Ali McGraw is an award-winning actress celebrated for her role in “Goodbye, Columbus,” which earned her a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer.
After graduating from Wellesley College with a degree in art history, McGraw entered the fashion world, working on magazines before transitioning into modeling. Her acting career began in 1968 and included notable films such as “Love Story,” “Convoy,” and “Players.”
Born Elizabeth Alice McGraw in April 1939 in Pound Ridge, New York, she grew up in a modest apartment with her younger brother, Dick McGraw. Reflecting on her upbringing, she once shared, “It was an utter lack of privacy. It was horrible.”
Post-graduation in 1960, McGraw moved to New York and started as an assistant at Harper’s Bazaar, earning $54 a week. Her break came when fashion designer Melvin Sokolsky noticed her and offered her a better-paying stylist role, which kickstarted her modeling career.
Despite lacking formal training, McGraw ventured into acting, landing a role in “Goodbye, Columbus” through a connection with a fellow model. This marked the start of her celebrated acting journey.
In her personal life, McGraw has been married three times, each ending in divorce. Her first marriage was to college sweetheart Robin Hoen in 1961, which lasted a year and a half. She then married producer Robert Evans in 1971, with whom she had her only son, Josh Evans. Their marriage ended after she started a public affair with Steve McQueen, whom she married in 1973 and divorced in 1978 after tumultuous years.
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