-Actress Behind Maid and The Substance

Margaret Qualley (born Sarah Margaret Qualley on October 23, 1994, in Kalispell, Montana) is an American actress who traded a ballet career for Hollywood. A former American Ballet Theatre apprentice, she broke through in HBO’s The Leftovers, earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for Netflix’s Maid, and became a critics’ favorite for The Substance — and in October 2026 her drama Love of Your Life became the most-watched film on Prime Video.

Early life: from ballet studios to the runway

Margaret Qualley was born into entertainment royalty: her mother is actress and model Andie MacDowell, her father is former model and rancher Paul Qualley. Her parents separated when she was five. Raised partly on a ranch in Missoula, Montana, she later moved with her family to Biltmore Forest, near Asheville, North Carolina. At 14, she left home to board at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts to study dance — her first identity. She trained as a ballet dancer and earned an apprenticeship with the American Ballet Theatre in New York. But at 16, when she was offered an apprenticeship with the North Carolina Dance Theater, she made the pivotal choice: she quit dance, stayed in New York, and began working as a model, going by her middle name professionally. (Wikipedia; Tribute Movies)

Modeling came fast: at 16 she made her runway debut at New York Fashion Week walking for Alberta Ferretti (2011), signed with IMG Models and Uno Models Barcelona, and became a long-standing Chanel house ambassador. She later studied acting at RADA’s summer program in London and attended NYU, leaving after one semester when roles started coming. (Wikipedia; Our Culture Mag)

Career: the breakout years

Qualley’s screen debut came in 2013’s Palo Alto — she was cast as Raquel after being spotted visiting then-boyfriend Nat Wolff on set. Her true breakout arrived the next year as Jill Garvey, the rebellious teenager in HBO’s The Leftovers (2014–2017), where she appeared as a series regular across three seasons. Film work followed: Amelia Kuttner opposite Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe in Shane Black’s The Nice Guys (2016) and Netflix’s Death Note adaptation (2017). In 2019 came a career-defining double — Ann Reinking in FX’s Fosse/Verdon (her first Primetime Emmy nomination) and Pussycat in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — plus motion-capture and voice work for the video game Death Stranding, a role she reprised for the 2025 sequel. (Wikipedia; Tribute Movies)

Maid and the awards conversation

2021 changed everything. Qualley starred as Alex Russell, a young mother fleeing domestic violence, in Netflix’s limited series Maid — with her own mother, Andie MacDowell, playing her mother on screen. The performance earned her a second Emmy nomination and her first Golden Globe nomination. She then moved into acclaimed auteur territory: Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things (2023) and Kinds of Kindness (2024), then The Substance (2024) opposite Demi Moore — a second Golden Globe nomination, plus Critics Choice and Saturn nominations and several regional critics’ prizes. She has never received an Academy Award nomination: The Substance earned multiple Oscar nods including Best Picture, but Qualley was not among its acting nominees. (Wikipedia; Gossip Herald)

2026: The Dog Stars, Love of Your Life, and the Astaire biopic

In 2025 she premiered Ethan Coen’s Honey Don’t! at Cannes, and 2026 has been her busiest year yet. She co-starred in Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars (released August 2026), then led Love of Your Life, the Rachel Morrison-directed romantic drama produced by Ryan Gosling for Amazon MGM Studios. After its TIFF premiere (September 13, 2026) and a brief theatrical run from October 7, it arrived on Prime Video worldwide on October 14 — where it became the #1 most-watched film on the platform, per October 17 reporting. “I was just blown away, and I cried reading it,” she told Reuters of the script. In September 2026 she was cast as Adele Astaire in Sony’s Fred Astaire biopic — opposite Tom Holland as Fred and Sabrina Carpenter as Ginger Rogers — a role that circles back to her dance training. (Reuters; JKN; TheWrap)

Personal life

Qualley married musician and producer Jack Antonoff (frontman of Bleachers) in New Jersey in August 2023, after meeting in 2021 and getting engaged in May 2022. In mid-2026, People confirmed the pair had separated just months shy of their third wedding anniversary, describing the relationship as “rocky.” On September 15, 2026, Antonoff publicly acknowledged the split on stage at the Troubadour in Los Angeles — “Absolutely not. Read the news, brother” — and a spokesperson denied tabloid narratives around the separation, stating there was “no infidelity or anything outside of respect and partnership in this relationship.” No finalized divorce has been reported by reputable outlets. (People; Yardbarker)

Major achievements

• 2 Primetime Emmy nominations — 2019 supporting actress (Fosse/Verdon); 2022 lead actress (Maid)
• 2 Golden Globe nominations — 2022 best actress in a limited series (Maid); 2025 best supporting actress (The Substance)
• Critics Choice and Saturn Award nominations for The Substance (2025)
• Starred in the #1 most-watched film on Prime Video (Love of Your Life, October 2026)
• Long-standing Chanel house ambassador; runway debut at 16

Net worth snapshot

Margaret Qualley’s net worth is estimated at $3 million as of 2026, per Celebrity Net Worth, with a few outlets placing the range at $3–5 million. No Forbes, Bloomberg, or Hurun estimate exists, and no per-role salary figures have been publicly reported. Read the full breakdown in Margaret Qualley’s net worth — including her income from film, prestige TV, and fashion work, plus our transparent estimate methodology.

Frequently asked questions

Who are Margaret Qualley’s parents?

Her mother is actress and model Andie MacDowell and her father is former model and rancher Paul Qualley. They separated when Margaret was five years old. Her older sister Rainey Qualley is also an actress and singer who records as Rainsford.

Is Margaret Qualley still married to Jack Antonoff?

No — Qualley and musician Jack Antonoff separated in mid-2026 after nearly three years of marriage. People confirmed the separation; Antonoff publicly acknowledged it on stage in September 2026. A finalized divorce has not been reported by reputable outlets.

What is Margaret Qualley best known for?

She is best known for HBO’s The Leftovers (Jill Garvey), Netflix’s Maid (Alex Russell, earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations), The Substance (Golden Globe nomination, 2025), and the 2026 Prime Video hit Love of Your Life (Maya).

Has Margaret Qualley won an Oscar?

No. Margaret Qualley has never been nominated for an Academy Award. She has two Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations. Her film The Substance received multiple Oscar nominations, but she was not among its acting nominees.

Was Margaret Qualley really a ballerina?

Yes. She trained seriously as a ballet dancer, earned an apprenticeship with the American Ballet Theatre, and left home at 14 to study dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She quit dance at 16 to pursue modeling and acting.

Sources

• Margaret Qualley — Wikipedia
• Reuters — “Margaret Qualley drawn to emotional ride of romantic drama ‘Love of Your Life’” (Oct 8, 2026)
• People — “Margaret Qualley and Jack Antonoff Separate After Nearly 3 Years of Marriage”
• JKN — “Love of Your Life becomes most-watched film on Amazon Prime Video” (Oct 17, 2026)
• TheWrap — “Margaret Qualley & Sabrina Carpenter Join Tom Holland in Fred Astaire Biopic” (Sept 25, 2026)
• Yardbarker — “Jack Antonoff jokes about Margaret Qualley split” (Sept 2026)