Shirley MacLaine was born Shirley MacLean Beaty on April 24, 1934, in Richmond, Virginia, to Kathlyn Corinne (MacLean),a drama teacher from Nova Scotia, Canada, and Ira Owens Beaty, a professor of psychology and real estate agent, 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. After graduating from Washington-Lee High School, she packed her bags and headed for New York, where she auditioned for Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's "Me and Juliet". The producer kept mispronouncing her name, leading her to change it 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. When Haney broke her ankle, MacLaine filled in for her and caught the attention of movie producer Hal B. Wallis, who signed her to a five-year contract with Paramount Pictures.
MacLaine went on to take roles in "The Trouble with Harry" (1955),"Hot Spell" (1958),and "Around the World in 80 Days" (1956),before giving birth to her daughter, Sachi Parker. She received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her role in "Some Came Running" (1958).
She continued to receive nominations for her roles in "The Apartment" (1960),"Irma la Douce" (1963),and "The Turning Point" (1977). She won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in "Terms of Endearment" (1983) and received critical acclaim for her roles in "Madame Sousatzka" (1988),"Steel Magnolias" (1989),and "Postcards from the Edge" (1990).
MacLaine has also directed several films, including "Bruno" (2000) and "These Old Broads" (2001). She has written several books, including "The Camino" (2001),"Out On A Leash" (2003),and "Sage-ing While Ag-ing".
In recent years, MacLaine has appeared in films such as "Bewitched" (2005),"In Her Shoes" (2005),"Rumor Has It..." (2005),and "Closing the Ring" (2007). Her latest book is "Sage-ing While Ag-ing", and her latest film is "Valentine's Day" (2010).
