Shirley MacLaine explains why she and Jack Nicholson never had a relationship
Shirley MacLaine shares candid details about her love life in her upcoming memoir.
The 90-year-old actress, who previously wrote her best-selling autobiography “Out on a Limb” in 1983, will release her new book “The Wall of Life: Pictures and Stories from This Marvelous Lifetime” on Oct. 22.
During an interview with People magazine before the memoir was published, MacLaine, who was openly married to her husband Steve Parker for 28 years, claimed that she had affairs with all of her leading men except for two – Jack Nicholson and Jack Lemmon.
Although McLain and Nicholson James L. Played Brooks' love interest in the 1983 film “Terms of Endearment,” but the Emmy Award winner explained why their real-life relationship was platonic.
“He always made me laugh. He was one of my favorite people,” she said. “I don't think he would have been in a relationship with me anyway. I used to laugh a lot.”
In the movie, MacLaine played widow Aurora Greenway, who begins a romance with her next-door neighbor, the pampered retired astronaut Garrett Breedlove (Nicholson).
Nicholson won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for her performance in the film while MacLaine finally took home her first Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Aurora after her four previous nominations.
During his acceptance speech, McLain noted that he was looking forward to working with Nicholson, “It was middle-aged joy to put him to bed.”
MacLaine co-starred with Lemmon in 1960's “The Apartment” and 1963's “Irma La Duce.” Although the two played love interests in both romantic comedies, MacLaine confirmed that sparks never flew between them off-screen.
“Lemon was like a sister to me. He was a lovable man,” she said. Lemon died in 2001 at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer.
McLain told the outlet that she began a relationship with Robert Mitchum. The two co-starred in 1962's “Two for the Lead” and 1964's “What a Way to Go.”
“He was just extremely intelligent — hidden, but he was very, very intelligent,” he recalled. “He didn't have much of a sense of humor.”
Mitchum died in 1997 at the age of 79 from complications from lung cancer and emphysema.
MacLaine confirmed that she and Nicolas Cage did not have a May-December romance when they co-starred in 1994's “Guarding Tess.”
The now 60-year-old plays Doug Chesnick, a Secret Service agent tasked with high maintenance for former first lady Tess Carlyle.
“Oh, I love Nicholas. I love Nicholas,” McLain said. He listened to my advice about becoming a star. Yes, I really liked him a lot, but he wasn't attracted to me.”
McLain's only marriage was to Parker, who died in 2001 at the age of 79.
The actress and film producer shared daughter Sachi (68).