Andie MacDowell is about the receive a major honor.
The legendary actress, known by Hallmark fans for her roles in “The Way Home” as the matriarch Del Landry and in “Cedar Cove” as Judge Olivia Lockhart, will soon be honored by The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation in May. MacDowell is one of the world’s most beloved actresses across film and television, with an impressive body of work that has gained her critical and commercial acclaim.
Outside of her work on-screen, the actress is also known for her extensive philanthropic work with charities, serving as the spokesperson for the American Heart Association and the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.
MacDowell to Be Honored at the 51st Annual Gracie Awards Gala
GettyIt was announced on April 29 that MacDowell is set to become the recipient of the Gracies Icon Award at the 51st Annual Gracie Awards Gala. The gala is set to take place at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on May 19. The ceremony will feature a performance from Mickey Guyton and be hosted by Yvette Nicole Brown, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The Gracies Icon Award is designed to honor “a woman whose impact extends far beyond entertainment.” The recipient will be “one who has reshaped how women are seen, what they can be, and what audiences expect.” The honor isn’t based on a single role, but instead, for an exceptional body of work that is “defined by authenticity, resilience, and an unwavering sense of self in an industry that rarely makes space easy,” per the AWMF organization.
“Andie MacDowell belongs in the company of the legends who have carried this award before her,” Becky Brooks, President of AWMF said. “She has shown us what it looks like to lead with integrity, to grow with intention, and to stay fully, unapologetically herself, and she has done it in a way that has opened doors for women across the industry. We are honored to recognize her at the 51st Annual Gracie Awards.”
MacDowell’s iconic filmography speaks for itself. Following her breakout role in Joel Schumacher’s “St. Elmo’s Fire,” the actress was catapulted into stardom with her role in Steven Soderbergh’s “Sex, Lies, and Videotape,” which won the Palme d’Or at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. She went on to star in a number of beloved films, such as “Groundhog Day,” “Four Weddings And A Funeral,” and “Green Card.”
She earned her most recent nomination for “Maid,” the critically acclaimed Netflix limited series opposite her daughter Margaret Qualley.
MacDowell Reveals Piriformis Syndrome Diagnosis
“I have piriformis syndrome, so it’s a muscle that kind of clamps down on my sciatic nerve, and it was shooting down my leg,” MacDowell told fellow actress Drew Barrymore during a January 2025 appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show.”
She continued, “I thought I was going to have to have hip replacement, thank God, my hips are fine.”
“I have to work my tiny little bottom and my hips. I have to work the bottom and work my hip. I just do it every day,” MacDowell added. She claimed that it was a “miracle” that it “doesn’t hurt anymore.”
According to Cleveland Clinic, piriformis syndrome causes “pain or numbness in your butt, hip or upper leg. It occurs when the piriformis muscle presses on the sciatic nerve. The condition may be caused by injury, swelling, muscle spasms or scar tissue in the piriformis.”
MacDowell Discusses the Final Season of ‘The Way Home’
MacDowell recently sat down on the TODAY show to discuss the fourth and final season of “The Way Home.” When asked if she was happy with the way the season was turning out, MacDowell responded, “It’s been a wonderful experience to get to work and play the same character for four years, has been just very positive experience in my life.”
Though she was on Hallmark’s first show, “Cedar Cove,” for three seasons, MacDowell explained that “living in a character for four years has been a great experience.”
She said that it was “so much fun” to be able to build a sense of “intimacy” with who her character is. “You feel like you know her so well,” she said of Del Landry.
“I love the set. It was like coming home,” MacDowell said when asked if she had any meaningful memories that stand out to her. She described the set as “warm and beautiful” and attributed this to the crew’s hard work.
