Shirley MacLaine was moved to tears as she recounted a humorous and unexpected story about her late friend, Elizabeth Taylor. Taylor, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 79, had a penchant for a particular task when visiting MacLaine: washing her floors. MacLaine, now 90, shared this revelation in her new book, “The Wall of Life,” which she describes as a photographic memoir.
“She was wonderful,” MacLaine said of Taylor during an interview on CBS Sunday Mornings that aired on October 13. “You mention in the book that she would come over and wash your floors,” noted CBS correspondent Lee Cowan. “Yes, she just wanted to be a housewife, at least when she was with me,” MacLaine replied. “Perhaps my floors were always dirty. I’m not sure,” she added, laughing.
“She was an extraordinary human being and a truly good friend,” MacLaine continued. “We spent a lot of time together.” When asked what she misses most about Taylor, MacLaine answered, “Her authenticity.”
Taylor, who was famous almost her entire life, was accustomed to a pampered lifestyle that one might expect of a Hollywood star—one that likely didn’t include washing floors. However, this changed when Taylor sought treatment for her addiction to alcohol and pills at the Betty Ford Clinic in 1983. While at Betty Ford, Taylor “had to do many things she never had to do as an adult,” her son, Christopher Wilding, shared in the final episode of the BBC docuseries, “Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar,” which aired on October 11.
“She had to share a room with a stranger,” Wilding, now 69, continued. “Everyone was assigned domestic chores.” MacLaine had previously discussed Taylor’s fondness for housework in a 2011 conversation with Leonard Lopate. She recalled an incident where Taylor came over to her house, and MacLaine’s dog, who hadn’t been potty-trained yet, had an accident on the floor. This sent Taylor into action.
“Give me the paper towel so I can clean it up!” MacLaine remembered Taylor exclaiming. “And she took the paper towel, got down on her hands and knees, and cleaned up everything, washing the floor. She said, ‘I just want to be a housewife! I just want a simple life,’” MacLaine recounted, mimicking the moment with emotion and flair. Laughing at the memory, MacLaine added sarcastically, “Okay, Elizabeth.”