Mary McDonnell Is Stunning with Gray Hair at 71 — Her Son Is by Her Side after Divorce from Husband of 37 Years

• Mary McDonnell divorced her longtime husband, Randle Mell.
• Despite her marriage ending, McDonnell and Mell share many wonderful kids, whom the actress loves to show off.

Mary McDonnell, the star of the hit film "Dances with Wolves," has changed a good deal since she portrayed the role of Stands with a Fist. The actress has proven her mettle time and again, both on the stage and in front of a camera. She was twice nominated for an Oscar, once for a Golden Globe, and won a Primetime Emmy for "The Closer."

The Pennsylvania native graduated from the State University of New York. She took up acting and joined the highly acclaimed Long Wharf Theatre Company. Almost twenty years later, McDonnell landed her first notable role as Stands with a Fist, which also earned her her very first Academy Award nomination.

After a highly successful career, McDonnell is still busy with new projects, although she's obviously also making time for her family. The actress shared a photo on her Instagram of her and her son, Michael Mell. The two looked blissful in the snapshot as they celebrated St. Patrick's Day together.

After they met, Randle and Mary were friends for a while.

The image showed Michael smiling at the camera from behind a big beard while wearing an Ireland Rugby beanie. His famous mom sat behind him, leaning on his shoulder lovingly, with her nails a bright red, her eyes sparkling behind a pair of glasses, and her gray locks loosely framing her face.

The two seemingly celebrated the holiday by going to a local pub or restaurant, and McDonnell declared her love for St. Patrick's Day by captioning the post, "Oh HOW I LOVE THIS DAY Happy St. Pats all ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️."

The End of Mary McDonnell's Marriage

McDonnell shares her two children, son Michael and daughter Olivia Mell, with her ex-husband Randle Mell. Mell spoke about the first time he met his wife, saying he fell head over heels for her the moment he first saw her. The two starred together in the film "Grand Canyon" but didn't get together right away.

McDonnell and Mell's only son, Michael, has made a life for himself as a musician.

After they met, Mell and McDonnell were friends for a while. They got to know each other over time and eventually started dating. Finally, the two got married in 1984, and welcomed their first child, Olivia, in 1987. Their son, Michael, followed eight years later, in 1995.

McDonnell reflected on how she met Mell, saying he was immensely talented. She revealed she had dated numerous other actors before she met her ex-husband.

Mell, on the other hand, wasn't used to dating other actors and came from a large, more traditional family. McDonnell recalled that one of the aspects that attracted her to Mell was his acting prowess, and she remarked:

"He was incredibly talented. I never develop a crush on an actor unless they're talented. Randy was so talented, and we have the same values still. I think that's extremely important in a marriage. I think there has to be a friendship."

She also noted that she and Mell shared "like-minded values," which is another thing that brought them together in the first place. The entertainer confessed they were both "very stubborn," which led to more than a few conflicts. But their wilfulness also often worked in their favor.

The couple's obstinacy helped them through some of the worst times and often kept them together, but it also led to them bumping heads on numerous occasions. Mell and McDonnell finally decided to divorce in 2021, after 37 years together. The couple sold their home in Pacific Palisades a year earlier.

Randle and Mary's Children

McDonnell and Mell's only son, Michael, has made a life for himself as a musician. His Instagram profile is filled with videos of him performing songs in front of a camera and joining other musicians in front of live audiences. Michael is a proficient guitar player, and he also enjoys singing.

It seems Olivia shares a close bond with her brother.

Besides making a living as a musician, Michael also married the woman of his dreams. In August 2022, he proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Andrea Ochoa. Michael shared images from the event, showing off a beautiful lake. His sister also congratulated them, referring to Andrea as her "sister."

Like her brother, Olivia also chose to go into entertainment. She followed in her mother's footsteps by becoming an actress and started her career with short projects such as "The Orchard" and "Lambda House Presents: Facebook Official." She also starred in the TV show "Major Crimes" alongside her mother.

Besides working on a career as an actress, Olivia is also starting a family of her own. In August 2022, her longtime boyfriend, Scott Reddy, proposed to her in their Brooklyn apartment. Olivia wrote on her Instagram profile how Scott planned the event, waiting to buy the perfect ring.

In a happy turn of events, Scott decided he couldn't wait, and using a ring made from a shoelace, he got down on one knee and asked Olivia to be his bride. A month later, he found the perfect ring, and Olivia shared the story on her social media, along with a few pictures of her crying tears of joy and showing off her new ring.

Like McDonnell and her son, Scott and Olivia also celebrated their Irish heritage by engaging in some St. Patrick's Day frivolities. Olivia posted an image of them sharing two pints of Guinness beer at a pub and captioned the post, "Sláinte from these two Irish kids ☘️💚🍀."

It seems Olivia shares a close bond with her brother. The actress shared a video of her and her sibling singing the hit song "Bohemian Rhapsody" by the band Queen while making their way to a recording session. The two crooned emphatically, beautifully blending their voices and showing off their vocal talents.