Celebrity Profile: Andie MacDowell

Rosalie Anderson MacDowell, known as Andie MacDowell, was born in Gaffney, South Carolina, the youngest of four daughters. Her parents divorced when she was six, and Andie helped the family income by working at McDonald's and Pizza Hut as a teen. She attended Winthrop College but dropped out to join the Elite Modeling Agency in 1978. She appeared in print and television ads for various companies and designers, most notably, Gap, Calvin Klein, and L'Oreal, a hair care and cosmetics company she represented even after a successful acting crossover.

It was her exposure from Calvin Klein that led to her first movie, playing Jane in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984). Her performance was panned by critics after having all of her vocals dubbed by another actress, after her southern accent was deemed too heavy for the character. Andie continued on, and won a feature role in St. Elmo's Fire, in 1985.

However, it was her performance in 1989's Sex. Lies, and Videotape that garnered positive reviews and began the start of her acting career. In the film, Mac Dowell played an unhappy housewife, and received several awards, including the LA Film Critics Association Award, The Independent Spirit Award, and her first Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.

Andie received her second Golden Globe nod for her role in 1990's Green Card, alongside Gerard Depardieu. She was nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. She continued to star in numerous films, including Hudson Hawk, The Object of Beauty, and perhaps her most famous films, Groundhog Day, and Four Weddings and a Funeral. She received her third Golden Globe nomination for Four Weddings.

MacDowell's body of work both on and off the big screen is long and varied. She continues to act, and can be seen in 2004's Beauty Shop and the Last Sign. She also co-executive produced the 1999 film Just the Ticket, in which she co-starred with Andy Garcia.