Margaret Qualley has made a name for herself in Hollywood, appearing in a variety of incredible movies and TV shows over her career. Daughter of actress Andy MacDowell, Qualley's first role was in the 2013 film, Palo Alto. After that, she landed as part of the main cast for HBO's masterpiece, The Leftovers, before finding herself in a variety of high-profile films, including one of Quentin Tarantino's best in Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood, as a member of Manson's cult, and Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things.

The Leftovers wasn't her only TV role, as she had roles in two other series, including the main character in Netflix's Maid, where the legendary Hideo Kojima.

10 Kinds Of Kindess (2024)

Margaret Qualley as Vivian / Martha / Ruth / Rebecca

Kinds of Kindness was Yorgos Lanthimos' follow-up film after Poor Things enjoyed immense success the year prior. While it doesn't reach the same cinematic height as that film, Kinds of Kindness is still a great movie, containing all the quirks audiences have come to expect from the director. With an anthology narrative structure, the movie tells three distinct stories that are all loosely connected in some way, making for an entertaining watch.

Given the nature of the story, each of the actors portrays a different character in the three segments, with Margaret Qualley taking it one step further as four different characters, with two of them being identical twins. She is fantastic in each of the roles, of course, really making each of them feel distinct in their own unique ways. It wasn't the best film of 2024 for Margaret Qualley, but it was still a great performance.

9 My Salinger Year (2020)

Margaret Qualley as Joanna Rakoff

Released in 2020, My Salinger Year is about a young woman named Joanna who takes a job working for the literary agent for the reclusive, legendary writer J.D. Salinger. My Salinger Year is a touching, heartfelt journey of a young woman trying to figure out her place in the world, attempting to personally reply to some of the fan mail the author receives.

Like most of her performances, Margaret Qualley is spectacular in My Salinger Year, playing Joanna with a lot of empathy and understanding. It's obvious that Qualley cares deeply for her character, and it shines through in her performance. In a film that features Sigourney Weaver, it's incredibly impressive that Margaret Qualley shines the brightest here, taking on the challenge of elevating the entire movie.

8 Novitiate (2017)

Margaret Qualley as Sister Cathleen Harris

Novitiate is a film about a young woman who trains to become a Catholic nun, questioning her faith along the journey. What makes the movie so fascinating is how it explores faith in nuanced ways, while diving deep into who Sister Cathleen Harris, the main character, is as a person both separate and alongside her faith in God. It's a powerful film about women within the church and what that also means, and how they grapple with that while keeping their faith.

Margaret Qualley is perfect in her depiction of a young woman grappling with her faith.

Margaret Qualley is magnificent as Sister Cathleen Harris in the movie, exploring who she is as a character and giving her a significant amount of depth. There is a lot of complexity to the character, and she is used to explore much larger ideas, and Margaret Qualley is perfect in her depiction of a young woman grappling with her faith.

7 Sanctuary (2023)

Margaret Qualley as Rebecca

Telling the story of a wealthy heir and his dominatrix, Sanctuary revolves around the last night between the two characters, after she discovers that he wants to end their relationship. It's both horrifying and quite funny, while also having a tense atmosphere throughout most of the film's runtime. It's a beautiful looking film with a great script, with two incredible performances from Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbot.

With the diverse set of roles Qualley has played in her career, Sanctuary is another strong performance to add to that list.

Margaret Qualley seems to always fully commit to whatever character she is playing, and she does so in Sanctuary, as her dominatrix character is one of her strongest performances. It's a wild ride from start to finish and the chemistry between Qualley and Christopher Abbot elevates the film, making it a harrowing and entertaining journey throughout. With the diverse set of roles Qualley has played in her career, Sanctuary is another strong performance to add to that list.

6 The Substance (2024)

Margaret Qualley as Sue

The Substance was one of the most surprising movies of 2024, as it seemed to become something of a cultural icon for a lot of people on the internet, which is fitting given how good it is. Led by a stunning performance from Demi Moore, The Substance tackles beauty standards placed on women and the obsession with youth and beauty, resulting in some pretty gnarly body horror throughout the film, and it is not for the faint of heart.

Margaret Qualley plays Sue in the movie, a younger version of Demi Moore's character that emerges from her back after she takes "The Substance," a black market serum that promises people a younger and more beautiful version of themselves. Despite Demi Moore having one of the year's best performances, Margaret Qualley is still fantastic in the film, channeling a vibrant and youthful energy that is perfect for her character of Sue.

5 Poor Things (2023)

Margaret Qualley as Felicity

Poor Things is an incredibly strange movie, but that is also what makes it so good, content with doing its own thing no matter how offbeat or quirky it might be. What makes Poor Things really stand out is how committed Emma Stone was to her role, making it one of the most impressive performances of the past several years, rightfully earning her an Academy Award in the process. While it didn't take home Best Picture, it won four awards, including Emma Stone's.

Poor Things was the first of two collaborations between Qualley and director Yorgos Lanthimos.

Margaret Qualley plays Felicity in Poor Things, the replacement for Stone's Bella after she leaves her "father" behind in order to learn about the world. It's not the most substantial role in Qualley's career, but she is still great in it, portraying the same type of baby and toddler mannerisms that Emma Stone's character had early on in the film. If anything, she should have had an even bigger role, given how great she is in it.

4 The Nice Guys (2016)

Margaret Qualley as Amelia Kuttner

Featuring two outstanding performances from Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, The Nice Guys is a hilarious neo-noir buddy comedy about two private detectives teaming up to investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl. Directed by Shane Black, The Nice Guys is one of the most underrated movies of the past 15 years, with fans calling for a sequel for a long time at this point. The chemistry between Crowe and Gosling is palpable in the film, resulting in something truly special.

Margaret Qualley plays Amelia Kuttner, the missing teenage girl Crowe and Gosling are looking for. While the movie is a vehicle for Gosling and Crowe to show just how talented they are as actors, Margaret Qualley still does an irable job with her somewhat limited screen time. Despite that, her character is the propelling narrative force of the entire film, making her one of the most important characters in it.

3 Maid (2021)

Margaret Qualley as Alex Russell

Maid is an incredible Netflix miniseries that tells the story of Alex Russell, a young mother who leaves her abusive boyfriend behind and takes her two-year-old daughter with her, starting work as a maid. Maid navigates its sensitive subject matter with care, crafting a superb season of television that is empathetic and powerfully poignant. It's an important story to tell and Maid exceeds on all levels.

She proves that she is more than up for the challenge, giving a mesmerizing, heartbreaking performance as the character.

A lot of the show is placed on Margaret Qualley's shoulders as she plays Alex, and she proves that she is more than up for the challenge, giving a mesmerizing, heartbreaking performance as the character. It is the best performance of her career, earning her multiple award nominations, including an Emmy nod, proving that she is one of the best actors working in Hollywood at the moment, setting the stage for her career going forward.

2 Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood (2019)

Margaret Qualley as "Pussycat"

It's reasonable to rank Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood alongside the best films by Quentin Tarantino, with knockout performances from both Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, showing why they have endured as Hollywood stars for so long. Essentially Tarantino's "hangout" film, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood tells the story of a fading actor coming to with his new place in the industry. It's often hilarious throughout, with one of the most electric endings in Tarantino's filmography.

While not one of the main focuses of the film, Margaret Qualley is fantastic as "Pussycat," a member of the Manson family who likes to flirt with Brad Pitt's character multiple times throughout the movie. It's a committed, energetic performance that stands out from most of the other of the Manson family, making her one of the most memorable side characters in the movie.

1 The Leftovers (2014-2017)

Margaret Qualley as Jill Garvey

Sometimes, it feels like The Leftovers gets left behind when talking about HBO's best shows of all time, despite it being an incredible, harrowing, and thought-provoking experience for all three seasons. Following the mysterious disappearance of 2% of the global population, the series focuses on a small New York community who attempts to continue to live their lives while dealing with the tragedy. It raises a lot of existential questions that allow viewers to sit with it for a long time.

Her first significant role, Margaret Qualley is nothing short of spectacular in The Leftovers, playing Jill Garvey, who is the daughter of Justin Theroux and Amy Brenneman's characters. Margaret Qualley is able to tap into the sadness of Jill Garvey, who is dealing with some of her classmates disappearing, as well as her mother's involvement with a cult. For being so early in her career, Margaret Qualley showed just how capable she was as an actor.