Shirley MacLaine is more than the brother of Warren Beaty.
She’s been in so many movies and TV shows that your parents and grandparents have probably
seen at least one of them.
She continues to work today but doesn’t feel the need to surround herself with people.
She loves working with others but feels at peace when she’s allowed to be alone.
She uses her time to contemplate the mysteries of the universe.
She's developed strong opinions on sexuality and spirituality that she isn't afraid to
share.
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Keep watching to learn why Shirly MacLaine lives her life in isolation today.
Early Life Shirley MacLean Beaty was born on the 24th
of April, 1934, in Richmond, Virginia.
She was named after Shirley Temple who was still a major child star at the time.
Her famous brother, Warren Beatty, was born on March 30, 1937.
She was a clumsy toddler who would often fall over when she tried to walk.
Her mother enrolled her in the Washington School of Ballet when she was 3.
She fell in love with performing and never missed a class.
Shirley played boy roles in classics such as Romeo and Juliet and The Sleeping Beauty
because she was the tallest in the class.
Her first major female role was the fairy godmother in Cinderella, which she performed
with a broken ankle.
Shirley eventually changed her mind about becoming a professional ballerina.
She felt she didn’t have the ideal body type and wanted to try other art forms.
Shirley was a bit of a tomboy by the time she reached high school.
She played on an all-boys baseball team where she broke the home run record and earned the
nickname “Powerhouse.”
She was also on the cheerleading squad and acted in theatrical productions there.
Her Early Career Shirley moved to New York during the summer
before her senior year.
She made her Broadway debut as part of the chorus of Oklahoma.
She went back to New York after graduating high school and danced in a production of
Me and Juliet.
Shirley was Carol Haney’s understudy in The Pajama Game.
She almost left to play the lead in Can-Can but decided to stay on.
She replaced Carol in May of 1954 when she injured her ankle and filled in for her again
3 months later.
That was when she was discovered by Paramount Pictures producer Hal B. Wallis.
He signed her to a 5-year contract.
Shirley’s film debut came in 1955 when she acted in The Trouble with Harry.
It earned her a Golden Globe award for New Star of the Year.
It led to several other roles, including Around the World in 80 Days.
She was nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Some Came Running in 1958.
One of her most famous roles was in the 1960 film The Apartment.
It won 10 Academy Award nominations.
She lost the Best Actress Award to Elizabeth Taylor and later said that she thought she
would win it.
Her roles after that included The Children’s Hour in 1961 and Irma la Douce in 1963.
The Lawsuit Shirley is also known for a public dispute
with Hal Wallis.
She covered the incident in her first memoir, Don’t Fall Off the Mountain, published in
1970.
Columnist Mike Connoly wrote about it in The Hollywood Reporter, and she was so angry about
what he said that she punched him in the mouth.
That later appeared in The New York Post on June 11, 1963.
The story was on page 5 with the headline “Shirley Delivers a Punchy Line.”
Shirley did eventually take Hal to court for violating the terms of her contract and won.
Her Later Career The incident with Hal didn’t stop Shirley’s
career.
She managed to replace Marilyn Monroe in two projects; Imra la Douce in 1963 and What a
Way to Go in 1964.
She also appeared in the film version of the musical Sweet Charity in 1969 and won a Golden
Globe for Best Actress.
One of the few failures that Shirley ever had was her attempt at a sitcom Shirley's
World.
It only ran from 1971-1972.
Her critically acclaimed documentary, The Other Half of the Sky: A China Memoir, was
released in 1975.
It faired better and was nominated for a Documentary Features Oscar.
Shirley also appeared in filmed concerts.
One of them became a famous live album called Shirley MacLain Live at the Palace.
Her projects after that earned plenty of other accolades, including a Women in Film Crystal
Award for The Turning Point in 1977 and a Golden Globe for Being There in 1979.
Her relationship with Anthony Hopkins kept the 1980 film A Change of Seasons from being
a success.
One of her most successful films was Terms of Endearment in 1983.
It earned $108.4 million, making it the second-highest-grossing film of the year.
It got 11 Academy Award nominations and won 5, including 1 for Shirley.
Steel Magnolias and Postcards from the Edge were also raging successes, and she worked
at a rapid pace in the 2000s.
The first movie she ever directed was Bruno in 2000.
She’s also appeared in several TV shows, including Out on a Limb, Downton Abby, and,
most recently, Only Murders in the Building.
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Keep watching to learn more about why Shirly MacLain lives her life in isolation today
and how it’s changed her views on the world.
Shirley’s Love Life and Family Shirly MacLaine was once asked if she’d
ever want to get remarried and responded that she’s “never really been married.”
That’s not literally true; she was married to Steve Parker from September 17, 1954- December
9, 1982.
They had one child together, a daughter named Sachi Parker.
Shirley claims that she had an open relationship with Steve, but a story in her book My Lucky
Stars puts that into doubt.
Her costar in My Geisha, Yves Montand, bet her husband that he could seduce her.
He won the bet, mainly because she learned that Steve was having an affair at the time.
Shirley has never considered herself a sex symbol, but she’s listed a few of her alleged
sexual conquests in her books.
They include Danny Kane, Robert Mitchum, and more.
One of the few men she claims not to be attracted to is Jack Lemmon.
He wasn’t dangerous or complicated enough for her.
Shirley’s Relationship with the Rat Pack Shirley was close friends with the famous
Rat Pack.
They’ve worked on several movies together, including Some Came Running in 1958, Ocean’s
Eleven and Can-Can in 1960, and Cannonball Run II in 1984.
She enjoyed working with them and remembers the experience as one of the most important
in her life.
She could tell they enjoyed comedic roles, and it helped her learn.
They protected her and taught her more about sarcasm and how to make the audience laugh.
Living in Isolation Shirley MacClaine has had plenty of friends
and potential lovers, but she now lives in isolation.
She spent a year and a half in the mountains of New Mexico and then returned to California.
Shirley says that she doesn’t get tired of being by herself.
She prefers it because it helps puts her at peace and gives her time to dive into deep
topics.
Shirley continues to work but also makes sure she has time for herself.
Her focus has shifted so far from acting that her talent agent threatened to quit in 1972.
Shirley’s free time has allowed her to focus on other interests.
She’s become a political activist and supported George McGovern's campaign for president.
She also uses isolation as a way to free herself to contemplate the universe, the meaning of
life, and other deep questions.
Shirley’s Beliefs Shirley firmly believes in reincarnation and
past lives.
She says that she once lived in Atlantis and was the brother of a 35,000-year-old spirit
named Ramtha who was channeled by author J.Z.
Knight.
Shirley's even spent time with the Dalai Lama in India and says that when the soul of that
country gets into you, it never goes away.
She was proud when he began to endorse marriage equality.
Shirley believes that everyone should be free to express their sexual identity however they
choose.
She doesn’t feel that there are only 2 sexes.
To her, choosing not to identify with any of them can make you feel freer.
Themes of metaphysics and spirituality are present in many of her books.
She’s written 10 from 1983-2007.
She says that she was originally interested in writing because she was curious about how
“insane everybody is.”
She no longer feels interested in writing any other books.
At the age of 88, she struggles to even hold a pen.
She’s not interested in dictating it to someone else and says that there’s already
too much technology in the world, but that could change.
Spiritual themes have also appeared in films that she’s appeared in.
There's a scene in Defending Your Life where her character explains her past lives.
She also sings a version of the song I’m Still Here in Postcard from the Edge with
more metaphysical lyrics than the original.
Shirley also has an interest in UFOs.
She described alien encounters in her 2007 book Sage-in While Age-ing and spoke about
her neighbors seeing UFOs in an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show.
Shirley’s Legacy Shirley MacLaine’s career has spanned over
7 decades so far.
She’s been in countless films and earned plenty of honors during that time.
Two films that feature Shirley MacClain have been selected for the National Film Registry;
The Apartment and Being There.
She received an honorary degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
She has several honorary awards, including an AFI Life Achievement Award, a Gala Tribute,
and a Kennedy Center Honor.
The government of France even made her a Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur.
She also got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.
What’s your favorite Shirley MacLaine film?
Let us know in the comments below.
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