Margaret Qualley Unveils Therapy Journey and Familial Healing Through 'The Substance'

Margaret Qualley Spills Tea on Her Mother's Love Life, Mental Health Struggles, and Trauma

In a candid interview with Cosmopolitan, actress Margaret Qualley has opened up about her own mental health journey, as well as her mother's traumatic upbringing and her attempts to play matchmaker for the two. The 30-year-old star of "The Substance" revealed that she's been in therapy since the age of 16, seeking to better understand herself.

Margaret's struggles with insomnia began when she was just a young adult. She would often go weeks without sleep, feeling like a zombie going through the motions. This lack of rest even led her to miss the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for one of her early roles in "The Nice Guys." In an interview with Cosmopolitan, she recalled, "I didn't go to Cannes because I hadn't slept in four days and I felt like I wasn't going to survive."

But Margaret's not alone in her struggles. Her mother, Andie MacDowell (67), has also been open about her traumatic childhood, marked by her mother's alcoholism and bipolar disorder. These experiences have had a lasting impact on Andie's life, including anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In fact, Andie has said that she felt an immense emotional burden as a child, which affected her nervous system.

Margaret's latest role in "The Substance" allowed her to confront the trauma within her family. She revealed that playing the character Sue was like "entering the eye of the storm." The film explores themes of femininity and womanhood, but Margaret has stated that it's not a good representation of what being feminine is all about. In fact, she believes it's quite masculine in many ways.

The actress also shared her thoughts on growing up as a woman, saying, "I feel deeply connected to the version of myself I was as a child... But growing up as a woman has made me question how much of my identity is truly mine and how much is shaped by societal pressure and expectation."

But Margaret's not just thinking about her own life; she's also been trying to play matchmaker for her mother. The actress revealed that she tried to set up Bill Murray (74) with her mom, Andie. Yes, you read that right! Bill and Andie starred together in the 1993 romantic comedy "Groundhog Day," but it seems like they didn't exactly get along on set.

Margaret shared this juicy tidbit during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. When asked if she had tried to set up anyone with her mom, Margaret quipped, "I once tried to set up Bill Murray with my mom." She then revealed that it wasn't a joke and that she had actually been trying to play matchmaker for the two.

It turns out that Bill has been living in Charleston, South Carolina, which just so happens to be where Andie is currently residing. Margaret shared her clever comeback when Bill explained how they didn't get along on set: "And I was like, 'Yeah, well, I heard a different story, sir.'"

As for why she thought these two should get together, Margaret reasoned that they both had a "rage" towards each other, but maybe it's time to make amends. After all, as Margaret so aptly put it, "They're both crazy. Let's get it together."

This isn't the first time Margaret has been open about her family life and mental health struggles. She has previously spoken about how she and her mother have a strong bond and that they've worked through many issues together.

In closing, it seems like Margaret is not only an incredibly talented actress but also a loyal daughter and friend who's always willing to stir the pot.