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Liza Minelli Talks about What It Was like to Have 'The Wizard of Oz' Star Judy Garland as Her Mom

By Rebelander Basilan

Feb 10, 2020

06:30 P.M.

In a rare interview, Liza Minnelli discussed what it was like growing up with "The Wizard of Oz" star Judy Garland as a mother.

Life has been about show business since the day Minnelli arrived, and that's because she's the daughter of multitalented artist Garland and Oscar-winning director Vincente Minnelli.

"I was born and they took a picture," Minnelli, who is best known for her Academy Award-winning performance in Cabaret, told Variety recently.

Liza Minnelli at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on February 20, 2015 in Hollywood, California | Photo: Getty Images

UNIMAGINABLY INSIGHTFUL

Like her legendary mother, Minnelli became a target of the tabloids. She has married and divorced four times throughout the years. She's gone to rehab and is presently four years sober. Her worst bad habit nowadays is smoking.

During the interview, Minnelli shared that her mother took her onstage when she was only three, and that was her first performance. When asked what kind of happy was her mom, she said:

"She was funny, very funny, clear, incredibly intelligent, but more than you could even imagine, and in the moment."

Judy Garland at the premiere of the film "A Star Is Born," directed by George Cukor, 1954 | Photo: Getty Images

PROTECTIVE MOTHER

Concerning her preferred memory with her mother, Minnelli couldn't pick just one. She said everything and that they had such fun since her mom was very entertaining.

Minnelli added that Garland was protective and very strict, and that like any mother, she wanted her to make the best decision.

Minnelli, who has no children, is prominent for her lively stage presence and her amazing mezzo-soprano singing voice.

Liza Minnelli and Judy Garland at the Alvin Theatre, New York, US, May 11, 1965. | Photo: Getty Images

PROUD DAUGHTER

In a 1984 interview with The New York Times, Minnelli, who was born on March 12, 1946, said that even as a little girl, she was constantly treated like an adult.

Minnelli also said that she favors living on the positive memories of her mother. In 2017, she told Closer Weekly that she would be proud to be "Judy Garland's daughter" for the rest of her life.

Vincente Minnelli and Liza Minnelli at University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1977. | Photo: Getty Images

Minnelli, who has no children, is prominent for her lively stage presence and her amazing mezzo-soprano singing voice.

In 1961, she decided to move to New York City, where she started her profession as a musical theatre actress, nightclub entertainer, and traditional pop music artist.

In 1963, she made her professional stage debut on Off-Broadway revival of "Best Foot Forward." Two years later, she got a Tony Award for starring in "Flora the Red Menace."

Minnelli has kept away from huge concert tours in favor of small retrospective performances since the 2010s.