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    1. Celebrity

    Andie MacDowell Says No One Would Care About Her Gray Hair If She Was a Man

    “It’s important to stop and think about that.”

    Rachel Burchfield's avatar
    By Rachel Burchfield
    Published 27 March 2024 In News

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    Andie MacDowell
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    Andie MacDowell’s gray hair is an oft-repeated subject of conversation surrounding the actress since she decided to let it turn that hue—and, by the way, MacDowell would like us all to know, it is silver, and not gray, thank you very much. 

    Something else she’s like us to know? That if she were a man, we wouldn’t care at all about her gray hair. In NewBeauty’s March cover story, MacDowell discussed the constant attention surrounding her hair, and the actress told the outlet “For me, it’s fascinating that it’s such a curiosity and interest to people,” she said. “I think also, it’s important to stop and think about that interest and curiosity—because it wouldn’t happen if I was a man. It happens because I’m a woman.” 

    Andie MacDowell

    MacDowell's hair is the subject of much attention in the media and amongst fans.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    MacDowell added “We have to look at that. We have to look at why there’s interest in me having silver hair, because if I were a man, there would be no question I had silver hair, right?”

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    Chatter aside, MacDowell said she loves her hair and wouldn’t have it any other shade. She actually told NewBeauty she would have gone gray sooner, but admitted she was “afraid.”

    “I finally got the courage during COVID when I saw it with my eyes and my skin color,” MacDowell said. “Once it was growing out, I could see what the color was going to be like, and I really loved it. I knew it was time.”

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    Andie MacDowell

    MacDowell, seen her with her daughter Margaret Qualley, said she went gray, er, silver during COVID after she saw how flattering the color was on her.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    MacDowell told People back in 2022 that she was inspired by her sister when it came to letting her hair do what it wanted to and be its natural color: “My sister’s full-on silver and she’s only 18 months older than me,” she said. “I thought she looked so much more beautiful being silver. I was jealous.”

    MacDowell added that, despite the attention paid to it, “she’s been overwhelmed with gratitude for the love she’s received, simply for letting her hair naturally do its thing,” People writes.  

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Andie MacDowell

    She said she would have gone gray sooner, but was scared to do so.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    “I knew instinctually that this was something that I wanted to do,” said MacDowell, who has been a L’Oréal Paris ambassador for four decades. “I’m just so thankful that L’Oreal Paris supported me and that everybody’s been so kind to me and positive. The response has been really nice. I’m just appreciative that people let me be the individual that I am without question. I think people also agree that silver hair probably suits me.”

    Rachel Burchfield
    Rachel Burchfield
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    Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor

    Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more. 

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