Beauty Business Gets Ugly

Actress Shirley MacLaine says the role of cosmetics queen Mary Kay was one of her favorite characters and that she felt the spirit of Mary Kay on the set, directing her work.

MacLaine plays Mary Kay in the CBS TV film "Hell On Heels: The Battle Of Mary Kay," to be aired Sunday. She co-stars with Parker Posey, who plays her rival, Jinger Heath.

In an interview with The Early Show's Mark McEwen, MacLaine said, "Certainly Mary Kay made more female millionaires than anybody in the world. Wow. I like that."

The actress also liked the way Kay related to her staff and conducted her business meetings. "Her seminars were like evangelical meetings," MacLaine said. "And she'd go into prayer and say 'God bless my territory and enlarge it' and things like that. 'All my daughters are out there waiting to make a bundle.'"

Asked about whether she felt a responsibility to be true to the real person, Mary Kay, MacLaine responded, "I'm going to get into my stuff now, because I felt her hovering around.

"And I felt her enjoying what we were doing with this story of the battle between Mary and Jinger Heath. And I felt her like it. And I felt her have a sense of real appreciation going through me. So I let Mary Kay play herself, using some of my attributes."

Posey said she cherished the opportunity to work with MacLaine, whom she called a living legend.

"She's just so open, and the stories and honesty," Posey said. "And it's really fun to be around her. Really, really funny and real and honest and probing, and incredible, you know,intelligence, and intellect. Fun to be around. You know, the great ones are intense, and funny, and unpredictable. So it was great fun."

MacLaine returned the compliment, calling Posey talented and spontaneous. "She's had this wonderful experience of being the queen of independent films. So she has stuff I didn't have," MacLaine said of her co-star.

The movie airs on Sunday, Oct. 6, 9PM ET/PT on CBS.

Facts About Shirley MacLaine

• Shirley MacLean Beatty was born in Richmond, Va., April 24, 1934
  
• Her brother is Warren Beatty and her sister-in-law is Annette Bening
  
• She began dancing at age 2 in 1936.
  
• In 1946, MacLaine made her professional dance debut with National Symphony Orchestra, Washington, at 12 years old
  
• In 1950, she went to New York and appeared for short time in the chorus for the revival of "Oklahoma!" before returning to high school
  
• She moved to New York and adopted the professional name Shirley MacLaine in 1952
  
• In 1953, MacLaine was a chorus dancer in Broadway's "Me and Juliet"
  
• In 1955, she made her film acting debut in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Trouble with Harry"
  
• MacLaine was associated for a time with the famous Hollywood "Rat Pack" of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr.
  
• Her first Oscar nomination as Best Actress for "Some Came Running" was announced in 1958
  
• From 1971-1972, MacLaine starred in the ABC-TV sitcom "Shirley's World"
  
• In 1983, she starred with Debra Winger in "Terms Of Endearment"; Won Oscar for Best Actress.
  
• After a five-year absence, in 1988, she returned to acting in the feature "Madame Sousatzka"
  
• MacLaine played herself in the autobiographical ABC-TV miniseries, "Out on a Limb," in 1987
  
• In 1996, she reprised her Oscar-winning role of Aurora Greenway from "Terms Of Endearment" in "Evening Star"
  
• In 2000, MacLaine made her feature directorial debut, "Bruno"
  
• MacLaine acted in the 2001 TV-movie, "These Old Broads" for ABC