Why Shirley MacLaine Doesn't Think About Who She Wants to Be in Her Next Life (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Shirley MacLaine circa 1980.Photo:Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty

Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty

Shirley MacLainewas having a major moment in 1983, the year she starred inTerms of Endearment, the movie for which she would finally win the best actress Oscar on her fifth nomination.

That was also the year she releasedOut on a Limb, a groundbreaking, esoteric nonfiction book that delved into aspects of her spiritual journey, most famously her belief in reincarnation. For a moment, MacLaine became as famous for what she wrote about her past lives as she was for her accomplishments in this one, and she was at once praised and ridiculed for her openness.

MacLaine’s latest book,The Wall of Life: Pictures and Stories from This Marvelous Lifetimestays true to its title and doesn’t venture outside of her current life, except for when she writes about her parents and grandparents.

From left: Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger and Jack Nicholson in 1983’s ‘Terms of Endearment’.Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty

But MacLaine, 90, tells PEOPLE, that although she does “wonder about how long” she has left, she hasn’t put too much thought into what will happen in her next life.

“Oh, honey, I don’t know,” she says when asked who she would like to be the next time around. “I can’t do that. I’ve got to spend some time in heaven first.”

Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

MacLaine devotes just one page of the 243-page book toOut on Limb. The rest of it covers her life, career, friendships and loves through never before-seen-photos and revealing anecdotes and musings.

“One day I was looking at my wall of pictures and just taking everything into consideration specifically,” she says, “and I thought I should write about this — and that’s what happened.”

Penguin Random House/ Crown Publishing

“Because I’ve had an enchanted life,” she adds. “By looking at my wall that day, I realized the enchantment. I really have, and I really mean it. I felt that way. So it’s something that comes out of appreciation.”

The Wall of Lifecame out on Oct. 22 from Crown Publishing and is available now, wherever books are sold.

source: people.com