Andie MacDowell admits she is benefitting from 'reverse nepotism'... after opening up about health battle

Hollywood superstar Andie MacDowell has claimed that she is experiencing 'reverse nepotism' thanks to daughter Margaret Qualley's blossoming career.

The 66-year-old is known for her roles in Four Wedding and a Funeral, Green Card and Groundhog Day, but these days it is her relation to The Substance star Margaret which has made her 'cool.'

During her appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, the Cedar Cove actress joked about the boost of fame she is getting thanks to her child's success.

She told the host: 'I am now [what] they always accuse the children of... But I'm now cool because I'm Margaret Qualley's mom and also Jack Antonoff's mother-in-law.  

'So it's a double whammy. [I get] letters in the mailbox. "I think you're wonderful," and you know, they're 13!'

MacDowell and ex Paul Qualley share son Justin, 38, as well as daughters Rainey, 35, and Margaret, 30. 

Margaret's career began to flourish after impressive performances in The Leftovers (which ran from 2014 to 2017), The Nice Guys (2016) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).

She starred alongside her mother in the celebrated Netflix drama, Maid, in 2021, before going on to star in film such as Poor Things (2023) and Kinds of Kindness (2024).

The actress, who most recently earned a Golden Globe nomination for her role alongside Demi Moore in The Substance, is married to Taylor Swift's longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff following their 2023 nuptials.

Elsewhere, Andie shared an unexpected health update with the world during an earlier appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show.

The Way Home actress revealed that she suffers from Piriformis Syndrome - a condition that causes pain, numbness, or tingling in the buttocks and down the back of the leg. It occurs when the piriformis muscle spasms and compresses the sciatic nerve, according to the Mayo Clinic.

She explained: 'It's a muscle that kind of clamps down on my sciatic nerve and it was shooting down my leg. I thought I was gonna have to have hip replacement. Thank God my hips are fine.'

The star revealed she exercises the pain away with a personal trainer, adding: '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 said thanks to the exercises 'it doesn't hurt anymore - it's a miracle, it really is.'

Earlier this month MacDowell admitted that she feels like she's been 'lucky' throughout her career.

The movie star has starred in a host of big-budget films during her career, but Andie doesn't take anything for granted.

She told People: 'It's a miracle I made it. I'm not going to take anything from me, but I had to overcome some really huge hurdles.'

The actress has also retained her passion for making movies, in spite of her fame and success as she reflected: 'I get so excited when I'm walking onto set.

'It's nice at my age and after all this time to have that feeling of joy. I'm very conscious of it, so I try to share it and tell everybody how lucky we are.'

Despite her success, MacDowell still suffers self-doubts from time to time as she explained: 'I still struggle. Sometimes I'm really hard on myself. I'm my absolute worst critic. 

'But sometimes it feels like I'm flying.'

Meanwhile, Andie recently claimed that she feels 'too old' to conform to Hollywood's beauty standards.

The actress has enjoyed a successful career in the movie business - but Andie feels female stars continue to face some unhealthy pressures.

Speaking to People, Andie recalled: 'I did a fitting and the dress was really tight around my waist. It looks so good, but I woke up and I just knew it was not the right thing for me to do.

'I wanted to wear something that was comfortable. And, of course, immediately I shamed myself for not being able to fit into this dress.

'But that's Hollywood. It's this expectation, like you see in [daughter Margaret Qualley's movie The Substance], to be something that you can no longer be and that was easier at a certain time in your life, but I can't.'