Few stars in Hollywood have managed to stay as instantly recognizable as Shirley MacLaine. With a career spanning more than seven decades, she remains one of the most decorated and enduring performers in American entertainment. Born on April 24, 1934, in Richmond, Virginia, MacLaine is 91 now and will turn 92 later this month. Her younger brother is Warren Beatty, and she began training in ballet as a very young child, an early discipline that helped shape the confidence and work ethic she later carried into show business. Long before she became a screen legend, she was already moving toward the spotlight. After high school, she headed to New York to pursue performing, a decision that did not shock her family nearly as much as it might have shocked others. She later reflected that her parents were so certain she would be fine that she grew into that certainty herself. That mix of discipline and fearlessness became part of her identity very early on. Her breakthrough came after sh...