| Shirley MacLaine Biography |
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Born Shirley MacLean Beaty, in Richmond, Virginia, on April 24, 1934. She is the older sister of actor Warren Beatty. After MacLaine graduated from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, she moved to New York City to model, and occasionally landed parts in the chorus lines of Broadway shows. MacLaine got her big break as leading lady Carol Haney's understudy in "The Pajama Game" (1954). MacLaine stepped in when Haney broke her leg, attracting the attention of Hollywood producer Hal Wallis, who signed her to a film contract. Her film debut was in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Trouble With Harry" (1955).
A twenty-eight year marriage to Steve Parker (1954-82) produced daughter Stephanie Sachiko (born 1956). MacLaine is known for her devotion to New Age spirituality, which includes a strong belief in reincarnation. She has written several best-selling works about herself and her spirituality. |
MacLaine was cast in a wide variety of comedies and dramas throughout the late 1950s. She earned three Academy Award nominations in quick succession for "Some Came Running" (1959), "The Apartment" (1960) and "Irma La Douce" (1963).
MacLaine was an honourary member of 
MacLaine starred on television in her own short-lived sitcom "Shirley's World" (1971-72). She was nominated for an Academy Award for "The Turning Point" (1977), and won a Best Actress Academy Award for "Terms of Endearment" (1983). She also appeared in the film's sequel "Evening Star" (1996).