Ali MacGraw skyrocketed to fame in Hollywood almost instantly but vanished from the industry just as quickly. Now, at 84 years old, she enjoys a quieter life in a small, remote town, embracing the aging process with her natural grey hair.
Born Elizabeth Alice MacGraw on April 1, 1939, in Pound Ridge, New York, her mother Frances was an artist who later settled in Greenwich Village after working at a school in Paris. Her father, Richard MacGraw, also an artist, had a challenging childhood spent in an orphanage before running away to sea at 16 and studying art in Munich, Germany. Ali has noted that her father carried deep emotional scars from his upbringing, which influenced his demeanor as an adult.
Growing up, Ali’s family struggled financially, forcing them to share a home in a wilderness preserve with an elderly couple, resulting in a lack of privacy that Ali described as “horrible.” Her mother, Frances, took on various commercial art assignments to support the family, while Richard grappled with selling his paintings, often expressing his frustration through anger that affected Ali’s brother, Richard Jr.
Despite the difficulties, Ali was determined to pursue a creative career. She earned a scholarship to Rosemary Hall prep school and then attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts. By 22, she moved to New York City, landing a job as an assistant editor at Harper’s Bazaar. There, fashion editor Diana Vreeland hired her as a “flunkie,” reminiscent of the character in The Devil Wears Prada. After several months, photographer Melvin Sokolsky recognized her potential, promoting her to stylist.
Ali’s transition from fashion to film was remarkable. Her first role in A Lovely Way to Die (1968) led to a starring role in Goodbye, Columbus (1969), earning her a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer. She later starred in Love Story, where she portrayed Jenny, a working-class college student. The film became a monumental success upon its release in 1970, becoming the top-grossing film in the U.S. and earning several Academy Award nominations, including one for MacGraw.
While her career was on the rise, her personal life took a dramatic turn. Ali married film producer Robert Evans in 1969 and welcomed their son, Josh, two years later. However, their marriage would soon falter after Steve McQueen visited their home to persuade Ali to star alongside him in The Getaway. The two shared an instant connection, and Ali later admitted to being captivated by McQueen’s striking blue eyes.
Ali MacGraw and Steve McQueen had a passionate affair, leading her to leave her husband, Robert Evans, and move in with the actor in Malibu, taking her son Josh along. “Steve was a unique, principled man who felt disconnected from the Hollywood system, and I loved that about him,” she reflected.
However, Ali soon discovered that Steve McQueen had his own set of issues. After his father abandoned the family, a young Steve, at just 14, was sent to a school for troubled youth, which left him with deep-seated trust issues toward women. He disapproved of Ali’s successful career and insisted she stay home to raise their son. Though she complied for a time, the weight of his expectations became unbearable.
His jealousy was palpable; he would explode at the slightest notion that she was interested in another man. He even insisted on a prenuptial agreement, ensuring she wouldn’t ask for anything if they were to divorce, a condition she honored when they separated in 1978.
“I couldn’t even attend art class because Steve expected his ‘old lady’ to be there every night with dinner ready,” Ali recounted. “His idea of an ideal partner didn’t align with me; he preferred blonde bimbos who were often around.”
This period marked a dark chapter in MacGraw’s life. She showed up to the set of her 1978 film Convoy intoxicated, prompting her to quit drugs altogether. Many of her films from that era, including Players (1970) and Just Tell Me What You Want (1980), were failures.
“It’s tough for women,” MacGraw stated in an interview with The Guardian, discussing the challenges of re-entering the industry in the late 1970s. “I doubt there’s a woman over 40 who’s been in the public eye who doesn’t grow weary of the media’s scrutiny and the expectations of the fashion industry. It’s cruel.”
After a brief period as a Hollywood leading lady, MacGraw pivoted to interior design, but she didn’t completely abandon her acting career. She appeared in the miniseries The Winds of War (1983) and China Rose (1985), but soon found herself struggling to secure film roles, leading to feelings of inadequacy. She likened her need for love to a “drug high.”
“The worst decisions I made happened when I was drinking,” she admitted. “I lost my sense of judgment and found myself attracted to other women’s husbands.”
The situation was tough for her son Josh, who was 15 at the time and felt helpless watching his mother in pain. After spending 30 days in group therapy, Ali emerged stronger.
In 1993, tragedy struck again when her home in California was consumed by a wildfire, prompting her to leave Los Angeles and settle in a village near Santa Fe, New Mexico. “I live in a small community north of Santa Fe called Tesuque,” she shared last year, noting that her neighbors see her as an active member of the community rather than a former star. She has volunteered at the annual International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Though she stepped away from acting, Ali returned to the stage in 2006, reuniting with her Love Story co-star Ryan O’Neal in a Broadway adaptation of the Danish film Festen. Outside of theater, she has largely remained out of the limelight over the past two decades, focusing on animal rights advocacy and producing successful yoga videos.
In a 2019 interview with the Herald-Tribune, she expressed her openness to new opportunities: “One of the fortunate aspects of being my age is that I remain open and curious. I don’t feel incomplete if I can’t focus on just one passion. However, I know I’m not happy when I’m not engaged in something creative.”
Despite leaving the film industry, her son Josh Evans has pursued a successful career as an actor and director in Hollywood. Born in January 1971, he initially had no aspirations of working in show business, but his path led him there naturally.
Josh had his first role in Dream a Little Dream (1989), but he sought more opportunities and often visited managers’ offices to find auditions. One day, he crossed paths with renowned director Oliver Stone, who was working on Born on the Fourth of July with Tom Cruise. “I recognized him from Platoon and wanted to audition for a role,” Josh recalled. “I ended up sitting down with him, and though he teased me about looking like Tom Cruise, I got the part four months later.”
Since then, Josh has built a successful career both in front of and behind the camera. He appeared in the biographical film The Doors (1991) and has directed eight films, including working with actor Michael Madsen in his 2015 project, Death in the Desert. “I feel more at home behind the camera,” he confessed. “I’m open to interesting roles if they come my way, but directing is where my passion lies, and I’d do it for free.”
Josh bears a striking resemblance to his mother, especially in his captivating eyes. In 2019, Ali’s ex-husband Robert Evans passed away, but the family cherishes the memories made together, including celebrating Evans when he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012.
Josh has been married twice, most recently tying the knot with American singer and musician Roxy Saint in October 2012, by which time their son Jackson was two years old. Ali MacGraw relishes spending time with her family, stating, “He’s truly wonderful. He’s my favorite person, and he’s dating someone I absolutely adore. Their relationship is built on friendship and respect.”
Both Ali MacGraw and Josh Evans take pride in their family and their experiences, leaving us hopeful for what the future may hold for them, possibly even a shared project on stage or scree
