“Once the very definition of Hollywood beauty, her radiant smile and iconic presence captivated audiences around the world. Magazine covers, red carpets, and silver screens all bore her image. But today, at 85, she looks nothing like the star the world once knew — and her remarkable transformation is leaving fans stunned.”
Ali MacGraw, 86, Steps Out in New York City, 55 Years After Love Story
The beloved actress hit the sunny New York City streets in a chic black suit
Ali MacGraw proved that true style never fades as she stepped out in New York City on Wednesday, February 12, looking effortlessly elegant in a tailored black suit. With her silver hair swept back, a chic black handbag in hand, and classic kitten heels, the beloved actress exuded poise and sophistication.
It’s hard to believe more than 50 years have passed since MacGraw stole hearts in iconic films like Goodbye, Columbus (1969) and Love Story (1970). At 86, she continues to redefine aging with grace, charm, and undeniable star power.
Ali MacGraw was 30 years old when she burst onto the Hollywood scene, winning the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer thanks to her captivating performance in Goodbye, Columbus (1969). Just a year later, she would cement her place in cinematic history as Jenny Cavilleri in the tearjerking blockbuster Love Story (1970), opposite Ryan O’Neal.
As the strong-willed, working-class college student who falls for a wealthy Ivy Leaguer, MacGraw struck a chord with audiences worldwide. The film became a critical and commercial sensation, earning her a second Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in 1971. Love Story would go on to become one of the highest-grossing films of its time—and remains a staple of classic romance cinema to this day.
While Love Story has been lovingly parodied over the years—especially for the infamous line, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry,” and Jenny’s impossibly glamorous final moments—its legacy is undeniable. It launched MacGraw into superstardom and made her one of the most beloved actresses of the 1970s.
In 2021, more than five decades after the film’s release, Love Story was reimagined as a series by Paramount+, proof of its enduring cultural impact.
A Late Start, but a Fast Rise
Born Elizabeth Alice MacGraw in 1939, the future star took a path less traveled in Hollywood. Unlike most of her peers, who began acting in their teens or early 20s, MacGraw made her screen debut at 30 in Goodbye, Columbus. That bold beginning only added to her mystique—and it didn’t take long for her to become a household name.
Though she stepped away from the spotlight in the 1990s, MacGraw’s influence never faded. And today, at 86, she remains a symbol of elegance, independence, and ageless beauty.
In a recent feature with The New York Times, Ali MacGraw—now 85—reflected candidly on her whirlwind journey through Hollywood fame. “Looking back, it seems so strange that — overnight, at 30 — I became a ‘movie star,’” she said. “I’m relieved I got out of that often exciting, often terrifying decade alive.”
Before her cinematic breakthrough, MacGraw had been working steadily since the age of 14. But unlike many of her peers, she never trained formally as an actress. “I hadn’t gone to school for acting,” she admitted. “I was chosen to be in Goodbye, Columbus, and then everything exploded with the stupefying surprise of Love Story — this cost-nothing project nobody expected to be a success.”
That unexpected explosion of fame swept her into the stratosphere, turning her into a household name almost overnight. But behind the glamour, MacGraw acknowledges the intensity of navigating sudden stardom—and the relief of stepping away from it with her sense of self intact.