Ali MacGraw, a Wellesley College graduate, worked as a photographer’s assistant and a model for fashion magazines before to becoming a movie star. She made a tremendous splash at age 31 when she starred in “Goodbye, Columbus,” winning her first Golden Globe.
She was a successful star, but she also prioritized her family. Three marriages later, MacGraw welcomed Josh Evans into the world during her second union with movie producer Robert Evans.
The actress moved on with her third ex-husband, Steve McQueen, whom she met on the set of 1972’s “The Getaway,” after three years of marriage to Robert.
The couple wed the following year and relocated to Malibu with their children from prior unions. When this happened, MacGraw, who was already regarded as the top female box office performer in the world, took a hiatus from the movie industry to give her sole kid more attention.
The “Goodbye, Columbus” actress acknowledged that McQueen’s fame as a movie star was too much for her, and he prevented her from working.
She retired very early, yet she stayed at home with her kid for five years. Despite the effort, her marriage failed, and when McQueen passed away a few years later, she was left penniless (they signed a prenup).
MacGraw’s life outside of performing was terrible but had a joyful conclusion. The actress wrote in her memoirs “Moving Pictures” that drinking and having damaging relationships had a negative impact on her life.
Fortunately, she walked into the Betty Ford Center in 1986, where she saw the end of the tunnel. Her stay there had a profound impact on her, affecting her course in life. Her words are:
“My renewed faith in a higher power was the single biggest thing that occurred to me. And I started to experience the underlying calm and feeling of order I had long craved for.”
Although MacGraw and her “Love Story” co-star Ryan O’Neal were reunited, she wasn’t in a rush to land a movie part. The actress insisted that she had given up acting for good.
The Wellesley College alum’s priorities were community service and advocacy. She spent time doing yoga, volunteering in the community, and rescuing animals. These activities helped her keep her youthful attractiveness.
MacGraw and her son-in-law have always gotten along great. She approved of his decisions when he was younger and still does so today.
Even though MacGraw acknowledged that being a grandparent may be difficult and that it is the “hardest of jobs,” she enjoys spending time with her grandson and never hesitates to seek him for assistance when it comes to putting together a movie.
Josh was accompanied by Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner’s daughter, and his then-girlfriend Natasha Wagner in 1991 when he went to see his mother in Santa Monica. After the visit, the proud mother yelled:
“He’s amazing, really. He goes out with a girl I’m crazy about and is my favorite person on the globe. Their connection is largely based on friendship and respect, among other things.”
Today, Josh is a contented husband and father who shares a child with Roxy Saint, his spouse at the time. He had a previous union with Charis Michelsen.
Along with having a successful love life, he also possessed his parents’ performance genes. Josh has a successful Hollywood acting and directing career. The Doors, The Prince of Air, and Born on the Fourth of July are a few of his well-known compositions.
The renowned film producer Robert passed away in 2019, and his ex-wife MacGraw and their son expressed their condolences in a joint statement that read:
“Bob made a significant contribution to the film industry, and my son Joshua and I will miss him terribly. He’ll be regarded as a titan in memory.”
The “Love Story” actress never missed an opportunity to honor Robert with her son while he was still alive. They bowed their heads in adoration as he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012, marking the occasion.
Ali Macgraw is the grandma of one grandchild.
MacGraw is not just a kind ex-wife but also a proud mother and grandmother who enjoys spending time with her one and only grandchild, Jackson.
Josh and Saint had been dating for about ten years and got married two years following the birth of their kid. They are fortunate to have the “Love Story” actress, who is totally immersed in her role as a grandma.
Even though MacGraw acknowledged that being a grandparent may be difficult and that it is the “hardest of jobs,” she enjoys spending time with her grandson and never hesitates to seek him for assistance when it comes to putting together a movie.
The “Goodbye, Columbus” actor keeps herself busy when Jackson is not around by working with Ibu, a South Carolina-based organization that encourages women to become self-sufficient through their abilities (with textiles). She unveiled a line dubbed “ali4ibu” as a brand ambassador.
In her longstanding adopted homeland of Santa Fe, New Mexico, the former model first met Susan Hull Walker, the creator of Ibu. While attending the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, they became friends.
Soon, the women collaborated to make clothing of all sizes and forms using textiles from other cultures. She stated about her experience working with the company that it restores the proper balance of cultures, adding:
“I adore how genuine it is. I adore the sentiment at its core and the subject matter.”
Hull Walker had a similar opinion, stating, “She has led a life of selfless devotion. She has always dressed in a “ibu-like” manner and is a style icon.”
Being a mother to her son and a grandma to Jackson—her two favorite people, whose pictures sit on her fridge—makes MacGraw feel full in the midst of her life of fulfillment, helping women discover freedom by generating chances and enjoying culture.
