Shirley MacLaine as Supporting Roles: 3 Times Star Shined Without Being Lead Actress

Best known for her lead role in ‘Terms of Endearment,” Shirley MacLaine throughout the years also shined in supporting roles. Throughout her career she starred alongside many star-studded casts as a supporting actress.

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Here are three times MacLaine shined without having the lead role:

1. “Steel Magnolias” (1989)
MacLaine appeared in this heartwarming film among an all-star cast that included Sally Field and Olympia Dukakis. In her role as Ouiser Boudreaux, MacLaine plays a two-timed widowed grouchy old lady. The women, as a group, are portrayed going through the trials and tribulations of life and thus dubbed “steel magnolias.”

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MacLaine was nominated by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The American Comedy Awards also nominated her for Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.

2. “Postcards From the Edge” (1990)
This drama/comedy combined the wit and humor of MacLaine with actress Meryl Streep. MacLaine plays the mother of Streep, who is struggling to recover from substance abuse, and the two have a rivalry over garnering attention.

“An entertaining mishmash with witty dialogue and excellent performances from its high-profile cast – particularly Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine as a battling daughter and mother,” wrote reviewer Chris Hicks of the Deseret News in Salt Lake City.

The American Comedy Awards nominated MacLaine for Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.

3. “In Her Shoes” (2005)
This “chick flick” film bridges the classic acting of MacLaine with the younger generation of Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette, who play sisters in crisis. In her role MacLaine plays the grandmother to the sisters, who never knew she existed until she arrives one day. No one character takes over the film, and all three play in support of each other, equally balancing their roles.

“For the guys, this movie may be just as painful as going shoe shopping with a lady friend. Yet, it's refreshing to see Shirley MacLaine still has a bit of Irma la Douce left in her,” wrote reviewer Michael Szymanski of Hollywood.com.

MacLaine was nominated for her role in the film for a Satellite Award for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role, Drama. The St. Louis Film Critics Association also nominated her for Best Supporting Actress.

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