Shirley MacLaine
“A versatile, irrepressible spirit who danced, joked, and acted across half a century.”
In 1954 the unknown chorus dancer was understudying Carol Haney in Broadway's 'The Pajama Game' when Haney broke an ankle. MacLaine went on without rehearsal, was spotted by producer Hal Wallis, and signed to a film contract days later. The accident launched one of Hollywood's longest careers.
Virginia Beginnings
Born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1934, she studied dance from childhood and headed to New York as a teenager. She took her mother's maiden name, MacLean, and reshaped it into MacLaine for the stage.
The Lucky Break
Understudying Carol Haney in 'The Pajama Game', she stepped in when Haney was injured and was immediately signed by producer Hal Wallis. Within a year she was making her film debut for Alfred Hitchcock.
Five Decades a Star
From the comedies of Billy Wilder to her Oscar-winning 'Terms of Endearment', MacLaine proved durable across genres. Late in life she found a new audience on 'Downton Abbey' and remained a candid author and personality.
Career Timeline
- 1934Born Shirley MacLean Beaty in Richmond, Virginia
- 1954Replaces injured Carol Haney in 'The Pajama Game'
- 1955Film debut in Hitchcock's 'The Trouble with Harry'
- 1958Oscar-nominated for 'Some Came Running'
- 1960Stars in Billy Wilder's 'The Apartment'
- 1963Plays title role in 'Irma la Douce'
- 1969Headlines the musical 'Sweet Charity'
- 1977Acclaimed dramatic turn in 'The Turning Point'
- 1983Wins Best Actress Oscar for 'Terms of Endearment'
- 1989Stars in ensemble hit 'Steel Magnolias'
- 2012Joins cast of 'Downton Abbey'
Biggest Hits
- She is the older sister of actor and director Warren Beatty.
- A noted believer in reincarnation, she wrote the 1983 bestseller 'Out on a Limb' about her spiritual journeys.
The Moment You Remember
As the tender, wounded elevator operator in The Apartment, holding a cracked compact mirror and saying she liked it that way, she gave a comedy of corporate loneliness its bruised, unforgettable heart.
Portrait: Movie studio publicity still · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons