The upcoming Netflix dramedy series Maid has just added veteran actress Andie MacDowell (Green Card, Jane By Design) to its sizable roster of A-listers, led by MacDowell’s real-life daughter Margaret Qualley (Fosse/Verdon, The Leftovers), as reported by Deadline. Maid will represent the inaugural instance of MacDowell sharing the screen with her youngest daughter.
Maid is based on journalist Stephanie Land‘s critically acclaimed memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and Mother’s Will to Survive. The series is written and executive produced by Molly Smith Metzler (Casual, Orange is the New Black). Qualley plays Alex, single mother who takes up a housekeeping position to provide for herself and her young daughter, according to Deadline. MacDowell will perform the role of Paula, Alex’s gregarious mother, The Loop reports. MacDowell is only the latest addition to the series cast; Anika Noni Rose (The Princess and the Frog, Dreamgirls) had her involvement announced in mid-September, courtesy of Deadline. Rose will reportedly play affluent family attorney Regina, according to Deadline.” Land made separate congratulatory tweets to welcome both MacDowell and Rose to the series, although she clarified that, despite her role as an executive producer on Maid, she could not take credit for any of the casting decisions.
Margaret’s sister Rainey Qualley (Love in the Time of Corona, Falcon Song) has already had the experience of acting alongside her mother. MacDowell played her mother in her big screen debut, the 2012 indie film Mighty Fine. In a Teen Vogue interview, Rainey spoke about what it was like for her to share scenes with her mother: “At first, I was a little apprehensive. Like all mothers, my mother has a tendency to be a bit overbearing and always give her two cents but she gave me my space and allowed me to figure things out for myself.”
When the Associated Press interviewed MacDowell in 2018, she spoke glowingly about Rainey’s music career and championed Margaret’s acting prowess: “She’s extremely talented. She blows my mind.” An interview with Paper seemed to reveal Margaret’s self-consciousness about her reputation as a member of a celebrity legacy: “I do sometimes think I don’t deserve the life I have… While I would like to believe that working hard will make it so that I can continue to do this, I’m well-aware doors have been opened for me. I was given opportunities from a very young age that I would not have otherwise had.”