Shirley Maclaine Biography

Shirley MacLaine made her professional debut dancing in a Broadway revival of OKLAHOMA! in the 1950s. Her first film appearance was in Alfred Hitchcock’s THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (1955), earning her a Golden Globe Award for “New Star Actress of the Year” in 1955. At the same time, she starred in SOME CAME RUNNING (1958) directed by Vincente Minnelli, which led to her first Best Actress Academy Award® nomination and an additional Golden Globe® nomination. In 1960, she received a second Oscar® nomination for her work in the award winning film, THE APARTMENT (1960), co-starring Jack Lemmon and directed by Billy Wilder. Two years later, she starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in THE CHILDREN’S HOUR directed by William Wyler. She reunited with Jack Lemmon and Billy Wilder for IRMA LA DOUCE in 1963, earning yet another Best Actress Academy Award® nomination.

In 1975, she received her fourth Oscar® nomination, this time for Best Documentary as a producer and star of THE OTHER HALF OF THE SKY: A CHINA MEMOIR. Two years later, she was once again nominated for her starring role in THE TURNING POINT (1977) by Herbert Ross. In 1983, she finally won an Oscar for her work in TERMS OF ENDEARMENT directed by James L. Brooks. Later, she also received a Golden Globe® Award for her 1989 performance in MADAME SOUSATZKA by John Schlesinger.

In 1998, Shirley MacLaine was honoured with the Cecil B. DeMille Golden Globe Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Her other credits include notable films such as STEEL MAGNOLIAS (1989) by Herbert Ross starring Julia Roberts, POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE (1990) by Mike Nichols alongside Meryl Streep, IN HER SHOES (2005) by Curtis Hanson with Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette, and RUMOR HAS IT (2005) by Rob Reiner with Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Costner.

Her television credits include the telefilms THESE OLD BROADS (2000) directed by Matthew Diamond, SALEM WITCH TRIALS (2000) by Joseph Sargent. In 2003, she also starred in CAROLINA by Marleen Gorris and in the CBS miniseries, HELL ON HEELS: THE BATTLE OF MARY KAY, the life story of the cosmetics queen Mary Kay Ash directed by Ed Gernon.

A long-time outspoken advocate for civil rights and liberties, women’s rights, and spiritual understanding, MacLaine is known for her faith in reincarnation, angels, the power of crystals and other New Age beliefs. She addresses these topics at length, as well as her Hollywood career, in her books, OUT ON A LIMB (1983) and DANCING IN THE LIGHT (1986). MacLaine went on to author numerous other books including THE CAMINO (2000) and OUT ON A LEASH (2003), all of which are international bestsellers.
She can also be seen on stage during her one-woman show tour as it hits cities across the globe, combining a montage of memorable film moments with private revelations about her life, career and spiritual journey.

In 2008, she played in the Lifetime made-for-TV movie COCO CHANEL directed by Christian Duguay, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe® and SAG Award®. The same year, she released her best-selling book SAGE-ING WHILE AGE-ING, followed by her latest New York Times best-seller, I’M OVER ALL THAT: AND OTHER CONFESSIONS, released in 2011.
Recently, MacLaine appeared on the big screen in the ensemble film, VALENTINE’S DAY (2010) by Garry Marshall. She can be seen next in BERNIE directed by Richard Linklater starring Jack Black and Matthew McConaughey.

Filmography Shirley MacLaine


Bernie by Richard Linklater - 2012
Valentine's Day by Garry Marshall - 2010
War and Destiny by Richard Attenborough - 2006
Rumor Has It by Rob Reiner - 2006
In Her Shoes by Curtis Hanson - 2005
Bewitched by Nora Ephron - 2005
Carolina by Marleen Gorris - 2002
Bruno by Shirley MacLaine - 2002
Joan of Arc by Christian Duguay - 1999
A Smile Like Yours by Keith Samples - 1998
The Evening Star by Robert Harling
Mrs Winterbourne by Richard Benjamin - 1996
The Celluloid Closet by Robert Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman - 1996
Guarding Tess by Hugh Wilson - 1994
A Century of Cinema by Caroline Thomas - 1994
Wrestling Ernest Hemingway by Randa Haines - 1994
Used People by Beeban Kidron - 1992
Defending Your Life by Albert Brooks - 1991
Postcards from the Edge by Mike Nichols - 1990
Waiting for the Light by Christopher Monger - 1990
Steel Magnolias by Herbert Ross - 1990
9 by John Schlesinger - 1988
Cannonball 2 by Hal Needham - 1984
Terms of Endearment by James L. Brooks - 1984
Loving Couples by Jack Smight - 1984
Being There by Hal Ashby - 1980
The Turning Point by Herbert Ross - 1977
Life goes to the movies by Mel Stuart - 1977
The Possession of Joel Delaney by Waris Hussein - 1972
Desperate Characters by Frank D. Gilroy
Two Mules for Sister Sara by Don Siegel - 1971
Sweet Charity de Bob Fosse - 1969
The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom de Joseph McGrath - 1968
Woman Times Seven de Vittorio De Sica - 1967
Gambit de Ronald Neame - 1966
La Rolls-Royce by Anthony Asquith - 1965
John Goldfarb, please come home by Jack Lee Thompson - 1965
What a Way to Go! by Jack Lee Thompson - 1964
Irma la douce by Billy Wilder - 1963
Two for the Seesaw by Robert Wise - 1962
My Geisha by Jack Cardiff - 1962
The Children's Hour by William Wyler - 1962
All in a Night's Work by Joseph Anthony - 1961
Two Loves by Charles Walters - 1961
Ocean's 11 by Lewis Milestone - 1961
The Apartment by Billy Wilder - 1960
Cancan de Walter Lang - 1960
Ask Any Girl by Charles Walters1959
Career by Joseph Anthony - 1959
The Sheepman by George Marshall - 1959
Hot Spell by Daniel Mann - 1958
Some Came Running by Vincente Minnelli - 1958
The Matchmaker by Joseph Anthony - 1958
The Trouble with Harry by Alfred Hitchcock - 1956
Around the world in eighty days by Michael Anderson - 1956
Artistes et modèles by Frank Tashlin -1955

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