Shirley MacLaine has a gusto for life. The Oscar-nominated actor has cultivated an impressive and lucrative career for herself in Hollywood, having starred in more than 50 films—her most famous being The Trouble with Harry, Terms of Endearment, and Steel Magnolias, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. And MacLaine doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon. The icon celebrated her 90th birthday this week and is spilling her longevity secrets in a new interview.
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While promoting her forthcoming memoir, The Wall of Life, which hits bookstores on Oct. 22, 2024, MacLaine attributed dance to her happiness and health at 90 years old.
"I started my dance training at age three and stopped at about 67,” MacLaine told People. She got her start dancing on Broadway in the 1953 musical Me and Juliet, followed by The Pajama Game in 1954, according to Playbill.
“It taught me discipline, loving music, working with people and dealing with pain," said MacLaine, who is certainly a triple threat.
The Rumor Has It star also has a penchant for optimism and a heartfelt attitude. While speaking with the magazine, MacLaine reflected on her decades-long career, saying she’s thankful “that I can keep working.” She echoed similar comments while celebrating her 85th birthday back in 2019.
“Not that much bothers me,” she previously told People. “I think attitudes are a choice. Anger is a choice, peace is a choice, sarcasm—which is what I’m good at—is a choice.”
And on that note, diet is also a choice. The Hollywood star doesn’t restrict herself from enjoying her favorite foods, nor does she stick to a specific eating or sleeping schedule. “I eat what I want, I sleep when I want,” she stated matter-of-factly.
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Another longevity secret of MacLaine’s? Surround yourself with beautiful, uplifting souls.
"I have my friends and I am really healthy," the 90-year-old beamed.
When she isn’t on set or working on her latest project, MacLaine can be found tinkering around her ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico. The former pro dancer said she has “someone who comes in a couple times a week,” but for the most part, she enjoys the solidarity.
“I sometimes go to Santa Fe, which is one of the artistic and restaurant and new age capitals in the country,” she said of her favorite outings.
According to People, she is also gearing up to film a new movie in Atlantic City, New Jersey, called People Not Places.
Though she enjoys acting, MacLaine explained that she makes a point “not to keep busy.”
“Give it up and learn to amalgamate with nature,” she shared. “I have all the animals around me [in New Mexico]. It’s everything I need to be happy.”
She added, “I have what I consider just a perfect life.”
