6 Showstopping Facts About Liza Minnelli

Minnelli Was Born to Famous Parents

Stardom runs in Liza Minnelli’s family — she was born in Los Angeles on March 12, 1946, to two parents who were both Academy Award winners. Liza’s mother was acclaimed actress and singer Judy Garland, star of notable films such as The Wizard of Oz and A Star Is Born. Liza’s father was film director Vicente Minnelli, who brought many musicals to the silver screen and even directed Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis.

Minnelli has described her relationship with her parents (who later divorced) as a loving one. Her relationship with her mother, however, had its fair share of difficulties, as Garland struggled with addiction. Through it all, Minnelli provided Garland with unconditional love and support, and Garland treated her daughter as an artistic equal, inviting a then-18-year-old Minnelli to share the stage in a memorable November 8, 1964, performance at the London Palladium. Minnelli also drew inspiration from her father, whom she viewed as a visionary. She once said, “I got my drive from my mama and my dreams from my father.” Her father even helped conceive of the black pixie cut that Liza wore in the 1972 movie Cabaret, a style she would sport for most of the rest of her life.

She Made Her On-Screen Debut at Age 3

As she came from such a show business-oriented family, it’s no surprise that Minnelli began acting at a young age. Some would argue that her first on-screen appearance was while she was still in the womb, as her mother Judy Garland was pregnant while filming the 1946 film Till the Clouds Roll By. Just a few years later, Minnelli made her actual on-screen debut — albeit an uncredited one — alongside her mother during the final scene of 1949’s In the Good Old Summertime. In the movie, Minnelli played a young child being held by Garland and actor Van Johnson.

Minnelli went on to make her professional stage debut before ever earning her first official on-screen credit. In 1963, she portrayed Ethel Hofflinger in the 1963 Off-Broadway revival of Best Foot Forward, paving the way for her later success on stage. Minnelli’s first credited on-screen acting role came in a 1964 episode of the television show Mr. Broadway, and she made her official film debut in 1968’s Charlie Bubbles as the character Eliza.

Minnelli Lost Out on the “Cabaret” Stage Role That Later Won Her an Oscar

Liza Minnelli is perhaps best known for the role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret, but when the musical first opened on Broadway in 1966, she didn’t have the part. Though she auditioned for the role, Minnelli was rejected in favor of actress Jill Haworth due to a perceived lack of experience. While it may be natural to feel pessimistic in the wake of a rejection, Minnelli claims her optimism remained undeterred, stating that she “knew [she’d] get the movie for some reason.”

When producers were casting for the 1972 film version, Minnelli was working in Paris and invited one of them to a show at which she performed the titular song, “Cabaret.” Though she initially struggled to convince the producers to hire her, that performance ultimately won her the part. The film version of Cabaret, directed by Bob Fosse, earned Minnelli her first and only Academy Award. She was 27 at the time.

She’s One of a Select Few Entertainers to Hold EGOT Status

As of 2023, fewer than two dozen entertainers have achieved rare EGOT status, which entails winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award in one’s lifetime. Liza Minnelli is one of those select few, though only if you include honorary awards. While the majority of her award victories were competitive, her Grammy came in a non-competitive category.

As an accomplished stage actor, Minnelli found most of her award success at the Tonys, where she took home the awards for Best Leading Actress in a Musical in 1965 for Flora the Red Menace, a Special Tony Award in 1974, Best Leading Actress in a Musical in 1978 for The Act, and Best Special Theatrical Event in 2009 for Liza’s at the Palace…! In 1973, Minnelli won an Emmy for her special Liza with a “Z”: A Concert for Television. That same year, she took home the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Sally Bowles in Cabaret. In 1990, Liza finally became an EGOT winner by being honored with the Grammy Legend Award, recognizing her lifetime contributions to the field of music.

Minnelli Popularized “New York, New York” Before Frank Sinatra

“New York, New York” is one of crooner Frank Sinatra’s signature hits, but it was Liza Minnelli who debuted the track before Ol’ Blue Eyes covered it in 1979. John Kander and Fred Ebb originally wrote “New York, New York” as the theme for a 1977 Martin Scorsese film of the same name. The two songwriters had previously written many of the legendary songs Minnelli sang in the film Cabaret. Her rendition of the “Theme from ‘New York, New York’” was a modest success on the charts.

A year later, Sinatra sang the song at a charity event at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City; he also recorded it for his album Trilogy: Past Present Future, released in 1980. Sinatra’s version quickly superseded Minnelli’s in popularity, cracking the Top 40, and has since been adopted by the New York Yankees to celebrate victories.

Minnelli Sang on My Chemical Romance’s 2006 Album

Emo rock group My Chemical Romance thrived in a genre of music not commonly associated with Liza Minnelli, but in 2006, the band recruited her to sing on their album The Black Parade. The band’s frontman, Gerard Way, explained in an interview that the LP was “very theatrical” and that they wanted someone “kind of motherly but who was also a survivor, had been through a lot, but was rooted in theater.” Minnelli was a natural choice. Minnelli accepted the band’s offer and recorded her part remotely in what proved to be a legendary musical collaboration. Her voice can be heard on the song “Mama” as she dramatically sings the lines, “And if you would call me a sweetheart / I’d maybe then sing you a song.”