'Valentine's Day' countdown: Shirley MacLaine

Our countdown to "Valentine's Day" continues with Shirley MacLaine, who plays the grandmother of a lovelorn 10-year-old in the movie and has a long, storied and occasionally kooky career in show business.

MacLaine's frequent discussions of all her past lives has made her an easy target of jokes, but the woman still has chops. She's an Oscar winner (for "Terms of Endearment") and multiple-time nominee and an Emmy winner, and has had any number of great performances over her career. (Even in what might not otherwise be good: She made what could have been a campfest of a TV movie, "Hell on Heels: The Battle of Mary Kay," surprisingly watchable.)

If you haven't seen it before, do yourself a favor and seek out "The Apartment," where she and Jack Lemmon are perfectly matched. Check it out:



MacLaine's recent credits include the Lifetime movie "Coco Chanel" (for which she earned an Emmy nod), "Rumor Has It ..." and "In Her Shoes."  

Coming up: Kathy Bates

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Photo credit: New Line