Ali MacGraw shot to Hollywood stardom almost overnight. Yet, just as suddenly as she dazzled on the big screen, she vanished from the spotlight entirely.
Now, at 85, the iconic actress has chosen a quiet life in a remote, peaceful town—embracing the beauty of aging gracefully, her silver hair a testament to time well lived.
Ali MacGraw
Born Elizabeth Alice MacGraw on April 1, 1939, in Pound Ridge, New York, Ali came from an artistic family. Her mother, Frances, was a talented artist who once worked at a school in Paris before settling in the vibrant Greenwich Village. Ali’s father, Richard MacGraw, was also an artist, though his difficult childhood left him with challenges that set him apart in subtle ways.
Ali MacGraw’s father endured a harrowing childhood. After surviving a harsh orphanage, he ran away at just 16 to seek freedom at sea. Later, he pursued his passion for art by studying at a prestigious art school in Munich, Germany.
“Daddy was frightened and really, really angry,” Ali once explained. “He never forgave his real parents for giving him up.” She described how her father spent much of his adult life “suppressing the rage that covered all his hurt.”
Growing up, Ali’s family struggled financially. Her mother, Frances, Richard, Ali, and her brother Richard Jr. lived in a small house nestled within a Pound Ridge wilderness preserve — a home they shared with an elderly couple.
“There were no doors; we shared the kitchen and bathroom with them,” Ali recalled. “It was utter lack of privacy. It was horrible.”
While Frances took on commercial art assignments to support the family, Richard found it difficult to sell his paintings, which deepened his frustration. Unfortunately, his anger sometimes boiled over at home, and Ali’s brother bore the brunt of it.
“On good days, he was great, but on bad days, he was horrendous,” Ali said quietly. “Daddy would beat my brother badly. I witnessed it, and it was terrible.”
Despite the challenges, Ali inherited her parents’ creative spirit. She knew from a young age that she wanted to pursue an artistic path. Thanks to her talents, she earned a scholarship to the prestigious prep school Rosemary Hall, and in 1956, she took the next step, enrolling at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.
By the age of 22, Ali MacGraw had made the move to New York City, landing her first job as an assistant editor at Harper’s Bazaar, where she worked closely with photographers behind the scenes.
Fashion editor Diana Vreeland famously hired Ali as what she jokingly called a “flunkie.” Sound familiar? It was much like the world portrayed in The Devil Wears Prada.
“It was always, ‘Girl! Get me a pencil!’” Ali recalled with a laugh.
For several months, she embraced the grind of assistant work. But about six months in, fashion photographer Melvin Sokolsky spotted Ali’s striking looks and hired her as a stylist — a role that came with a better salary and greater creative freedom. She stayed in that position for six years.
Ruth Ansel, a former art director at Vanity Fair and Harper’s Bazaar, remembers Ali’s relentless work ethic: “I don’t know where she got it, but Ali would come in at eight a.m., and many nights when I returned at one in the morning, she was still working on the next day’s shoot.”
Ali thrived as a stylist, but it wasn’t long before her talents took her in front of the camera. Soon, she was gracing magazine covers worldwide and appearing in television commercials. One opportunity led to another, and before she knew it, Ali MacGraw had taken a headfirst dive into the world of acting.
A couple of years before her acting breakthrough, Ali MacGraw had been sketched nude by none other than surrealist legend Salvador Dalí. But when the eccentric artist started sucking her toes during the session, Ali knew modeling wasn’t for her — she wanted to be an actress.
Ali MacGraw – Rising Star of the Silver Screen
Ali catapulted from unknown stylist to cinema sensation — and she did it with undeniable impact.
With no formal acting training, Ali brought a fresh, natural authenticity to her roles. Her stunning beauty captivated audiences, while her raw, untutored talent added a unique depth to her performances.
After a small role in A Lovely Way to Die (1968), Ali was cast in the 1969 film Goodbye, Columbus. It was a perfect fit — the role earned her the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer – Female.
But the real turning point came the very next year, with a script that would define her career.
Ali received the screenplay from her agent and read it twice — both times moved to tears by the story. Determined to land the part, she secured a meeting with Robert Evans, then head of production at Paramount Pictures, at the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel Polo Lounge. Evans was instantly convinced she was perfect for the role — and, as it turned out, he also fell deeply in love with her.
In the romantic drama Love Story, Ali played Jenny, a working-class college student who falls in love with a wealthy young man, played by Ryan O’Neal. The film was a massive hit, sealing Ali MacGraw’s status as a Hollywood icon.
Love Story hit theaters in 1970, and audiences absolutely adored it. The film soared to become the No. 1 movie in the United States, ranking as the sixth highest-grossing film in history across the US and Canada at that time.
Award-Winning Actress
Ali MacGraw’s stunning performance earned her an Academy Award nomination, while Love Story itself garnered five Academy Award nods. She also took home her second Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, solidifying her status as Hollywood’s hottest new star.
Behind the scenes, film producer Robert Evans didn’t just admire Ali on screen — he had fallen deeply in love with her, and she returned his affection. The couple married in 1969, and two years later, welcomed their son, Josh Evans.
But while Ali’s star was rising, her marriage to Evans was heading toward its end. When Steve McQueen visited their home to personally ask Ali to co-star with him in The Getaway, an instant connection sparked between the two Hollywood icons.
“I looked into those blue eyes, and my knees started knocking,” Ali recalled. “I became obsessed.”
Ali MacGraw and Steve McQueen soon began an affair, leading Ali to leave Robert Evans and move to Malibu with McQueen — bringing along her son, Josh.
“Steve was such an original, principled guy who didn’t seem to fit into the Hollywood system, and I loved that about him,” Ali reflected.
Ali MacGraw and Steve McQueen: A Complex Love
But as time went on, Ali came to understand that Steve carried deep personal struggles. After his father abandoned his mother, a 14-year-old Steve was sent to a school for troubled boys. Ali said this early trauma left him unable to fully trust women.
Steve McQueen struggled with Ali’s independence and her desire to maintain a career. For a time, Ali stayed home to raise their sons, trying to meet his expectations. But his controlling demands soon became impossible for her to accept.
He would lash out at even the slightest glance from another man. On top of that, he insisted Ali sign a prenuptial agreement that promised she would walk away with nothing if they divorced — an agreement she honored when their marriage ended in 1978.
“I couldn’t even go to art class because Steve expected his ‘old lady’ to be home every night with dinner on the table,” Ali recalled bitterly.
“Steve’s idea of beauty wasn’t me. He was drawn to blond bimbos, and they were always around.”
This marked the beginning of a dark chapter in Ali MacGraw’s life. During the filming of Convoy in 1978, she showed up to set both drunk and high — a wake-up call that pushed her to quit drugs for good.
At the same time, several of her films, including Players (1970) and Just Tell Me What You Want (1980), failed at the box office, making her return to Hollywood a tough battle.
“It’s brutal for women,” Ali told The Guardian about her struggles to reclaim her place in show business during the late 1970s.
“I don’t think there’s a woman over 40 who’s ever been in the spotlight who doesn’t grow weary of the endless scrutiny—from the media, the fashion world, all of it. It’s cruel,” Ali MacGraw once said.
Though she enjoyed a brief moment as a Hollywood superstar, Ali eventually shifted her focus to interior design—though she never fully stepped away from show business. She took on roles in the television miniseries The Winds of War (1983) and China Rose (1985).
But soon, her career stalled. Film offers dried up, and Ali found herself questioning her worth. At the same time, she admitted she felt incomplete without a partner, describing being in love as “a drug high” she longed for.
Feeling alone and desperate, Ali MacGraw turned to heavy drinking. In 1986, recognizing she needed help, she checked herself into the renowned Betty Ford Clinic in California.
“The worst things happened when I drank,” she admitted. “I lost my judgment; I even found myself fancying other women’s husbands.”
Family Tragedies and New Beginnings
At the time, her son Josh Evans was just 15 and struggled to watch his mother suffer. After 30 days of group therapy, Ali emerged stronger and more determined to heal.
But hardship wasn’t done with her yet. In 1993, a wildfire devastated her California home, prompting Ali to leave Los Angeles behind and find solace in a quiet town near Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“I live in a small village called Tesuque, just north of Santa Fe, New Mexico,” Ali MacGraw shared recently.
To her neighbors, she’s not just a former Hollywood star — she’s a valued community member known for her generous volunteer work. One of her passions is contributing to the annual International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, where she’s been a dedicated volunteer for years.
Though Ali stepped away from acting, she briefly returned to the stage in 2006, reuniting with her Love Story co-star Ryan O’Neal in the Broadway adaptation of the Danish film Festen.
Since then, Ali has stayed largely out of the spotlight, focusing her energy on causes close to her heart — championing animal rights and producing a series of successful yoga videos that inspire wellness and mindfulness.
In a 2019 interview with the Herald-Tribune, Ali MacGraw shared that she remains open to new adventures and creative opportunities.
“One of the lucky things about being my age is that I’m curious and open,” she said. “I don’t have just one passion that I feel lost without. But I do know I’m not happy when I’m not creating something.”
Josh Evans — Continuing the Legacy
Although Ali stepped away from acting, her family’s connection to Hollywood remains strong. Her son, Josh Evans, has built a respected career as both an actor and director — and, notably, he bears a striking resemblance to his mother.
Being the son of Hollywood icons Robert Evans and Ali MacGraw came with its own set of pressures — but for Josh Evans, born in January 1971, a career in show business felt almost inevitable.
Interestingly, acting wasn’t his original dream. It was just something that naturally unfolded for him.
In 1989, Josh landed a small role in Dream a Little Dream, but he was hungry for more. As a determined teenager with nothing to lose, he’d often visit the manager’s office to check out casting breakdowns for upcoming films.
Josh Evans – Actor & Director
It was there that he crossed paths with famed director Oliver Stone, who was filming Born on the Fourth of July with Tom Cruise at the time. Josh knew the movie well and was eager to be part of it.
“At the time, I only knew Oliver Stone from Platoon. He was making a movie with Tom Cruise and there was a role for the little brother. I wanted that part, so he arranged a meeting with Oliver,” Josh recalled.
“When I sat down with him, Oliver asked, ‘Oh, you think you look like Tom Cruise?’ Now I realize he was teasing me, but I said, ‘Yeah, I do.’ He replied, ‘We’ll see what happens.’ Four months later, I got a call to audition — and I got the part. It was thrilling, and you could sense this movie was going to be something special.”
Since then, Josh Evans has built an impressive career both in front of and behind the camera. He starred in the 1991 biopic The Doors and has continued to balance acting and directing ever since.
With eight films to his credit as a director, Josh Evans even worked with Michael Madsen in his 2015 film Death in the Desert. But when it comes to his true passion, Josh is clear about where he feels most at home.
“I’m definitely more comfortable behind the camera,” he says. “If an interesting acting opportunity comes along, I’m open to it. But I believe there are others who want it more and are more qualified. Directing and telling my own stories is something I’d do for free. Acting feels more like a job, though I do enjoy it when I’m doing it.”
Josh Evans — Family and Legacy
Josh is strikingly handsome, with a strong resemblance to his mother, Ali MacGraw — especially in those big, expressive eyes.
In 2019, Josh’s father and Ali’s ex-husband, Robert Evans, passed away. The family cherishes the memory of coming together in 2012 to celebrate Robert’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Josh has been married twice. In October 2012, he married American singer and musician Roxy Saint. Their son Jackson was two years old at the time — and Grandma Ali MacGraw delights in spending time with her wonderful family.
“He’s simply wonderful,” Ali MacGraw said fondly of her son. “He’s my favorite human being on the planet, and he’s with a woman I absolutely adore. Their relationship is built on friendship and respect, among so many other things.”
Ali MacGraw and Josh Evans clearly take great pride in their close-knit family. We wish them all the best for the future — and who knows? Maybe one day we’ll see them sharing the same stage or movie set again.