Elizabeth Alice MacGraw was born on 1 April 1939, in Pound Ridge, New York State USA, to mother Frances of Jewish Hungarian descent, and father Richard MacGraw, of Scottish descent. Ali is an actress, model, author, and animal rights activist, but most famous for her roles in the movies “Love Story”, “The Getaway” and “Convoy”.
So just how rich is Ali MacGraw? According to 2017 reports, Macgraw has earned a net worth of over $6 million, acquired during her successful acting career that includes a number of television and movie appearances during a career which began in the late 1960s
Ali MacGraw Net Worth $6 Million
MacGraw developed a passion for art at an early age. She attended the prestigious Wellesley College in Massachusetts, and entered the world of show business when she became involved in the fashion industry in early 1960s. She worked as a photo assistant for the magazines Harper’s Bazaar and later for Vogue, in which she went from photographer’s stylist to fashion model. This quickly led to her career as a model in many television commercials; her net worth was established.
Her acting career started with a bit part in the 1968 movie “A Lovely Way to Die”. The following year she took a major role in “Goodbye Columbus”, a romantic comedy drama based on the same-titled novella of Philip Roth, for which she was rewarded with a Golden Globe for Best Actress. In 1970 MacGraw was cast in “Love Story” as Jennifer Cavalleri, co-starring Ryan O’Neal, which was her breakthrough role, as the movie became a huge hit and significantly contributed to her net worth, as well as winning her another Best Actress Golden Globe Award. In 1973 she took the role of Carol McCoy in the popular movie “The Getaway”, co-starring Steve McQueen – McGraw then took a five-year break in her rising acting career, becoming a wife to McQueen. After this period, she regained her interest in acting, and went on to appear in the 1978 action movie “Convoy”, which also enhanced the actress’s wealth. In her next several movies, MacGraw also took the lead role; these included the 1979 “Players”, in which she appeared as jet-setter Nicole, and the 1980 comedy “Just Tell Me What You Want”, playing the producer Bones Burton who has an affair with her rich, married boss. This was her last leading role.
MacGraw then took part in several television films and series, including the 1983 hit mini-series “The Winds of War”. The following year she appeared in the soap opera “Dynasty”, playing Lady Ashley Mitchell. Somehow, given her early success, Ali has appeared in only 20-odd movies and TV productions, but in 2006 MacGraw entered the Broadway stage with the drama “Festen”, and in 2016 with the play “Love Letters”, re-uniting with Ryan O’Neal.
The actress is also known as a Hatha Yoga enthusiast. Back in 1994 she released her yoga video “Ali MacGraw Yoga Mind and Body” featuring the famous Yoga Master Erich Schiffmann. Upon its release, the video became an instant and long-time popular hit, adding to her net worth, and significantly contributing to the popularity of yoga in the US..
MacGraw has also been an author. In 1995, she released her autobiography “Moving Pictures”, portraying her alcoholism, sex addiction as well as her time at an addiction treatment clinic, The Betty Ford Clinic.
Ali MacGraw is probably just as well known for her quite interesting personal life. She has admitted to having an abortion in her early twenties, when the procedure was still illegal. Her first marriage was in 1961 to a banker, Robin Hoen, however, the marriage lasted only for a year. In 1969 she married a Paramount executive, Robert Evans who she met during her work in “Goodbye Columbus”. They have a son, Josh Evans, who is an actor, director, producer and screenwriter, but she and Robert divorced three years later, after MacGraw became involved with the actor Steve McQueen while filming “The Getaway”. She married McQueen in 1973, and gave up her acting career to become a full-time wife, as her husband preferred. The marriage, however, soon became an unhappy experience for MacGraw, and the partners divorced in 1978. She preserved a friendship with her ex-husband Evans, whom she accompanied when he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002.
MacGraw has been an outspoken animal rights advocate. In 2006 she made a Public Service Announcement for PETA and received the Humane Education Award by Animal Protection of New Mexico for protecting the rights of animals.
Ali MacGraw now lives in Tesuque, New Mexico having, as she says, ‘ fled Malibu’ – well, her house did burn down……
