Molly Ringwald has revealed that starring in The Secret Life of the American Teenager was the worst experience of her career, telling Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that one unnamed colleague was so "really difficult" to work with that they dragged the whole experience down to the lowest possible score. She stressed she loved most of the cast, including Shailene Woodley, but declined to name the person responsible for souring her time on the show.

Ringwald played the mother of Woodley's character across all five seasons of the ABC Family drama, which ran from 2008 to 2012 alongside co-stars including India Eisley, Ken Baumann, Daren Kagasoff, Megan Park, Francia Raisa, Greg Finley and Mark Derwin. By contrast, she rated Pretty in Pink, the 1986 John Hughes film written specifically for her, as the best experience of her career, giving it a perfect ten and noting she still keeps a homemade collage from the film in her bedroom.