Andie MacDowell Biography

Rosalie Anderson MacDowell, who is popularly known as Andie MacDowell, is an American model and actress. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family life, achievements and other facts related to her life.

Quick Facts

Birthday: April 21, 1958

Nationality: American

Famous: Actresses American Women

Age: 61 Years, 61 Year Old Females

Sun Sign: Taurus

Born in: Gaffney, South Carolina, United States

Famous as: Actress

Height: 5'8" (173 cm), 5'8" Females

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Paul Qualley (m. 1986–1999), Rhett Hartzog (m. 2001–2004)

father: Johnston

mother: Pauline

children: Justin Qualley, Margaret Qualley, Rainey Qualley

U.S. State: South Carolina

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Rosalie Anderson MacDowell, who is popularly known as Andie MacDowell, is an American model and actress. She became known for her role in the 1989 movie ‘Sex, Lies and Videotape’, an award winning American drama film that revolutionized the independent film movement in the early 1990s. Later she acted in ‘Shortcuts’ and the romantic hit movie ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ which helped her rise to popularity. She has also appeared in ‘Cedar Cove’, a well-known American-Canadian drama television series focusing on the professional and personal life of a Municipal Court Judge named Olivia Lockhart. As a model, she has worked for Calvin Klein Inc., a prestigious fashion house founded by the renowned fashion designer Calvin Klein. Since 1986, she has also been the spokeswoman for L’Oréal, a cosmetics company of French origin, known to be the world’s largest. Some of her recent acting assignments include ‘Jane by Design’ an American comedy TV series in which she played a major role. The show was based on the life of Jane Quimby, a schoolgirl mistaken for an adult, which gets her working in her dream job with a world famous fashion designer. Later MacDowell appeared in ‘Magic Mike XXL’, a 2015 American comedy drama film.

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Andie MacDowell

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Childhood & Early Life

Andie MacDowell was born on 21 April 1958 in Gaffney, South Carolina, the United States. Her father Marion St. Pierre MacDowell worked as a lumber executive, and her mother Pauline Johnston as a music teacher. She hails from a family of mixed ancestry, including English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and French heritages.
She attended Winthrop University, a liberal arts university located in South Carolina. Being from a humble background, she had to support herself with minimum wage jobs during her college years. After two years, she decided to drop out after she managed to be spotted by a model agency and signed a contract.
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Career

Andie MacDowell began her modeling career with L’Oreal and Calvin Klein Inc. among other reputed brands. Her modeling assignments soon led her to the world of acting.
She made her film debut with a role in ‘Greystoke-The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes’, a 1984 British adventure film which was directed by Hugh Hudson. The film was based on the novel ‘Tarzan of the Apes’, by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The film starred also renowned actors such as Ralph Richardson, Ian Holm, James Fox and Cheryl Campbell.
She rose to popularity after her role in ‘Sex, Lies and Videotape’, a 1989 American film that was based on the story of a man who filmed women discussing their sexuality. It also tells the stories of married couples whose relationships are impacted because of him.
Andie MacDowell later appeared in a lead role in the award winning film ‘Short Cuts’, a 1993 comedy-drama film, which was directed by Robert Altman. The film tells several stories which are centered on the topics of death and infidelity.
In 1994, MacDowell appeared in a major role in the award winning British romantic comedy ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral.’ The film was directed by Mike Newell. It focuses on the emotional adventures of a man named Charles and his circle of friends, as each of them encounters romance in their lives.
Andie MacDowell also acted in a lot of other successful films in the 1990s. They include ‘Bad Girls’ (1994), ‘Multiplicity’ (1996), ‘The End of Violence’ (1997) and ‘Just the Ticket’ (1999).
She has also appeared in a few television programs, the most recent one being the American-Canadian TV series ‘Cedar Cove’ (2013-15). The show was about Olivia Lockhart, a Municipal Court Judge, whose role was played by MacDowell. The show, based on a novel by Debbie Macomber, focuses on Lockhart’s personal and professional life, as well as the lives of the townsfolk surrounding her.
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Some of her more recent works include ‘Breaking at the Edge’ (2013) and ‘Magic Mike XXL’ (2015).

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Major Works

*‘Sex, Lies and Videotape’, a 1989 American independent film which was directed by Steven Soderbergh, was the first significant work of Andie MacDowell’s career. The story is about a man who films women while they discuss their sexuality, and how he impacts the relationships of married couples.
The film not only won the ‘Palme d’Or’ the highest prize at the Cannes Film Festival, but it also revolutionized the independent film movement of the early 1990s. It received mostly mixed reviews.
*‘Short Cuts’, an American comedy-drama which was released in 1993, is also regarded as an important work in MacDowell’s career. The film, which was directed by Robert Altman, was actually inspired by nine short stories as well as a poem by Raymond Carver.
In addition to MacDowell, the film also starred actors such as Matthew Modine, Julianne Moore, Fred Ward, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Penn. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics. The cast was awarded a Special Golden Globe Award for their ensemble acting. At the Venice Film festival, the film was awarded with the prestigious Golden Lion and the Volpi Cup as well, for the Best Ensemble Cast.
‘Magic Mike XXL’ a 2015 American drama film, is the most recent significant work of Andie MacDowell. The film was a commercial success, and it grossed a worldwide total of $122.5 million, against a budget of $14.8 million. It received mostly mixed reviews from critics.

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Awards & Achievements

Along with her fellow actors, Andie MacDowell won the Golden Globe Special Ensemble Cast Award for the movie 1993 movie ‘Shortcuts.’

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Personal Life & Legacy

Andie MacDowell married Paul Qualley in 1986. They had a son and two daughters, Justin, Rainey and Sarah. The couple split up in 1999.
Later in 2001 she married her childhood friend Rhett Hartzog with whom she split up in 2004.
She got engaged to businessman Kevin Geagan in 2006. However, they split up later.

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Andie MacDowell Movies