'Alice MacGraw' (born
April 1,
1938 in
Pound Ridge,
Westchester County,
New York) is an
Academy Award-nominated and
Golden Globe award winning
American actress.
Biography
Youth
Born to an Irish-American father, whom she recently described as "violent"
[1] and a Jewish mother, she has one sibling, a brother.
Career
An alumna of
Wellesley College, she began working in 1960 as a photographic assistant at ''
Harper's Bazaar'', as an assistant to the legendary fashion
maven,
Diana Vreeland, at ''
Vogue'', and as a
fashion model, and as a
photographer's
stylist. She gained notice in ''
Goodbye, Columbus'', but real stardom came in 1970 with ''
Love Story''. MacGraw's keen eye and sense of style was celebrated on the cover of ''
Time''. Her minimalist style basically was comprised of healthy skin without much makeup, long gleaming hair pulled back simply, and the ever-present brimless woolen hat that became known as the "Ali Cap." She has also worked as an
interior decorator.
MacGraw has appeared in other films, such as: ''
Convoy'', ''Players'', ''Just Tell Me What You Want'' and the television
miniseries ''
China Rose'' and ''
The Winds of War''. In
1985, MacGraw appeared in the hit
ABC prime time
soap opera ''
Dynasty'' as "Lady Ashley Mitchell."
MacGraw wrote a well-received autobiography, ''
Moving Pictures'' (which she now states was "not well written"), which described her
struggles with alcohol and male dependence. She was treated for the former at the
Betty Ford Center. In 1991, ''
People'' magazine chose her as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.
She had lived in
Santa Fe,
New Mexico for many years after "fleeing
Malibu". Having become a
Hatha Yoga devotee in her fifties, she made a tremendously successful
Yoga video with the American Yoga Master
Erich Schiffmann, ''Ali MacGraw Yoga Mind and Body'', which was a bestseller upon release and was still popular more than a decade later. The video's impact was such that in June 2007 ''
Vanity Fair'' magazine credited her for being one of the people responsible for the practice's recent popularity in the United States. In keeping with her interests, she narrated a well-received documentary on Yoga, ''The Fire of Yoga'' in 2003.
She made her
Broadway theatre debut in
New York City in 2006 as a dysfunctional matriarch in the drama ''
Festen'' (''The Celebration''). She was also included in a ''Seventeen'' magazine issue for inspiring hairstyles.
Personal life
On
October 24,
1969, she married film producer
Robert Evans; their son, Josh Evans, is an actor and producer. They divorced in 1972 after she became involved with
Steve McQueen on the set of ''
The Getaway''. They married on
August 31,
1973 and divorced in 1978.
When her ex-husband, Robert Evans, received his star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame she accompanied him.
She divided her time living in her homes in
Santa Fe, New Mexico and
Los Angeles, California.
Academy Award Nomination
Ali MacGraw was unsuccessfully nominated for :
1970
Best Actress - ''Love Story''
She lost to
Glenda Jackson who won that year for ''
Women in Love''.
References
1. (''New York'' magazine, April 3, 2006, pp. 69-70),
External links
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