Who are Charlie McDowell’s parents? All we know about Lily Collins husband’s family

While Lily Collins is well known as Phil Collins’ daughter, her husband, Charlie McDowell, grew up with show business ties of his own. He is the son of the celebrated British actor, Malcolm McDowell, and Oscar-winning actress, Mary Steenburgen. Recently, Steenburgen’s decades of work off-screen were recognized. The Television Academy announced that she had been chosen to receive the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, which honored her lifelong commitment to activism and global good.

While her former husband, Malcolm McDowell, showed no signs of slowing down either. Speaking with People, the star reflected on his ongoing passion for acting.

"I still love working. I guess the day that I don't love it, I guess that's when I'll stop, but I don't feel it anywhere near soon," he shared.

The couple was married from 1978 to 1990.

Malcolm McDowell praises Lily Collins despite not liking her hit Netflix series:

Emily in Paris may have captured audiences worldwide, but Malcolm McDowell admitted it never became one of his favorites, even though the star of the series, Lily Collins, happened to be his daughter-in-law. In an interview with People, McDowell spoke candidly about the Netflix hit.

"To be honest with you, it's not my kind of thing, and Lily knows that," he shared.

Despite not being drawn to the show, McDowell had only praise for Lily Collins.

"But I'm the biggest fan of my daughter-in-law. I think she's absolutely one of the great actresses," he explained.

Malcolm McDowell also reflected on the presence Collins brought to the screen. "The aura around her", he noted, "is so beautiful. She has such a beautiful quality."

"As far as I'm concerned, when she's on the screen, there's nobody else on it, because she's not only a good actress, but she has a beautiful quality. I suppose, it's a sort of charisma," McDowell added.

Proud grandfather Malcolm McDowell reflects on Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell’s baby girl:

For Malcolm McDowell, becoming a grandfather had been one of life’s sweetest joys. In an interview with People tied to his film Et Tu, the actor spoke lovingly about his granddaughter Tove, born to his son Charlie McDowell and daughter-in-law Lily Collins. "She's absolutely gorgeous," McDowell said of the baby girl, now almost seven months old. "Absolutely beautiful."

He went on to share that he had three other granddaughters and delighted in the ways their personalities differed.

"I love being around them and just watching the antics that go on and the dynamic and the difference between them all. It's staggering, they're so different in personality and everything. It's just beautiful to watch." he shared.

While McDowell admitted he often played the role of observer, he still enjoyed being close by.

"Of course, being a grandfather, you're kind of watching it from afar, they come over and swim or something and I see them occasionally, but we live in the same town, so it's really nice to bump into them on the street and it's great." he shared.

Lily Collins and her filmmaker husband had revealed in January that they welcomed their first child. Sharing the news on Instagram, Collins wrote,

“Welcome to the center of our world Tove Jane McDowell.”

Lily Collins recalls knowing Charlie McDowell was the one right away:

Lily Collins described her engagement to director Charlie McDowell as both surprising and inevitable. Speaking on Live with Kelly and Ryan, the actress said she knew early in their relationship that she wanted to marry him.

“I was very surprised as to when and where it would happen, but it was one of those situations where I knew the second that I met him that I wanted to be his wife one day, so, it was just a matter of when, really.” Collins shared.

Collins recalled that McDowell captured the moment by secretly filming the proposal.

“It was all pretty much pre-planned. He did a self-timer video, which we were then able to then later get screen grabs. But, he set the whole thing up without me knowing, obviously,” she explained.

The proposal took place during a road trip, where McDowell presented her with a rose-cut diamond ring designed by jeweler Irene Neuwirth.

“I was very, very surprised by it, but it’s exactly what I would’ve wanted, and he knew me so well,” Collins added.