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Shirley MacLaine’s illustrious career includes a succession of spirited performances that have stood the test of time, as well as a long line of collaborations with Hollywood’s top names. In every decade, this legendary actress’s body of work, which spans 40 years, is defined by multiple dramatic appearances and award-winning performances. This well-known actress has appeared in Broadway musicals, television shows, and films in roles ranging from glamorous to eccentric. She’s played a small-town girl, a prostitute, a First Lady, a free-spirited hippy, a sensitive elevator operator, an eccentric piano instructor, and a fashion goddess in films that have intrigued and amused audiences all over the world. She’s been in over 60 films (and counting), has written 12 books, and directed documentaries and an indie play. She has been chastised for her interest in new-age notions such as out-of-body experiences, many reincarnations, and paranormal phenomena. She, on the other hand, shows no signs of slowing down. She is now well-known as everyone’s favorite crazy aunt or effervescent granny in supporting parts in films and television series. Continue reading if you want to discover more about this fascinating individual.

Table of Contents

Childhood and Adolescence

Shirley MacLaine Beaty was born to psychologist Ira Owens Beatty and theatrical instructor Kathlyn Corinne. Shirley Temple, an actress, inspired her name. Shirley and her brother were both brought up as Baptists. Her mother enrolled her in ballet courses when she was three years old due to her weak ankles. She was enthralled by the dancing form and never skipped a lesson. She immediately discovered, however, that due to her height, she did not have the perfect build for ballet and instead chose to act and learn other dance styles. She attended Washington-Lee High School, where she was a member of the cheerleading squad and was cast in several school performances. She tried her hand at Broadway in New York before entering senior year and was somewhat successful. Following graduation, she was cast in the musical ‘The Pajama Game,’ and was later signed by Paramount Pictures.

Career of Shiley

Shirley Maclaine won her first Golden Globe Award in 1955 for her performance as “Jennifer Rogers” in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Trouble with Harry.” She was also nominated for a BAFTA for the same role. She was cast in ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ in 1956, and garnered her first Academy Award nomination the following year for ‘Some Came Running.’ In 1960, she starred alongside Jack Lemmon in ‘The Apartment,’ a critical and economic hit that confirmed MacLaine’s status as one of the most talented and versatile actors of her generation. She went on to star in films such as “The Children’s Hour,” “Irma la Douce,” and “Two Mules for Sister Sara.”

‘The Other Half of the Sky: A China Memoir,’ which she wrote, produced, and directed in 1975, was nominated for an Academy Award in the best documentary category. ‘A Change of Seasons,’ ‘Terms of Endearment,’ ‘Madame Souzsatzka,’ and ‘Steel Magnolias,’ among others, saw MacLaine in a string of demanding performances that won critical and financial acclaim in the 1980s. ‘Out on a Limb,’ a memoir on her spiritual journey, was published in 1983. Five years later, the book was made into a television film with the same title.

Her ferocious performances in ‘Postcards from the Edge’ and ‘Waiting for the Light,’ both published in 1990, ushered in the next decade. With ‘Used People,’ ‘Guarding Tess,’ and ‘Mrs Winterbourne,’ she had a streak of hits in the 1990s. She directed her first film, ‘Bruno,’ in 2000, and got Academy Award nods for her roles in ‘Hell on Heels: The Battle of May Kay,’ ‘In Her Shoes,’ and ‘Coco Chanel,’ all during the new millennium. In 2011, she published ‘I’m All Over That: And Other Confessions,’ which became a best-seller and gave readers a glimpse into her life as well as everything else relating to love, marriage, and home. She has been playing Martha Levinson on the hit TV series ‘Downtown Abbey’ since 2012. Major Works ‘The Apartment,’ which was released in 1960 and grossed $25 million at the box office, was a critical and commercial success. She was nominated for an Academy Award and won a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and the Volpi Cup for her performance as ‘Fran Kubelik.’ Her performance as ‘Aurora Greenway’ in the 1983 film ‘Terms of Endearment’ brought her a slew of accolades, including an Academy Award nomination. In the United States alone, the film grossed $108,423,489 dollars.

Achievements & Awards

She received a ‘Honorary Golden Bear’ at the 49th Berlin International Film Festival in 1999. The ’40th AFI Lifetime Achievement Award,’ the highest distinction for a career in film, was bestowed upon this remarkable actress by the American Film Institute in 2012. At 1165 Vine Street, MacLaine has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Estimated Net Worth

Shirley MacLaine is an actress, singer, dancer, activist, and novelist from the United States with a net worth of $50 million. Shirley MacLaine has had a remarkable professional career spanning more than six decades.

Trivia

This well-known actress shattered her ankle while warming up backstage just before her school’s ballet performance, but she went on to give it her all on stage. Between 2007 and 2008, this well-known actress was interviewed multiple times for her interest in UFOs by CNN, NBC, and Fox new channels.