London24NEWS

Shirley MacLaine names iconic Hollywood star who turned down her intercourse supply

Shirley MacLaine has named an iconic Hollywood star whom she offered to sleep with – but who turned down her advances.

The 90-year-old actress has just released her photographic memoir The Wall Of Life: Pictures And Stories From This Marvelous Lifetime.

In its pages, she spills on her love life, which was populated by top-flight names from Hollywood heartthrob Robert Mitchum to Soviet filmmaker Andrei Konchalovsky. 

Many of her affairs overlapped with her open marriage to businessman Steve Parker, who was her husband from 1952 until their divorce in 1984.

However, the book also includes a picture of Shirley with one dashing Hollywood star whom – in spite of her efforts – she was unable to conquer.

Shirley MacLaine has named an iconic Hollywood star whom she offered to sleep with - but who turned down her advances; pictured 1990

Shirley MacLaine has named an iconic Hollywood star whom she offered to sleep with – but who turned down her advances; pictured 1990

Under a picture of herself with Morgan Freeman, Shirley wrote tantalizingly: ‘I propositioned him and he turned me down.’ 

Morgan achieved his Hollywood breakthrough in 1989 with a string of movies including the drama Driving Miss Daisy, for which he earned an Oscar for best actor.

At that stage, he was already with his second wife Myrna Colley-Lee, whom he was married to from 1984 until their divorce in 2010.

By 1989, Shirley had been a star for decades, making her bones on Broadway first and then launching her screen career in 1955 with her movie debut The Trouble With Harry, a black comedy directed by Alfred Hitchcock. 

Although Morgan and Shirley have both been Hollywood staples for over 35 years, and he is just three years her junior, they have never starred in a movie together. 

During her marriage to Steve Parker, which produced her daughter Sachi, 68, Shirley enjoyed dalliances with a wide variety of famous faces. 

Soviet director Andrei Konchalovsky, who in his home country made an acclaimed film adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, transitioned to a Hollywood career in 1980 – and Shirley says her affair with him was the reason he moved to America.

She also indulged in a relationship with Robert Mitchum, but ‘wasn’t deeply involved enough’ with him to leave her husband, she wrote.

Under a picture of herself with Morgan Freeman , Shirley wrote tantalizingly: 'I propositioned him and he turned me down'; Morgan pictured in 1988

Under a picture of herself with Morgan Freeman , Shirley wrote tantalizingly: ‘I propositioned him and he turned me down’; Morgan pictured in 1988

When he became a movie star in 1989, he was already with his second wife Myrna Colley-Lee, whom he was married to from 1984 until their divorce in 2010; pictured 1990

When he became a movie star in 1989, he was already with his second wife Myrna Colley-Lee, whom he was married to from 1984 until their divorce in 2010; pictured 1990

By 1989, Shirley had been a star for decades, making her bones on Broadway first and then launching her screen career in 1955; pictured at the 1987 Oscars

By 1989, Shirley had been a star for decades, making her bones on Broadway first and then launching her screen career in 1955; pictured at the 1987 Oscars 

The 90-year-old actress has just released her photographic memoir The Wall Of Life: Pictures And Stories From This Marvelous Lifetime

The 90-year-old actress has just released her photographic memoir The Wall Of Life: Pictures And Stories From This Marvelous Lifetime 

In its pages, she spills on her love life, which was populated by top-flight names like Hollywood heartthrob Robert Mitchum; the pair are pictured in the 1962 film Two For The Seesaw

In its pages, she spills on her love life, which was populated by top-flight names like Hollywood heartthrob Robert Mitchum; the pair are pictured in the 1962 film Two For The Seesaw

‘And besides, there was too much that depended on our staying married. But Mitchum was a very intelligent, very interesting guy, and he was married, too.’ 

On the minus side, Robert ‘didn’t have much of a sense of humor,’ said Shirley, who acted with him in 1962’s Two For The Seesaw and 1964’s What A Way To Go.

Journalist Pete Hamill was another one of her amours during her marriage, as was the Andrew Peacock, sometime leader of Australia’s Liberal Party.

However Shirley maintained he ‘never saw a future with any of these guys except Steve,’ who lived in Japan and kept a mistress there. ‘It was enough to have an affair. And it wasn’t deceitful. Everyone was aware of the situation.’

Elsewhere in the book, Shirley said – presumably with tongue in cheek – that she slept with all her leading men except for Jack Lemmon and Jack Nicholson.

Many of her affairs overlapped with her open marriage to businessman Steve Parker , who was her husband from 1952 until their divorce in 1984; pictured 1964

Many of her affairs overlapped with her open marriage to businessman Steve Parker , who was her husband from 1952 until their divorce in 1984; pictured 1964 

Although Morgan and Shirley have both been Hollywood staples for over 35 years, and he is just three years her junior, they have never starred in a movie together; Shirley pictured 2023

Although Morgan and Shirley have both been Hollywood staples for over 35 years, and he is just three years her junior, they have never starred in a movie together; Shirley pictured 2023 

Shirley is pictured with Jack Nicholson on the set of their 1983 tearjerker Terms Of Endearment, which earned them both Oscars

Shirley is pictured with Jack Nicholson on the set of their 1983 tearjerker Terms Of Endearment, which earned them both Oscars

Jack Lemmon starred with Shirley in Billy Wilder’s classic 1960 movie The Apartment, then in the 1963 musical comedy Irma La Douce by the same director.

Shirley described him as ‘a darling guy,’ but explained that their friendship was strictly a platonic one, joking to People that he was ‘like a sister to me.’

Meanwhile Jack Nicholson and Shirley both earned Oscars for in Terms Of Endearment, the 1983 tearjerker by James L. Brooks.

‘He just made me laugh all the time. He was one of my favorite people,’ gushed Shirley while looking back on their connection. ‘I don’t think he would’ve been my type to have an affair with anyway. I would laugh too much.’

She also waxed rhapsodic about Nicolas Cage, her co-star in the 1994 movie Guarding Tess, but noted they never had a sexual connection either.

‘Oh, I love Nicolas. I love Nicolas. He listened to my advice about being a star. Yeah, I really liked him a lot, but he was not attracted to me,’ she said.