Archive - Andie McDowall

Andie Macdowell is Special Guest at the Gala Opening of the Mostra de Valencia, Valencia's Annual Film Festival, And holds a press conference at the Museo de la Ciudad

This Thursday 13th October morning saw the über elegant Andie Macdowell take a guided tour of this beautiful city, visit all the museums, taste fine Valencian food and go jogging through the dry riverbeds. And all before sitting down to chat about it all to a, it has to be said, rather minimal audience at her press conference. "If I were Paris Hilton, this place would probably be full. But do I want to be Paris Hilton?", she chuckled. Macdowell proved herself to be intelligent, humble and inquisitive - not much like Ms. Hilton, then - and declared she was used to people assuming she was upper class from the parts she usually plays, going on to talk about her middle class childhood - "poor, even, at times - I remember we had to turn off the heat in Winter" during which she left school at 15 to work. "I am self-educated, curious, quite intelligent, and just trying to be the best person I can."

She confessed she hadn't actually heard much about Valencia or La Mostra before coming here, but was amazed by the incredible mix of modern architecture with old, something they just don't get in the States, especially the old! Although afraid to pronounce anything in Spanish, not wanting to get it wrong, she talked of discovering Pinazo - his work reminded her of Voulard, and thought it was fantastic to see all the pieces together, though none of us had probably seen it and she was sure we took it for granted. While over here, she also saw an Amenábar film for the first time, Tesis, which made her glad she had never taken part in any violent films and contributed to the violence in the world in that way.

When it comes to Politics, The Big P, she is not keen on using the strong voice that fame tends to give celebrities, preferring to only speak out when she really feels she knows what she is talking about. However, for her last film, Terror Road, she spent some time with HIV+ orphans, and was clearly very affected by her visit, which she kept referring back to again and again. While in a church in the most impoverished area of Cape Town, she met a woman who had written a play on the subject of AIDS in Africa, and how amongst the poorest of the poor the men believe that if they sleep with a virgin they will be cured. Macdowell now wants to get this play out there to help the cause - when she gets back to the U.S. she hopes to go to Washington D.C. to attend an AIDS benefit with the likes of Bono and 4 Weddings Director Richard Curtis.

Talking about her 3 children, she described her daughters as bright beautiful and capable, and explained how important it was for her this last year to be with her son in his last year of high school before going off to "college" this September. She enjoys doing her advertising campaigns even more now because of her age, and is filled with dignity and pride not only for herself but for all womankind to feel beautiful and have other women of her age feel beautiful still.

Andie Macdowell came across as an intelligent, beautiful, centred and humble woman, it was only a shame her translator was so embarrassingly awful, as she did not do her justice, and barely understood the questions, changing Andie's answers into Spanish in a way that made her seem far less bright, clever and funny than she actually is. By the end of the press conference, most of the press were more than frustrated with what was going on, and had to keep reminding the translator of bits she had left out! What a pity. We just feel sorry for those who didn't get the full monty, as they wouldn't have realised what an amazing woman they had before them - Andie, we want to be your best friend!

WORDS AND PICTURES
ANITA DARLING
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