MacDowell was born on April 21, 1958. She landed her first role in 1984’s “Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes” as Miss Jane Porter, and the following year, she appeared in “St. Elmo’s Fire.” Her breakout role, however, came in 1989 when she starred as Ann in “Sex, Lies, and Videotape,” which landed her a Golden Globe nomination for best actress in a motion picture drama. Throughout MacDowell’s nearly four-decade career thus far, she’s starred in dozens of movies and TV shows including “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Groundhog Day.”
In 2021, Margaret told E! News that it was her idea to work alongside her mom in “Maid,” saying, “I pitched the idea to Margot Robbie, because she’s one of the producers on this, and she loved it.”
Ahead of the premiere of “Maid,” MacDowell praised her daughter on Instagram, writing, “I am incredibly proud to be part of this very special series. Working alongside my daughter @margaretqualley was an extraordinary honor, and an experience I will cherish forever.”