Shirley MacLaine explains why she and Jack Nicholson never had an affair
Shirley MacLaine shared candid details about her love life in her upcoming memoir.
The 90-year-old actress, who previously penned her best-selling 1983 autobiography “Out on a Limb,” 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 ahead of the memoir’s publication, MacLaine, who had an open marriage with her husband of 28 years, Steve Parker, claimed that she had affairs with all of her leading men except two — Jack Nicholson and Jack Lemmon.
Though MacLaine and Nicholson played love interests in James L. Brooks’ 1983 film “Terms of Endearment,” the Emmy Award winner explained why their real-life relationship remained platonic.
“He just made me laugh all the time. He was one of my favorite people,” she said. “I don’t think he would’ve been my type to have an affair with anyway. I would laugh too much.”
In the movie, MacLaine starred as widow Aurora Greenway, who embarks on a romance with her next-door neighbor, promiscuous retired astronaut Garrett Breedlove (Nicholson).
Nicholson won the best supporting actor Academy Award for his performance in the film while MacLaine finally took home her first best actress Oscar for her portrayal of Aurora after four previous nominations.
During her acceptance speech, MacLaine noted that she had been looking forward to working with Nicholson, quipping “to have him in bed was such middle-aged joy.”
MacLaine co-starred with Lemmon in 1960’s “The Apartment” and 1963’s “Irma la Douce.” Though the two also played love interests in both romantic comedies, MacLaine confirmed that sparks never flew between them off-screen.
“Lemmon was like a sister to me. He was a darling guy,” she said. Lemmon died at the age of 76 in 2001 after a battle with cancer.
MacLaine told the outlet that she did embark on an affair with Robert Mitchum. The two co-starred in 1962’s “Two for the Seesaw” and 1964’s “What a Way to Go.”
“He was just extremely intelligent — hidden, but he was very, very intelligent,” she recalled. “He didn’t have much of a sense of humor.”
Mitchum died at the age of 79 in 1997 due to complications from lung cancer and emphysema.
MacLaine confirmed there was no May-December romance between herself and Nicolas Cage when they co-starred in 1994’s “Guarding Tess.”
The now 60-year-old played a Secret Service agent Doug Chesnic, who was assigned to protect high-maintenance former First Lady Tess Carlisle.
“Oh, I love Nicolas. I love Nicolas,” MacLaine said. “He listened to my advice about being a star. Yeah, I really liked him a lot, but he was not attracted to me.”
MacLaine’s only marriage was to Parker, who died at the age of 79 in 2001.
The actress and film producer shared daughter Sachi, 68.
