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There's been a lot of talk about Hollywood continuously casting "Nepo Babies". While this discussion has mostly been skewed to the negative, there's no doubt that some of the best actors happen to be the offspring of some rather famous people. This includes Margaret Qualley, who is clearly so much more than just Andie MacDowell's youngest daughter. Although, Margaret, like her sister Rainey, has the benefit of having a different surname than their famous mother.
Given Margaret Qualley's incredible success in Hollywood, one could easily forget just how influential her mother has been in the industry. While she's been in some of the most critically acclaimed films of the past, such as Groundhog Day, Andie MacDowell continues to show her immense talent in projects like Maid and Netflix's Along for the Ride.
During her noteworthy career, MacDowell also had the chance at collaborating with some truly gifted people, including When Harry Met Sally and Silkwood writer/director, Nora Ephron. Unfortunately, MacDowell's time working with the late legend was in on what's deemed one of her worst films, 1996's Michael.
In an interview with Vulture, MacDowell revealed why she wanted to star in Michael, what she really thought about her co-star, John Travolta, and Nora Ephron herself.
What Is Nora Ephron's Michael About?
For those who don't remember, the 1996 film stars John Travolta as an angel who has fallen from grace and goes on a road trip with a bunch of exploitative, tabloid journalists, played by William Hurt, Robert Pastorelli, and Andie MacDowell.
While the concept is strange, the film does have a certain 1990s charm that many are nostalgic for. It also made over $100 million at the box office. However, it certainly isn't one of Nora Ephron's finest works.
How Andie MacDowell Was Cast In Michael
Andie MacDowell, like many people, was a huge fan of Nora Ephron. The acclaimed journalist/writer/director had already released When Harry Met Sally, Silkwood, and Sleepless In Seattle, so MacDowell was excited at the idea of working with her. But in her interview with Vulture, MacDowell revealed she also liked Michael's script.
"I loved the script and thought it was magical. I thought it was so clever, and I love romantic comedies," Andie MacDowell explained to Vulture. "I was cast pretty early on — I went in for the audition and sang for Nora. I don’t really consider myself a singer, but I was very brave. I think that was what solidified the audition. I remember her laughing at me. So that was a good sign."
At the time, Andie MacDowell was raising three young children in Montana.
"I’d work, and then I’d go home and not think about working for three months. I’d just be a mother. I wouldn’t read a script; I’d just focus on my kids. Then I knew it’d be time to get a job, so I’d call my agent," she said to Vulture. "It was much easier then, because your thirties are the best time for your career, as a woman. I’d say, 'Start sending me some scripts.' I knew I really wanted Michael, so I flew in and went to fight for it."
Andie MacDowell On Working With John Travolta
While the cast of Michael was filled with recognizable talent, John Travolta was unequivocally the star.
"He’s a huge person," Andie MacDowell said to Vulture about working with John Travolta on Michael.
"You don’t miss him; he fills up a room and takes up a lot of space," she continued. "He’s very generous and kind. He had his own cook, and would offer to feed you, which was always a nice bonus. He’s got a very special energy around him. I don’t know how to describe it, but he has more energy around him than most anybody I’ve ever met."
Andie MacDowell On Working With Nora Ephron
Even Meryl Streep has called Nora Ephron "intimidating", according to The New Yorker. She just had that reputation about her. Still, so many people who've worked with the acclaimed filmmaker absolutely adored her. Partly because she was such a trailblazer.
"I was a little intimidated," Andie MacDowell admitted to Vulture about working with Nora Ephron.
"I think Nora, in the time she was directing, was forced to — she had to really be in touch with her masculine side. I remember one time somebody tried to help her up onto something, and she was like, 'No, thank you.' That sort of thing. At that period of time, women were fighting so hard to be accepted as equal. They’d wear suits and act like men in order to be taken seriously. So I think there was that part of her that was very powerful, because she felt that’s what she had to do in order to succeed. She had to let go of some of her feminine side. I think in her real life she allowed that, but at work she was tough."
As for the film itself, Andie MacDowell told Vulture that she's not exactly sure why Michael gets criticized as being one of Ephron's weakest films.
"I don’t know if people felt like she needed to be picked on at that time? That was baffling to me. I watched the [Ephron] documentary as well, and I was hurt and confused about why our movie wasn’t in there," MacDowell admitted to Vulture.
"But maybe that was part of the reason she wasn’t as proud of it, because people put it down," she continued. "I don’t see anything wrong with the movie. I don’t understand why people can be so cruel and so harsh. I guess I’d have to rewatch it with somebody who’s technically more educated than I am. But I don’t understand why they tortured her that way."