Shirley MacLaine (real name: Shirley MacLean Beaty) (born April 24, 1934) in Richmond, Virginia is an American actress, well-known not only for her acting but for her devotion to her belief in reincarnation. She is the sister of actor/director Warren Beatty.
Upon graduating from high school, MacLaine moved to New York City to live out her dream of being a Broadway actress. She achieved her goal when she became understudy to actress Carol Haney in The Pajama Game. When Haney broke her ankle, MacLaine had to take her place, and she had to replace her at the last minute. When she had to replace Haney a few months later, director/producer Hal Wallis was in the audience, and he signed her to go to Hollywood to work for Paramount Pictures.
Her first film was the Alfred Hitchcock comedic black comedy The Trouble With Harry in 1955. She stayed busy over the next several years, garnering an Academy Award nomination in 1960 for The Apartment. In 1975, she received a nomination for Best Documentary Feature for her documentary The Other Half of the Sky: A China Memoir.
Academy Awards and Nominations
She was named after Shirley Temple.
MacLaine has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1615 Vine Street.