Andy McDowell. “Being a mother for my children is the best role of my life.”

Decked out in a shimmering halter dress and her iconic silver hair, she lit up the Place de l’Opera Garnier at the L’Oréal Paris fashion show on Monday evening, September 23. At the age of 66, Andy McDowell hasn’t lost any of his model years and proved it by walking again from the podium of the French cosmetics brand, whose ambassador he has been since 1985. He succeeded his co-star Jane Fonda, another icon of cinema. and behind them the slogan “Silver, no sorry” (“Silver Hair and No Apology” in French) was shown on the big screen. The day before the event, the heroine of the film Four weddings and a funeral agreed to meet us in Paris, sharing with us her pride in the idea of ​​giving visibility to the women of her generation. Margaret Qualley’s mother also spoke transparently and honestly about her daughter’s career success, her vision of women’s cinema, and even her charity projects.

Madame Figaro .- You have modeled for L’Oréal Paris since the brand’s first show. What was it like reuniting with your modeling past?
Andy McDowell: I moved to Paris at the age of 20, it was remarkable. It was a great time in my life. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some amazing designers and do some shows. I hadn’t for a long time, until three years ago at L’Oréal Paris. It’s a lot of fun. But more importantly, I take it more seriously now because I can represent women of a certain age and show that we’re seen as strong and interesting. Everything a woman can be, regardless of age, or maybe even more because of her age.

This year the parade takes place at the Opéra Garnier. Do you remember the last time you went there?
Unfortunately, I don’t go there often enough. I’d love to, but I’ve only been there once. It was for an unusual event, it was an American gospel show. It was probably fifteen years ago. It was great.

What other places do you like in Paris?
I love the Tuileries. I love walking there, seeing the seasons go by and all the beautiful museums in the area. I love walking in Paris, I think it’s a great city to walk. I like the flowers that grow in front of the Louvre, I like to go and see how they develop. The Garden of the Rodin Museum, I don’t know how many times I have been there, I can’t count anymore. Every visit I make to Paris is magical. Paris is the most beautiful city in the world. Its architecture, its history. It is simply magnificent. There’s nothing like it in America… And I live in probably what’s close to being the most beautiful city in America, I think. It’s a lot of fun to come here.

What has been the most difficult thing for you lately?
My daughter Margarit (Qualley, editor’s note) stars in a new movie called The material (By Coralie Fargit, presented at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, editor’s note). Journalists have included me in some of the articles about him, and I wish they hadn’t, because he alone deserves recognition for his success without me being a part of it. I wish I was given the opportunity to just be his mother, because being the mother of my children is the best role of my life. He is incredibly talented. What he achieved has more depth. For me, seeing her succeed is my greatest joy. And I have nothing to do with it. I had nothing to do with its success. He did it all on his own. I watched her audition when she was 17 and I knew she knew something I could never teach her. He is really talented. She is brilliant as an actress. I know because I’ve been there, worked with great people. Regardless, I just want him to be successful and out of it. I am so proud of her. He is much braver than me. I could never do what he did. I didn’t have the guts to do the kind of work he does. I liked to act in romantic comedies, I felt comfortable there. But he breaks codes. He is himself and that’s it. I really meant it. I hope people will give him a little break. And please give me a break. Just let me be his mother.

You’ve worked with a lot of female directors recently. How is it different for you as an actress than working with male directors?
Oh, that’s interesting. It’s fascinating, I’ve worked with Diane Keaton, Anjelica Huston, Nora Ephron, just to name a few, and I’ve seen how difficult it was for them. The men around her wanted to dictate their behavior because they are men and are not used to being controlled by a woman. I saw how hard they had to work to become directors. They often wanted to reduce their power. It was interesting to be on the other side, to be able to observe them. I saw this recently with a young director I work with on a TV series. It happens even today. We are constantly trying to put women down. The truth is that we have played a role that promotes masculine power and submission, and we need to break that mold. You really have to hack it completely. We are no different. We are all human. We are not defined by any idea of ​​what femininity means.

We’ve been playing a role that promotes masculine power and submission, and we need to break that mold.

Andy McDowell

You have a 40-year career in cinema. Do you still have the same burning desire to play today?
I love my job. Indeed. I love being on set, I’m always so excited. I even enjoy learning lines, I enjoy the whole process. And I feel like that’s something I’ve perfected. I wish I had more opportunities. Being able to do things that I would like to do but are hard to come by. There are far fewer older women on screen, not many opportunities. We have small roles. It’s much harder to find a good role because we’re not on screen. But I still have hope. I hope that there will be more things and that I will have more fun. I’m having fun doing what I’m doing right now. I enjoy the work I have and try to make my character interesting. I work with female screenwriters who listen to me. I play a woman who is not defined by her femininity, and they let me do that.

What are you most proud of in your career?
Oh, two things. I am very proud of my daughter. I tell people. “Have you seen the show please? The maid ? She’s my girl and she’s amazing. You must watch The maid“. I do this all the time. I’m really proud A Day Without End (by Harold Ramis, released 1993, editor’s note). I think it’s a perfect movie. I don’t think there’s a moment that isn’t authentic. I think everything is right and honest. And I don’t think people recognize what I do. I played my role perfectly because I had to be credible. And the reason I think it worked so well is because I kept it honest and simple and clean. And the combination was magical.

Something you haven’t accomplished yet in your life.
I want to work with Jane Fonda on climate change. I am ready to do something that has more depth and meaning for me. I am very proud of my relationship with L’Oréal Paris. 39 years is unbelievable. Next year it will be 40 years. This is unheard of. I love my relationship with them, but I am willing to do charity work. I want to do something bigger, something really meaningful, powerful and strong. I love Jane Fonda, I love everything she does. He is a source of inspiration for me. His work inspires me. And I would like to do something with him or something that can make a difference in our world.

I want to work with Jane Fonda on climate change

Andy McDowell

What do you like most about yourself?
(Laughs) Oh, that’s what’s in my heart. I think a lot. It’s torture because I worry too much. I am a person who thinks too much. But there is something very beautiful along with it. We can learn profound things from it. My third act will also be to raise my spirits, to work on my commitment as a person, because this is deeply important to me. There is so much power in gentleness. And that’s where I really want to bring my strength. Be the one who cares, is gentle, and gives back.