Lifestyle
Shirley MacLaine at 90: Secrets to Longevity and Lifelong Vitality
Shirley MacLaine, the Oscar-nominated actress known for her roles in over 50 films including The Trouble with Harry, Terms of Endearment, and Steel Magnolias, recently celebrated her 90th birthday. Far from considering retirement, MacLaine is still full of life and enthusiasm for her work. In a recent interview, she shared some of the secrets to her longevity and vitality.
In anticipation of her upcoming memoir, The Wall of Life, set to be released on Oct. 22, 2024, MacLaine credited her long-standing health and happiness to her early training in dance.
“I started my dance training at age three and stopped at about 67,” MacLaine revealed to People magazine. She began her career dancing on Broadway in the 1953 musical Me and Juliet, and then in The Pajama Game the following year.
“It taught me discipline, loving music, working with people and dealing with pain,” MacLaine shared. The discipline and resilience she learned from her dance training have clearly served her well throughout her illustrious career.
In addition to her physical training, MacLaine also attributes her well-being to her positive outlook. She reflected on her career with gratitude, expressing her joy in being able to continue working.
“Not that much bothers me,” she previously shared with 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.”
MacLaine also emphasized the importance of personal freedom in her lifestyle choices. She doesn’t adhere to strict dietary or sleep schedules, instead opting to listen to her body’s needs.
“I eat what I want, I sleep when I want,” she stated.
The Hollywood icon also shared the importance of surrounding oneself with positive influences.
“I have my friends and I am really healthy,” she said, radiating positivity.
When she’s not on set or working on a new project, MacLaine enjoys the solitude of her ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico. Though she occasionally has assistance, she mostly enjoys the peace and quiet.
“I sometimes go to Santa Fe, which is one of the artistic and restaurant and new age capitals in the country,” she shared.
Despite her ongoing work, MacLaine emphasized the importance of not overloading oneself with tasks.
“Give it up and learn to amalgamate with nature,” she advised. “I have all the animals around me [in New Mexico]. It’s everything I need to be happy.”
She concluded, “I have what I consider just a perfect life.” MacLaine’s approach to life, combining discipline, positivity, freedom, and connection with nature, offers valuable insights for those seeking to maintain their health and happiness into their later years.
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