Andie MacDowell's lovely face has been gracing our screens since the '80s. From her unforgettable roles in rom-coms like "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Groundhog Day" and "Green Card" to her second act as a Hallmark leading lady in series like "Cedar Cove" and "The Way Home," Andie MacDowell is the picture of grace.
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The 65-year-old Hollywood icon has managed to maintain both a sparkling career in film and TV and a low-key life as a mom of three. Her youngest daughter, Margaret Qualley, is a two-time Emmy nominated actress who made her breakout in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." The mother-daughter duo have often appeared looking oh-so-glamorous (and seriously twinlike) together on red carpets.
Despite her status as the screen legend with maybe the greatest head of hair in cinema history, Andie MacDowell has stuck to her southern roots throughout her life. The South Carolina native retreats to her ranch when Los Angeles gets a little too hectic. And she certainly hasn't let the pressures of the spotlight change who she is. MacDowell made a splash in 2021 when she let her wild, salt-and-pepper curls take center stage at the Cannes Film Festival — a celebration of aging which she's called a "power move."
Andie MacDowell has done Hollywood her own way for forty years. Here are a few things you might not have known about the actress and mother.
1. Her Real Name Isn't Andie
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Rosalie Anderson MacDowell was shortened to "Andie" as a nickname from her middle name. It definitely has a ring to it!
2. She Grew Up in the South
MacDowell was raised in the picturesque small town of Gaffney, South Carolina. Her family also owned a summer house in North Carolina that has since been turned into a bed and breakfast. Her trademark southern accent has always been present throughout her career, showing that MacDowell loves and honors her southern roots.
3. She Got Her Start as a Model
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While on a trip to Los Angeles, MacDowell was spotted by modeling scouts and decided to pursue it as a career in New York City. She signed with Elite Model Management, later appearing in Vogue and working with major brands including Yves Saint Laurent, Armani and Anne Klein. But it was her commercial work for Calvin Klein, pictured above, that got her opportunities in the film world.
4. Her Southern Accent was Dubbed Over in Her First Film role
"Sex, Lies, and Videotape" turned MacDowell into a star after she earned an Independent Spirit Award, but it wasn't her first gig. A few years prior, in 1984, she booked the role of Jane opposite Christopher Lambert in "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes." Unfortunately, after filming, the studio decided her southern accent didn't really make any sense for someone who was supposed to be English (fair enough).
The studio had Glenn Close dub over all of her lines. Luckily, the initial embarrassment wore off and MacDowell went on to have one heck of an acting career.
5. She Has 3 Children from Her First Marriage to Paul Qualley
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MacDowell met fellow model Paul Qualley while they were modeling for a Gap ad campaign. During their marriage from 1986-1999, they had three children together:
Sarah Margaret Qualley, known as Margaret, grew up training to be a ballerina before pursuing modeling and eventually acting like her mother. She's starred in "Poor Things," "Maid," "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," "The Leftovers" and more. She's been nominated for two Primetime Emmys. In 2023, she married longtime Taylor Swift music producer Jack Antonoff.
Rainey Qualley made her Hollywood debut as Miss Golden Globe 2012 and the same year booked her first acting gig in "Mighty Fine." She's continued acting ever since and even had a cameo as herself in "Ocean's Eight." Rainey has also been pursuing a music career under the name Rainsford.
Justin Qualley is the one child who opted out of the spotlight. He lives on a ranch in Montana and works in real estate. In 2022, he welcomed a daughter named Cozette.
6. She Has a Hefty Net Worth
Celebrity Net Worth estimates that the actress is worth $20 million. Considering all of the high-profile acting roles she's booked, let alone her modeling career and work as a L'Oréal spokesperson, that definitely makes sense.
7. She Had a High-Profile Romance with This A-List Actor
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Following her divorce from Paul Qualley, MacDowell was linked to her "Dinner With Friends" co-star Dennis Quaid for roughly a year. But in 1999 she reconnected with an old high school classmate, Rhett Hartzog, whom she married two years later. Sadly, the couple called it quits in 2004.
8. She Has a Ranch in Montana
Like many celebs, MacDowell chose to raise her children away from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. They spent time rotating between the ranch in Montana and a home in Asheville, North Carolina.
"I didn't avoid Los Angeles because I thought it was a horrible place," she explained to USA Today. "But I did want my children to have what I perceived was a more sort of normal childhood. I didn't want my business to be the main focus of what we were doing in our lives — and it wasn't."
Though she currently resides in Marina Del Rey, the actress still enjoys time relaxing on the ranch in Montana.
9. She Embraces Her Grey Hair
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MacDowell changed beauty norms when she let her signature brunette curls age with her. In a 2021 interview with Vogue, the actress explained that she ditched dye jobs during the COVID-19 lockdowns. She called her salt-and-pepper mane a "power move." And she's so right!
