Andie MacDowell Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Andie MacDowell
MacDowell at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival
Born	Rosalie Anderson MacDowell (1958-04-21) April 21, 1958 (age 67) Gaffney, South Carolina, U.S.
Occupation	Actress model
Years active	1977–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Paul Qualley (m. 1986; div. 1999) Rhett Hartzog (m. 2001; div. 2004)
Children	3, including Rainey Qualley and Margaret Qualley
Relatives	Jack Antonoff (son-in-law)

Andie MacDowell (born Rosalie Anderson MacDowell on April 21, 1958) is a famous American actress and a former fashion model. She is well-known for her roles in romantic comedies and dramas. You might have seen her in popular movies like Groundhog Day and Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Before becoming an actress, Andie MacDowell was a successful model. She worked for big names like Calvin Klein. She has also been a spokesperson for the beauty company L'Oréal since 1986. More recently, she starred with her daughter, Margaret Qualley, in the Netflix series Maid.

Early life and modeling start
Career highlights
Personal life
Filmography
Images for kids
See also

Early life and modeling start

Andie MacDowell was born in Gaffney, South Carolina, on April 21, 1958. Her mother, Pauline Johnston, was a music teacher, and her father, Marion St. Pierre MacDowell, worked with wood. She has three older sisters.

Andie went to Gaffney High School and then attended Winthrop University for two years. While on a trip to Los Angeles, a representative from a modeling agency saw her. This led her to sign a modeling contract with Elite Model Management in New York City in 1978. Elite then sent her to model in Paris for about a year and a half.

Career highlights

From modeling to acting

In the early 1980s, Andie MacDowell became a popular model. She appeared in Vogue magazine and in advertisements for famous brands like Yves Saint Laurent and Armani. Her pictures on billboards in Times Square and TV commercials for Calvin Klein caught a lot of attention.

This success led to her first movie role in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984). Interestingly, her lines in this movie were spoken by another actress, Glenn Close. This was because Andie's Southern accent was thought to be too strong for the character of Jane. In 1985, she had a supporting role in the movie St. Elmo's Fire. Since 1986, she has been a familiar face in ads for L'Oréal.

Andie MacDowell worked hard to improve her acting skills. She studied with acting teachers to learn different methods. Her big break came in 1989 when director Steven Soderbergh cast her in the independent film ..., Lies, and Videotape. She played a quiet married woman named Ann. Critics loved her performance, and she won an Independent Spirit Award for it. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Starring in the 1990s

After her success with ..., Lies, and Videotape, Andie MacDowell starred in many popular films. In 1990, she was in the romantic comedy Green Card. In this movie, she played an American woman who pretends to be married to a Frenchman so he can stay in the U.S. Her role earned her another Golden Globe nomination. She also appeared with John Malkovich in The Object of Beauty and with Bruce Willis in Hudson Hawk.

In 1993, Andie MacDowell became even more famous with the hit movie Groundhog Day. She starred alongside Bill Murray in this fantasy romantic comedy. Critics praised her performance, with one saying she "lit up the screen." Another called her a "thorough delight." She even won a Saturn Award for Best Actress for this role. Later that year, she was in the critically acclaimed film Short Cuts, which won her a special award for the cast at the Venice Film Festival.

In 1994, she starred in the British romantic comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral with Hugh Grant. This movie was a huge surprise success and became the highest-grossing British film at the time. Her performance earned her another Golden Globe nomination. She continued to act in various films, including Unstrung Heroes (1995), Multiplicity (1996), and Michael (1996) with John Travolta. In 1997, she received an Honorary César award in France.

2000s and beyond

In the 2000s, Andie MacDowell appeared in a mix of movies and TV shows. In 2000, she starred in the war drama Harrison's Flowers. A film critic, Roger Ebert, praised her acting in it. She also appeared in romantic comedies like Town & Country (2001) and Crush (2001).

She also started doing more television work. In 2001, she was in the TV film Dinner with Friends. In 2005, she returned to the big screen in the comedy Beauty Shop. She also starred in the Irish drama Tara Road and the TV movie Riding the Bus with My Sister.

In the 2010s, Andie MacDowell continued to work steadily. She appeared in TV movies for Lifetime Television and had a role in the TV series Lone Star. She also had supporting roles in movies like Monte Carlo and Footloose (2011). From 2013 to 2015, she starred in the Hallmark Channel drama series Cedar Cove.

In 2017, she received great reviews for her role in the independent film Love After Love. Critics called her performance "the performance of her life" and "remarkable." She also appeared in Only the Brave and several Hallmark TV movies. In 2019, she starred in the horror-comedy film Ready or Not, which was a success. She also appeared in the BBC sitcom Cuckoo.

Recent work

Since 2020, Andie MacDowell has continued to take on interesting roles. In 2021, she starred with her daughter, Margaret Qualley, in the Netflix miniseries Maid. Andie played Margaret's character's mother, who had an undiagnosed mental health condition. Her performance earned her another Golden Globe nomination.

In 2023, Andie MacDowell began starring in the Hallmark Channel fantasy drama series The Way Home. She also appeared in the romantic comedy film The Other Zoey and the action thriller Red Right Hand in 2024.

Personal life

In 1986, Andie MacDowell married Paul Qualley, who was a rancher and a former model. They met while working on ads for Gap. They have three children: a son named Justin, and two daughters, Rainey and Margaret. Both Rainey and Margaret are also actresses.

Andie and Paul divorced in 1999. Later, Andie reconnected with a former high school classmate, Rhett Hartzog. They got married in 2001 but divorced in 2004. Andie MacDowell has lived in different places, including Marina del Rey, California, and more recently, on the coast of South Carolina.