Andie MacDowell Bio

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Andie MacDowell Pictures

Rosalie Anderson "Andie" MacDowell (born April 21, 1958) is an American model and actress. She has received three Golden Globe Awards nominations. She has received the Golden Camera and an Honorary César.

Andie MacDowell: Early life

MacDowell was born in Gaffney, South Carolina, the daughter of Pauline "Paula" Johnston (née Oswald), a music teacher, and Marion St. Pierre MacDowell, a lumber executive. She is of mainly Scottish descent. Her family owned an ante-bellum summer house in Arden, North Carolina. It has since been made into a bed-and-breakfast named the Blake House Inn. Graffiti from her childhood visits is preserved in an upstairs bedroom closet. She attended Winthrop College for two years before moving briefly to Columbia, South Carolina. There she worked two jobs; one in a clothing boutique and the other in a restaurant/bar called "Stage Door" where as a waitress she once served Senator Strom Thurmond. "Rosie", as she was known locally, lived with her sister Beverly and saved all her money so she could move to New York City and start her career. She was initially spotted by a rep from Wilhelmina Models while on a trip to Los Angeles before she would later sign with Elite Model Management in New York City. In 2004, she was awarded a Medal of Honor in the Arts from Winthrop College.

Andie MacDowell: Career

In the early 1980s, MacDowell modeled for Vogue magazine and appeared in ad campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent, Vassarette, Armani perfume, Sabeth-Row, Mink International, Anne Klein and Bill Blass. She worked with such esteemed photographers as Bruce Weber, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Irving Penn and Herb Ritts among others. A series of billboards in Time Square and national television commercials for Calvin Klein drew attention to her and led to her 1984 film debut in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, a role in which her lines were recorded by Glenn Close because her southern accent was too pronounced for her to play the role of an Englishwoman. In 1985, she had a small part in St. Elmo's Fire, but her film career seemed to have stalled.

MacDowell at Cannes Film Festival, 2001

MacDowell used this time to study method acting with teachers from The Actors Studio in addition to working privately with the renowned coach Harold Guskin. Four years later, MacDowell hit her professional stride. Director Steven Soderbergh cast her in the 1989 independent film Sex, Lies, and Videotape. Her performance earned her an Independeircare company L'Oréal.

Andie MacDowell: Personal life

MacDowell was married from 1986 to 1999 to fellow former model and rancher Paul Qualley, whom she met while both were posing for Gap ads. The couple have a son, Justin and two daughters, Rainey and Sarah Margaret. She was married to Atlanta, Georgia, businessman Rhett Hartzog from 2001 to 2004.

MacDowell currently resides in the town of Biltmore Forest near Asheville, North Carolina. She is an avid hiker and general outdoors-woman.