Even at 91, Shirley MacLaine remains one of the most captivating figures in entertainment history.
While aging is an inevitability for everyone, the pressure to maintain a youthful appearance in Hollywood often leads stars toward cosmetic enhancements. MacLaine is no exception; the legendary actress has confirmed undergoing a facelift, and while the procedure has altered her appearance, her presence remains as commanding as ever.
With a career spanning over six decades, the Academy Award winner shows no interest in retreating from the spotlight. Born in Richmond, Virginia, on April 24, 1934, MacLaine was practically born into the arts.
Her mother was a drama teacher, and her younger brother would eventually become a powerhouse director and actor in his own right. By the age of three, she was already training for a life on stage, eventually honing her skills as a disciplined ballet dancer before moving to New York City after high school to chase an acting career.
For many parents, watching a teenager head to the big city alone would be a source of constant anxiety, but MacLaine’s family had already seen her grit. “They weren’t surprised. I was in show business since I was three, basically,” she told Variety. “They were so confident that I would be alright, that I became alright.” That early confidence paved the way for a storied career that continues to turn heads nearly a century later.
“It didn’t occur to me that I should have confidence. It does now. I look back on it now, and I think, ‘Oh, what were they thinking?’ I had a certain amount of what I would call sophisticated naivete because I had been going to ballet school from 3 on, as I said,” she continued.
“But when we lived in Arlington and Richmond, I was always on some bus by myself going to ballet class and learning to negotiate the transfers and learning to be alone and fairly confident that I would be fine, walking home in the forest alone at night.”
Debut in Hitchcock film
At that point in her career, she also changed her name. After being hired as a chorus girl and understudy to the second lead, Carol Haney, in the Broadway musical The Pajama Game, her big break arrived. When Haney broke her ankle, the young performer, who had trained in ballet all her life, stepped in to take over the role.
Film producer Hal Wallis discovered her and offered her a contract, marking the start of a career that would span more than 60 years and take her to remarkable heights.
Her film debut came in 1955, when she was cast in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Trouble with Harry. Her distinctive tomboy image quickly made her a sought-after name in Hollywood, leading to more and more roles.
cat the Berlin International Film Festival, and in 1998 she received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for outstanding contribution to entertainment.
Her list of accolades is extensive, including the American Film Institute (AFI) Lifetime Achievement Award. Yet MacLaine, now 91, shows no intention of stepping away. In February, Deadline reported that she is set to star in the upcoming film Margret and Stevie, based on writer and illustrator Margret Rey.
A true icon of the entertainment world, MacLaine continues to defy expectations. So what has kept her career going for so long?
“Even though I tell people the truth, I’m not a diva. That comes from my 3-year-old ballet training. I’ve got to go all the way back to that and just hard, honest work, with quite a bit of art, if you can muster it, thrown in,” MacLaine told Variety in 2020.
“I’ve also stayed in the business and never thought about quitting because I wanted to pay for plane tickets to travel. I didn’t socialize Hollywood style. I’d rather travel to a country I hadn’t been to. So when I think about my life, I’m not sure I wouldn’t put the travels a bit above show business.”
Praised for down-to-earth personality
The actress has long been seen as “one of the people,” never retreating into a sprawling mansion or keeping distance from fans who have shown her years of affection.
As recently as late March, she was spotted in Malibu enjoying oysters and a beer, dressed in a mint-green hoodie and black glasses. She smiled toward the camera while holding up her fork.
Fans were quick to praise Shirley MacLaine’s look and her grounded presence.
“Who doesn’t love this lady? Classic,” one wrote.
“Love her! It’s so great to see her out enjoying life!” another added.
“One of the last of the greats,” a third said, while a fourth gushed, “Looking good for 91 and out enjoying herself, brilliant.”
Shirley MacLaine has long been praised for her appearance. Around 40 years ago, she chose to undergo a facelift. The topic of Botox, plastic surgery, and other cosmetic procedures has remained a hot debate in Hollywood. Some stars never alter their faces, while others, in some cases, go a bit too far.
Admitted to face-lift
MacLaine spoke to The Guardian in 2007 about her views on plastic surgery and facelifts. She said her younger brother, actor Warren Beatty, was “the beautiful one in the family.” As she began to notice wrinkles, she knew what direction she wanted to take.
“Just in the last week I’m falling in love with my wrinkles because I was wondering: should I do Botox? I’m loving the idea that I’m 73 and almost looking like it,” MacLaine said in 2007. “I had a face-lift about 30 years ago. I’m glad I did it. It’s all back to where it was now, though. I do worry about getting heavy. Not so much cosmetically, but what it means for the body. But I won’t do liposuction. I go for walks on the beach, up and down hills at Malibu.”
She added, “I do stretching for my back and some of the skeletal problems. Probably caused by dancing in high heels, and dancing on cement instead of wood. I was never that good a dancer to really injure myself, and I was always really cautious.”
Shirley MacLaine remains one of the greats in entertainment history.