American actress Liza Minnelli has been acting in Hollywood since the 1960s, and she is still going strong today at 70 years old.
She is an amazing performer, and she should continue to entertain and amaze us more than half a century after her career began. We can only hope to be as great as she is when we reach our golden years.
In reality, Liza Minnelli is known for her talent, fashion sense, and charisma, but what are some reasons Liza Minnelli is a living legend?
Here are five of the most important ones.
Actress Liza Minnelli is a Living Legend
1) She Paved Her Way
While her father was one of America’s most beloved stars, actress Liza Minnelli carved out her career. She won a Best Actress Academy Award for Cabaret and was nominated for five more, proving that she could stand alone on stage or screen.
As an entertainer and performer, Minnelli made quite an impression on theatre-goers in her first performance as a dancer at age 12.
Although it took some convincing from her mother, Minnelli ultimately pursued acting instead of dance. Soon after graduating from high school, she moved to New York City and began taking acting classes. Above all, Liza did it all while performing at local theatres.
2) Her Career Ruled Two Different Eras
There are few entertainers whose careers have spanned decades, much less two eras. American actress, singer, and dancer Liza Minnelli has achieved that feat.
She could seamlessly transition from stage and film in her early career (including winning an Oscar at 20 years old) to finding success on television as a mature adult.
While most actresses struggle to find work after 40, it’s no surprise that she continues to appear onscreen today at age 71.
She’s still dancing and entertaining just as well as ever before, and this should be proof that she’s a living legend.
Liza stands in a class all by herself as one of America’s most enduring and talented performers. She’s a perfect example of how talent will always shine through if given half a chance. The second her name comes to mind, you’re transported to another era.
Actress Liza Minnelli is still going strong after more than 50 years in show business, so it’s safe to say that she’ll be around for many more decades to come.
3) She Created Some Iconic Characters
Actress Liza Minnelli created some iconic characters and became legendary in Hollywood with roles in Cabaret, which won her an Oscar. The Will Rogers Follies and Hairspray are also popular performances by Minnelli.
Her role as Sally Bowles gained critical acclaim for her powerhouse vocals, dancing, and acting abilities throughout her career on stage. Liza’s sister was actress/singer Judy Garland who encouraged her to audition for Broadway when she moved to New York City.
Even though she’s an American actress, she began as a dancer in New York City musical theatres from an early age.
4) Liza Minnelli’s Music
It’s hard to believe that one of history’s greatest voices released her debut album, Liza, with a Z, more than 50 years ago.
Her breakout hit, You Are Woman, I Am Man, released in 1967, made her a household name, rocketing her career.
She released her first album in 1964 with Columbia Records entitled Liza! Liza! Her second album came out in 1967 with Capitol Records entitled Liza Live at Carnegie Hall.
In 1968, Liza Minnelli released her third album with Capitol Records entitled The Singer and then went on tour that same year, performing at Carnegie Hall again.
But it was with music from two decades later, that she fully cemented herself as an iconic entertainer. Her 1974 single New York, New York became one of Frank Sinatra’s most famous and enduring songs.
You can even still hear it played at many stadiums across America today! These timeless classics have kept Liza in our minds—and on our playlists.
5) She Became a True Legend
Once described as the glue holding The Muppets together, it wasn’t until she became an actress that Minnelli began to achieve worldwide recognition.
Liza Minnelli was nominated for a Grammy and an Emmy for her portrayal of Sally Bowles in Cabaret.
She was awarded two Golden Globes Awards and an Academy Award for Best Actress. Her roles in Cabaret and New York, New York brought her international fame.
In addition to winning over 20 awards for acting, she has won over 30 other awards, including one American Music Award, two People’s Choice Awards, two Daytime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globes, and five Tony Awards.
She’s performed on Broadway many times throughout her career, including in Can-Can (1960), Flora the Red Menace (1961), Applause (1970), and Woman of the Year (1981). Moreover, she appeared as Roxie Hart in Chicago from 2002 until 2004.
Although most people know her for her acting skills, Minnelli has written several songs. Liza has been recorded by various artists, including I’m Still Here, which was recorded by Barbra Streisand. And The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened, which Celine Dion recorded.
Actress Liza Minnelli Movies
| Cabaret | The Sterile Cuckoo | New York, New York | The Muse |
| Arthur | Arthur 2 | On the Rocks | Stepping Out |
| Chicago Cab | Hairspray | Bio-Dome | It Had to Be You |
| Everyone Says I Love You | Nothing’s Shocking | The Pallbearer | Kiss Me Guido |
| Life Without Dk | Shall We Dance | A Journey Through American Dance | Big Deal on Madonna Street |
| The Mirror Has Two Faces | Rags | Robert Altman’s Ready to Wear | My Name Is Barbra (TV) |
Also Read: Marilyn Monroe Lifetime Story
Liza Minnelli biography
Actress Liza May Minnelli was born on March 12, 1946, to Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli in Hollywood, California. She has two brothers, Joey and Fred. Moreover, Liza’s father was of Italian descent, and her mother was of German, English, and Scottish ancestry.
She attended Beverly Hills High School, where she met her lifelong friend Lorna Luft. They remained close throughout their teenage years, and both attended UCLA.
Minnelli began performing at age five with a song-and-dance routine called Little Girl Blue that she had prepared for an audition at UCLA.
The song later became a standard that Frank Sinatra recorded for his daughter Nancy Sinatra’s first album ‘These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.
In 1958, Minnelli became friends with Jayne Mansfield after meeting at Gene Kelly’s house when they were going through similar divorces.
In 1961, she met and began dating Peter Allen. They were married on March 12, 1962, in San Francisco. The couple had two children: daughter Lorna Luft (b. 1963) and son Joey Luft (b. 1965). After their marriage ended in 1969, she became involved with Kenneth Addiss, whom she met on an airplane.
They were together for 13 years until his death from AIDS-related causes in 1982. In 1983, Minnelli met Mark Gero, and they were together for 15 years until his death from cancer in 1998.
Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli’s Oscars 2022 Moment
While actress Liza Minnelli was in attendance at Oscars 2022 with her daughter Prada, she got up on stage with Lady Gaga to accept her Oscar for Shallow. The two were arm-in-arm as they joyfully crossed the stage, looking back lovingly.
Actress Liza Minnelli expressed confusion over cue cards before her, which prompted Lady Gaga to walk up and take her hand, assuring her, I got it.
The two then shared an intimate embrace before heading back to their seats in front of millions of viewers. They were more than just co-stars on stage—they were friends who genuinely loved each other’s company.
If you’ve ever watched a movie starring Liza Minnelli or listened to one of her songs (or both!), you know that she’s an icon in Hollywood. And Liza Minnelli deserves all of our respect for being such a kind-hearted person.
Conclusion
With an award-winning career spanning over 40 years, actress Liza Minnelli has had plenty of opportunities to fumble and fall. Yet somehow, even after nearly half a century in show business, she continues to shock us with her incredible talent and star power.
Whether it’s in front of an audience or onscreen in films like The Sterile Cuckoo or Arthur, Minnelli makes every performance memorable and distinct. If you ask me why I think she is such a legend, I don’t think it needs any further explanation instead of this blog.
Minnelli started as a child star who grew up before our eyes into one of Hollywood’s most cherished performers—and there isn’t anything else like that around.