Elizabeth Alice MacGraw (born April 1, 1939) is an American actress. For her role in Goodbye, Columbus (1969) she won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She then starred in Love Story (1970), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. In 1972, MacGraw was voted the top female film star in the world and was honored with a hands and footprints ceremony at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre after having made just three films.
In the 1980s, MacGraw transitioned from being the quintessential 1970s “It Girl” into a sophisticated elder statesman of Hollywood style, though her career moved away from the blockbuster heights of Love Story and The Getaway. The most significant professional moment for MacGraw in the 1980s was her stint on the massive prime-time soap opera Dynasty. In 1985, she joined the cast as Lady Ashley Mitchell, a world-renowned photojournalist.
While her character was eventually killed off in the infamous “Moldavian Massacre” cliffhanger, her presence on the show cemented her status as a global style icon for the middle-aged set. She traded her 1970s bohemian aesthetic for the high-octane glamour of the 80s—think shoulder pads, sequins, and bold gold jewelry, though she always maintained a natural, sun-kissed elegance that set her apart from the more "campy" characters.
Outside of Dynasty, MacGraw was more selective and focused on television and personal advocacy. She starred in this massive, highly-rated WWII miniseries The Winds of War (1983) as Natalie Jastrow. While the series was a huge commercial success, MacGraw faced some critical pushback for her performance, which she later admitted contributed to her stepping back from major acting roles.
MacGraw remained a major influence in fashion throughout the decade, bridging the gap between "preppy" and “bohemian.” While others were experimenting with heavy neon and perms, Ali stuck to her signature look: sleek dark hair, minimal makeup, and a focus on wellness.
In the late 1980s, MacGraw began the transition into the lifestyle and yoga space that would define her later years. She was one of the first major celebrities to publicly discuss aging naturally and finding peace outside of the Hollywood machine.
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