Shirley MacLaine to be inducted into Texas Film Hall of Fame

2 February 2017

Shirley MacLaine will be inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame this year.

Shirley MacLaine

The 82-year-old actress has been added to the list of honorees for her Oscar-winning role in the 1983 comedy film 'Terms of Endearment' and she will pick up the Lifetime Achievement gong and Star of Texas prize at the Texas Film Awards on March 9.

Austin Film Society artistic director Richard Linklater said in a statement: "Shirley MacLaine is one of the world's most important living actors. It's incredible to think that she's given groundbreaking performances in seven different decades."

Linklater said Shirley's role in 'Terms of Endearment' and its sequel 'The Evening Star' "introduced the world to a fearless and determined Texas woman, a character with a spirit of independence and self-reliance that resonated richly with Texans".

He added: "She has left her mark on our regional cinema, and we're honoured to celebrate this legacy at the Texas Film Awards."

Her career has largely been dominated by films over the years but she's also secured various television work; including a role in 'Downton Abbey' and 'Glee'.

Although she's always been happy to work, the talented star was often pulled away from her husband Steve Parker - who she was married to for 28 years until 1982 - and the pair regularly went weeks without seeing one another.

However, the distance didn't cause trouble for them as they both agreed to an open marriage and allowed one another to sleep with other people when they were apart.

Shirley said recently: "I guess you would say 'practiced an open marriage' in 1954, which was another lifetime. No one understood it, we did. He lived in Japan basically, I lived in America working, and this and that.

"We'd meet up, always great friends, travelled sometimes together.

"I think that's the basis for a long-lasting marriage, if you really want to do such a thing.

"I would say better to stay friends and we don't have enough time to talk about the sexuality of all. I was very open about all of that and so was he."