Happy birthday Shirley MacLaine! The screen icon celebrates her 90th birthday today, April 24, and also marks nearly seven decades in the spotlight.
The movie legend has been a mainstay of Hollywood since the very start of her career in the 1950s, one of the last remaining stars of the era of cinema that marked the fall of the studio system.
Check out these transformative photos of the actress capturing the biggest moments of her illustrious career over the past 70 years…
1955 – Debut with "The Trouble with Harry"
In 1955, MacLaine made her film debut in Alfred Hitchcock's The Trouble with Harry, and immediately made an impression, winning the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress.
She was able to quickly follow that up with some of the best remembered movies of the late 1950s, including the Best Picture winning Around the World in 80 Days (1956), playing Princess Aouda, and Some Came Running (1958) opposite Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, earning her very first Academy Award for Best Actress nomination at just 24.
1960 – "The Apartment" and major stardom
In 1960, MacLaine starred in The Apartment opposite Jack Lemmon, a role which has come to define her career of playing emotionally rich yet endearingly quirky women. The film became an instant comedic classic and won the Oscar for Best Picture, but the actress memorably lost Best Actress to Elizabeth Taylor for BUtterfield 8.
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She followed that up with further successes in projects like Irma la Douce and Sweet Charity, establishing herself as a Hollywood juggernaut with a cracker personality especially after punching The Hollywood Reporter columnist Mike Connolly in the mouth.
1977 – Film dip and "The Turning Point"
MacLaine spent a majority of the '70s bouncing between mediums, starring in the hit 1970 Western Two Mules for Sister Sara, and following that up with a short-lived sitcom, Shirley's World.
After a brief turn to the theater and political activism, she made her comeback in 1977 with the Oscar-nominated The Turning Point, following that up with 1979's Being There, entering a new phase of her on-screen persona.
1983 and the '90s – "Terms of Endearment" and Oscar glory
Her turn in 1983's comedy-drama Terms of Endearment opposite Debra Winger and Jack Nicholson became one of the year's biggest box office hits, and finally earned her the coveted Academy Award. She followed that up with successes like Steel Magnolias (1989) and Postcards From the Edge (1990).
It was at this point MacLaine became widely known for her thoughts on metaphysics, reincarnation, extraterrestrials, and more, particularly with the release of her 1983 memoir Out on a Limb and its accompanying 1987 TV special.
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The 21st century – TV and beyond
In the past two decades, the actress has pivoted to limited film roles and more TV projects, making appearances in shows like Downton Abbey, the Lifetime production Coco Before Chanel (which earned her a Primetime Emmy), and Only Murders in the Building.
In an interview with People, the star announced on her milestone birthday that she will celebrate her legacy with The Wall of Life, a book including several photos and stories from her life, out October 22. "I have lived a wonderful life and I wanted to share it," she shared.
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