Malcolm McDowell and his ex-wife Mary Steenburgen will be seen together on screen again after more than thirty years. That is an important reunion.
The former couple, who divorced in 1990 after a decade of marriage, will star together in the upcoming film Last Train to Fortune, their first collaboration since the 1983 film Cross Creek.
The 81-year-old British actor said reuniting with the 71-year-old Stepbrothers alum felt natural and comfortable, especially considering they first met on the set of 1979’s Time After Time.
“I didn’t really know what it would be like, but from the moment we started rehearsing, it was like putting on a pair of comfortable slippers,” he said People on Friday.
“The work experience was just so enjoyable and it felt like I was supporting you, that kind of thing,” he added.
Malcolm McDowell, 81, and Mary Steenburgen, 71, will share the screen again in a major reunion after more than three decades; Seen in a still image
The former couple, who split in 1990 after a decade of marriage, will star together in the upcoming film Last Train to Fortune, their first collaboration since the 1983 film Cross Creek; (pictured 1979)
McDowell noted that their chemistry was still as strong as when they worked together on Time After Time, which was a great experience for both of them.
“We both fell in love with that film, but we both have other partners now and are very happy,” he added.
McDowell married Kelley Kuhr in 1991, while Steenburgen has been married to Ted Danson since 1995.
In the western film, McDowell plays Cecil Peachtree, a strict schoolmaster who misses the last train to Fortune around 1870.
He encounters a bandit named Dooley (played by James Paxton) and they make a pact: Dooley agrees to escort Cecil to Fortune in exchange for the schoolmaster’s long-awaited stipend.
McDowell said the film’s producers initially suggested he contact Steenburgen, with whom he has daughters Lilly, 43, and Charlie, 40, and convince her to take part in the film.
Ultimately, however, he delegated the task to another member of the production team.
“She read it and said, ‘Yeah, I’d love to do it,'” he told the outlet. “When I got on set, she just looked at me and said, ‘Why didn’t you call me?’ I remember saying to her, ‘Well, you’re here, right? So it doesn’t matter who called.'”
The British actor said reuniting with the Stepbrothers alumnus felt natural and comfortable; pictured in 1981
“I didn’t really know what it was going to be like, but from the moment we started rehearsing, it was like putting on a pair of comfortable slippers,” he told People on Friday; (1979’s Time After Time)
McDowell said the film’s producers initially suggested he contact Steenburgen, with whom he shares daughters Lilly, 43, and Charlie, 40, (pictured in 2006), and convince her to participate in the film.
Steenburgen has been married to Ted Danson since 1995; (photo March)
McDowell married Kelley Kuhr in 1991; (2012 photo)
He also noted that Steenburgen provided valuable insights on set that enhanced their scene together.
She said, “Well, before you… [to Fortune]”I teach the kids, but I can’t be a very good teacher, can I? If we hired you to come teach. Otherwise, I would do it myself,” he recalled.
“I thought, ‘Well, that’s a good point. You better not teach them too well.’ So just little things like that.”
He added: ‘She’s absolutely amazing. It was beautiful.’