The life of the American legend wasn't a walk through the park. She was born to one of the most famous actresses in Hollywood, and according to her, she basically raised herself. Despite that, Liza managed to break out of the shadow of her famous mother and at the age of 19, she won her first award for best actress. She's been active in the world of show business for more than 50 years and plans to celebrate this year's round birthday virtually in style.
Daughter of a legendary actress and a movie director
Iconic singer and actress Liza Minnelli was born on March 12, 1946 in Los Angeles, California. She moved in high places ever since she was a child. Her mother Judy Garland was one of Hollywood's most famous female stars. She had a stellar acting and singing career, often taking her daughter along to her performances. Thanks to that, the theatre and movie sets became a second home for young Minelli. In addition, her father Vincente Minnelli was a highly respected director, so there was no escape for her from this industry.
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Liza Minnelli s matkou.Source: Profimedia.cz
Big sister and nanny
Her parents got divorced in 1951, which meant Minneli was constantly passed back and forth between her mother and father. In addition, her mother later remarried and gave birth to a daughter, Lorna, and a son, Joey. However, she had a tendency to forget about her maternal responsibilities, as she became addicted to antidepressants. Since then, young Liza Minnelli had to take care not only of her two half-siblings, but also of her addicted mother.
"My mother only realized later that I was worth something."
With so many family problems, Lisa didn't have much time to study, so she dropped out of her school in California as a teenager and moved to New York to pursue a full-time career in theatre. In 1963, she got a role in the musical "Best Foot Forward", where she began to collect her first positive critiques.
At the same time, she appeared in her mother's short television series "The Judy Garland Show". As part of the show, she also performed with Garland in London, where she amazed both the audience and her mother with her vocal ability.
"It was as if my mother suddenly realized I was good at something,"
Minnelli told the New York Times.
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Show property
One of the youngest award-winning artists
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Liza Minnelli v roce 1991.Source: Profimedia.cz
Her first role on Broadway came in 1965, when she appeared as the title character in the film "Flora, The Red Menace". Her musical comedy debut earned Minnelli a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. At the time, she was only nineteen, making her one of the youngest artists to ever win an award.
And then it came - the musical Cabaret
Her biggest film role was in the musical "Cabaret" (1972). The drama directed by Bob Fosse showed her vocal talent and wide acting range. Minnelli won an Oscar for Best Actress for her performance.
Successes before the storm
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Liza Minnelli ve filmu The Act.Source: Profimedia.cz
She made several other films in the early 1970s (such as "New York, New York"), but none of them enjoyed great success. Her comeback on Broadway in 1977 and the film "The Act", where she played the singer trying to revive her music career, were a breakthrough. Liza gave a brilliant performance in the movie and won her second Tony Award for Best Actress.
A few years later, she celebrated another success with the romantic comedy "Arthur" (1981). She portrayed a waitress who falls in love with a rich but frequently drunk man. At the time, she probably had no idea that this was her last successful piece for a very long time.
The 80s were marked by drugs and alcohol
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Liza Minnelli v roce 1977.Source: Profimedia.cz
The eighties were certainly not her happiest period. Liza began to drown her problems in drugs and alcohol. She was very often seen leaving clubs in a horrible state in the early morning hours. Only in the early 1990s did she manage to get out of this self-destructive loop. Her close friend, painter Andy Warhol, provided Liza with a lot of support during this difficult period. It was he who helped her win over her addictions. He revealed that she had arrived at one of the parties hosted by fashion designer Halston asking to be given all the drugs that were in the house.
She tried to find love four times and failed
Minnelli wasn't very successful in her personal life. She was married four times, but none of her marriages worked out in the end. Her first husband, Peter Allen, even announced that he wasn't into women after their divorce.
"I married Peter and he didn't tell me he was gay. Everyone knew but me. And I found out... well, let me put it this way: I'll never surprise anybody coming home as long as I live. I call first!"
said Minnelli. She had no children with either of her four husbands.
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Liza MinnelliSource: Profimedia.cz
She plans to celebrate 75 in style
Minelli plans to celebrate tomorrow's birthday the same way she's lived her entire life: in style. The birthday party will be broadcast online on the Stellar streaming platform. Tickets for her show called "Love Letter to Liza" can be purchased for 700 crowns. The live will feature Catherine Zeta-Jones, Andrew Rannells and Tony Hale.
Liza Minnelli is a living example of the fact that age is really only a number! Above all, we wish her a lot of health.
