40 Years Later, Molly Ringwald Says Her Strongest ‘Pretty in Pink’ Memory Is an Algebra Test

It wasn’t kissing ’80s heartthrob Andrew McCarthy or sharing the screen with trailblazer Harry Dean Stanton that Molly Ringwald remembers most vividly about filming Pretty in Pink. It was taking her high school finals—specifically, an algebra test.

“It was such a long time ago. It almost seems like a different life,” Ringwald told People, tapping into a core memory. “I had to do my finals on set for my high school algebra test. So I think that’s what I remember the most,” she added.

She also recalled celebrating her best friend Matt’s 18th birthday. “[Matt] celebrated his 18th birthday on that set, and I have a picture of him blowing out the candles,” she said. Matt and Ringwald had been friends since the sixth grade, plus he was the inspiration for the Pretty in Pink character Philip F. “Duckie” Dale (Jon Cryer). In the film, Duckie is the best friend of Ringwald’s character, Andie Walsh.

“[Matt] was the character that Duckie was based on in Pretty in Pink,” Ringwald said. “And he’s the godfather of my elder daughter, and I’m the godmother of his kid. And yeah, we’ve been friends forever.”

Earlier this month, McCarthy revealed on The Drew Barrymore Show that the iconic John Hughes film originally had a different ending.

“Originally, I ended up not going to the prom with Molly, and she went with John Cryer. I just kinda ditched her through peer pressure,” McCarthy said. “And so they tested that for a test screening, and the audience hated that. They wanted [McCarthy’s character Blane McDonagh and Andie] to be together. So we had to reshoot the ending where I come back to the prom and say ‘I love you’.”

Of course, those who remember the film recall Blane and Andie ride off into the sunset, and Duckie is suddenly noticed by some of the popular girls at school. When asked how he felt about the audience needing that happy ending, McCarthy laughed,  “I needed to get the girl, c’mon?”