Margaret Qualley is the daughter of Andie MacDowell and Paul Qualley, a former model. She made her acting debut in the 2013 drama film Palo Alto and rose to prominence for her part as a troubled adolescent in the HBO television series The Leftovers.

In 2021, Qualley and her mother starred in the Netflix mini-series Maid. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for her portrayal of actress and dancer Ann Reinking in the FX historical miniseries Fosse/Verdon, for which she won critical acclaim in 2019.

Qualley made her modelling debut at the age of 16 in 2011, walking for Alberta Ferretti at New York Fashion Week. She walked the runways for Valentino and Chanel during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2012.

She walked in Chanel’s Fall/Winter 2012 show once more. Qualley has modelled for Vogue, W, Teen Vogue, Interview, Vanity Fair, and Nylon, among others.  She is signed with IMG Models and Uno Models Barcelona as of 2015.