At 89, Shirley MacLaine shows no sign of slowing down. The Academy Award-winning actress still enjoys Hollywood nights out, often seen sipping martinis while dining. Her seven-decade career has made her life story one of Hollywood’s most fascinating.
MacLaine’s impressive filmography includes classics like The Apartment, The Trouble With Harry, Two Mules for Sister Sara, and Guarding Tess. Her role in the 1989 film Steel Magnolias remains iconic, though she’s far more easygoing than the feisty Ouiser Boudreaux she portrayed. “Not much bothers me,” she remarked in 2019. “Attitudes are choices—anger, peace, sarcasm. And sarcasm, I’m good at.”
MacLaine describes her life now as “perfect.” She treasures time on her New Mexico ranch with her beloved rat terriers, savoring simple pleasures like eating and sleeping on her own schedule. Born on April 24, 1934, she began her career on Broadway and gained international acclaim with her 1955 performance in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Trouble with Harry, describing Hitchcock as “a hoot.”
With over 50 films, MacLaine stands as a Hollywood legend. Even in her late 80s, she continues to act, recently appearing in Only Murders in the Building. Reflecting on her career, she credits her love for travel as a motivating force: “I never thought about quitting because I wanted to pay for plane tickets to places I hadn’t been,” she shared. She values nature, spending most of her time on her New Mexico ranch, which brings her strength and energy, though she also enjoys her Malibu home. She urges others to embrace nature’s peace.
MacLaine’s love life has long intrigued fans. She was married to producer Steve Parker for almost 30 years, though she has acknowledged having other relationships. Her daughter Sachi Parker claimed in her memoir that MacLaine revealed her real father was an astronaut named Paul, not Parker. MacLaine denied this, calling the claim “painful” and “fictional,” though the two reportedly no longer speak.
Known for her unconventional views on relationships, MacLaine admitted to Oprah in 2011 that she had an open relationship with Parker. In 2012, she disclosed in an interview that she had relationships with two prime ministers. In her autobiography Out on a Limb, she mentioned a socialist politician she met in Stockholm, speculated to be Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, though Palme denied it. She also claimed to have been romantically involved with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Australian Foreign Minister Andrew Peacock.
MacLaine has been linked to several Hollywood legends, including Robert Mitchum and Dean Martin. Despite her age, she remains passionate about acting, enjoying her recent role in Only Murders in the Building and cherishing time with old friends Steve Martin and Martin Short.
Shirley MacLaine is a true Hollywood gem, and may her vibrant spirit and creative energy continue to inspire for years to come.
