‘How the Hell Did I Do That?’ ‘Pretty in Pink’ Director Howard Deutch on Fighting to Cast Molly Ringwald, the Most Painful Scene, and His Favorite Needle-Drop

Published by Gold Derby on Feb 06, 2026 5:00 AM

‘How the hell did I do that?’ ‘Pretty in Pink’ director Howard Deutch on fighting to cast Molly Ringwald, the most painful scene, and his favorite needle-drop

As the John Hughes-written ’80s classic turns 40, the filmmaker shares little-known behind-the-scenes stories. “Even the shrink I was seeing at the time said, ‘Don’t do it.'”

Gold Derby
Simon Thompson
February 9, 2026 5:00 am

Andrew McCarthy and Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink
Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Fathom Entertainment

Pretty in Pink is now considered one of the defining 1980s teen rom-coms, but this coming-of-age classic wasn’t far from a sure thing at the time. Just ask its first-time director, Howard Deutch.

“I had rolled the dice. I risked everything,” the filmmaker tells Gold Derby over Zoom from the set of his latest film in New Mexico. “I gave up my business and moved to California, and I look back, and I can go, ‘How the hell did I do that?” Even the shrink I was seeing at the time said, ‘Don’t do it.'”

Pretty in Pink celebrates its 40th anniversary on Feb. 28. To commemorate the landmark moment, the film is returning to theaters for a limited run from Feb. 13 through Feb. 16, courtesy of Fathom Entertainment.

Written by John Hughes, at the time best known for Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Weird Science, Pretty in Pink tells the story of poor teen Andie (Molly Ringwald), who falls in love with Blane (Andrew McCarthy). To follow her heart, she has to break the heart of her adoring childhood friend Duckie, played by Jon Cryer. The movie’s iconic cast also includes James Spader, Annie Potts, and Harry Dean Stanton.

Not only was Pretty in Pink Deutch’s first film, it was Hughes’ first film in a new deal with Paramount Pictures after a string of hits at Universal. To this day, the director insists that no one thought the movie would amount to much.

“It was a $6 million or $7 million movie. They said, ‘You can have this little movie, Howie will direct it, and that’s that.’ They didn’t pay attention to it because they had all these big movies like The Untouchables, and nobody expected this to be a hit. It surprised everyone, including John,” Deutch explains.

The first time he had any inkling they might have something was when he showed a rough cut to filmmakers Nancy Meyers and her husband, Charles Shyer. “They were like, ‘It’s OK. You’ll be all right,’ and the studio trusted them, but when we showed it to an audience, it blew up,” Deutch recalls. “I didn’t know it had a chance until then.”

In this in-depth Q&A, Deutch breaks down the scenes and performances in Pretty in Pink that mean the most to him, explains key inspirations for the vibe, and shares his favorite needle-drops from the smash-hit soundtrack of ’80s bangers.

Gold Derby: What do you remember most about the auditions?

Howard Deutch: Paramount didn’t want Molly for Andie, so I had to meet countless actresses who were hot at the time. This was my first movie. When Tom Hanks got the Academy Award for Forrest Gump, he quoted the line, “I don’t know much, but I know what love is.” Well, that was me. I don’t know much, but I knew it had to be Molly. I had met John Hughes because I had a company that made trailers, and we did The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles, and the gestalt of those movies was Molly. I knew she was right for it, so I went to her and said, “You have got to help me,” but she was like, “I’m not going to help you. They didn’t offer me the part.” Eventually, we got over those hurdles, and she did it.

Andrew McCarthy and Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink
Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Fathom Entertainment

Anthony Michael Hall was offered the part of Duckie. He was so hot at the time. Even [Stanley] Kubrick had offered him a movie, and he passed. I remember seeing Jon Cryer with Demi Moore in a film called No Small Affair, and I asked him to come and read for it. He did, and he was terrific, but I didn’t know how to get John [Hughes] to go with this guy who doesn’t seem like he’s part of the Hughes canon. So, I had Jon live with me, and we worked together on this part for a long time. John met him, loved him, and he was cast. James Spader, who plays Steff, was someone I didn’t know, but John said, “This guy came in. I met him. Would you audition him?” He came over and he was a dick. I called John, and I said, “I don’t want him. This guy’s terrible. He’s a meanie and a terrible guy,” but John was like, “Well, that’s the part,” so he got the job. I had seen Annie Potts in Corvette Summer. She came in, and it was a home run.