Shirley MacLaine

As of 2014, has appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: the winners Around the World in 80 Days (1956), The Apartment (1960), Terms of Endearment (1983) and the nominated The Turning Point (1977).

Recipient of Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime contribution to American culture, in Washington, DC on December 8, 2013 (telecast on Dec. 29). Fellow honorees are Billy Joel, 'Carlos Santana', Herbie Hancock and Martina Arroyo.

Will receive the American Film Institute's Life Achievement award on June 7, 2012, in Los Angeles. [October 2011]

In her memoir "I'm Over That And Other Confessions", she claims to have been intimate with Danny Kaye, and Robert Mitchum, among others. She told Oprah Winfrey in an April 2011 TV appearance that she was not attracted to Jack Lemmon because he was not "dangerous" and "complicated".

As of 2009, she is only one of six performers who won a Golden Globe Award as Best Lead Actor/Actress in a Motion Picture Drama without being nominated for an Oscar for that same role (hers for Madame Sousatzka (1988)). The others are Spencer Tracy in The Actress (1953), Anthony Franciosa in Career (1959), Omar Sharif in Doctor Zhivago (1965), Jim Carrey in The Truman Show (1998) and Kate Winslet in Revolutionary Road (2008).

Shirley completed filming of Closing the Ring (2007), directed by Sir Richard Attenborough, in 2007.

After taking a slight hiatus from motion pictures, Shirley returned with roles in the movies that were small, but wonderfully scene-stealing: Bewitched (2005) with Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell, In Her Shoes (2005) with Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette, in which Shirley was nominated for a Golden Globe in the best supporting actress category, and Rumor Has It (2005) with Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Costner.

Release of the book, "Out on a Leash: Exploring the Nature of Reality and Love". [2003]

In the past few years, Shirley starred in a CBS miniseries based on the life of cosmetics queen Mary Kay Ash--Hell on Heels: The Battle of Mary Kay (2002), and wrote two more books, "The Camino" in 2001, and "Out On A Leash" in 2003.

In February 2001, Shirley worked with close friends once again in These Old Broads (2001), and co-starred with Julia Stiles in Carolina (2003) and with Kirstie Alley in Salem Witch Trials (2002). MacLaine as her own website which includes her own radio show and interviews, the Encounter Board, and Independent Expression, a members-only section of the site.

Received an honorary degree from Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. [1999]

In mid-1998, she directed Bruno (2000), which starred Alex D. Linz.

In 1996, she reprised her role from "Terms of Endearment" as "Aurora Greenway" in The Evening Star (1996), which didn't repeat its predecessor's success at the box office.

Release of the book, "My Lucky Stars: A Hollywood Memoir". [1995]

She received rave reviews playing Meryl Streep's mother in Postcards from the Edge (1990) and for Guarding Tess (1994).

In 1989, she starred with Dolly Parton, Sally Field and Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias (1989).

After a five-year hiatus, Shirley made Madame Sousatzka (1988), a critical and financial hit that took top prize at the Venice Film Festival.

Release of the book, "It's All in the Playing". [1987]

Release of book, "Shirley and Warren" by James Spada. [1985]

Was the 89th actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Actress Oscar for Terms of Endearment (1983) at The 56th Annual Academy Awards (1984) on April 9, 1984.

After 20 years in the film industry, she finally took home the Best Actress Oscar for Terms of Endearment (1983).

Turned down the role of Diane Freeling in Poltergeist (1982) to play the Oscar-winning role of Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment (1983).

Led a series of weekend-long higher-self seminars in the late 1980s teaching people about her views on many aspects of New Age practices and techniques.

In 1979, she worked with Peter Sellers in Being There (1979), made shortly before his death.

In 1977, she got her fourth Best Actress Oscar nomination for The Turning Point (1977).

Dropped out of the The Blue Bird (1976) before shooting began.

After a five-year hiatus, Shirley made a documentary on China called The Other Half of the Sky: A China Memoir (1975), for which she received an Oscar nomination for best documentary.

When writing The Exorcist--The Version You've Never Seen Before (1973), William Peter Blatty based the character of "Chris O'Neil" on MacLaine, who was a friend of his.

Release of book, "Don't Fall Off the Mountain". [1970]

In 1969, she brought her friend Bob Fosse from Broadway to direct her in Sweet Charity (1969), from which she got her "signature" song, "If My Friends Could See Me Now".

Columbia originally wanted to cast her as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl (1968). However, producer Ray Stark--who produced the Broadway show and was Brice's son-in-law--insisted on Barbra Streisand repeating her Broadway role.

Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1967.

Three years later, she received a third nomination for Irma la Douce (1963).

In her book, "My Lucky Stars", MacLaine wrote that before production on My Geisha (1962) began, Yves Montand bet her husband, Steve Parker, that he could seduce her. Parker, whom MacLaine learned later, was having an affair at the time, took Montand up on the bet; Montand won.

In 1960, she got her second Academy Award nomination for The Apartment (1960).

She then took roles in Hot Spell (1958) and Around the World in 80 Days (1956), completed not too long before her daughter, Sachi Parker (born Stephanie), was born.

With Shirley's career on track, she played one of her most challenging roles: "Ginny Moorhead" in Some Came Running (1958), for which she received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

She went on to do The Sheepman (1958) and The Matchmaker (1958).

Three months later, she was off to shoot The Trouble with Harry (1955).

Shirley MacLaine was born Shirley MacLean Beaty in Richmond, Virginia. Her mother, Kathlyn Corinne (MacLean), was a drama teacher from Nova Scotia, Canada, and her father, Ira Owens Beaty, a professor of psychology and real estate agent, was from Virginia. Her brother, Warren Beatty, was born on March 30, 1937. Her ancestry includes English and Scottish. Shirley was the tallest in her ballet classes at the Washington School of Ballet. Just after she graduated from Washington-Lee High School, she packed her bags and headed for New York. While auditioning for Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's "Me and Juliet", the producer kept mispronouncing her name. She then changed her name from Shirley MacLean Beaty to Shirley MacLaine. She later had a role in "The Pajama Game", as a member of the chorus and understudy to Carol Haney. A few months into the run, Shirley was going to leave the show for the lead role in "Can-Can" but ended up filling in for Haney, who had broken her ankle and could not perform. She would fill in for Carol, again, three months later, following another injury, the very night that movie producer Hal B. Wallis was in the audience. Wallis signed MacLaine to a five-year contract to Paramount Pictures.