Liza May Minnelli (born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy (Grammy Legend Award), Oscar, and Tony (EGOT). Minnelli is a Knight of the French Legion of Honour. Daughter of actress and singer Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli, Minnelli was born in Los Angeles, spent part of her childhood in Scarsdale, New York, and moved to New York City in 1961 where she began her career as a musical theatre actress, nightclub performer, and traditional pop music artist. She made her professional stage debut in the 1963 Off-Broadway revival of Best Foot Forward and received the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for starring in Flora the Red Menace in 1965, which marked the start of her lifelong collaboration with John Kander and Fred Ebb. They wrote, produced or directed many of Minnelli's future stage acts and television series and helped create her stage persona of a stylized survivor, including her career-defining performances of anthems of survival ("New York, New York", "Cabaret", and "Maybe This Time"). Along with her roles on stage and screen, this persona and her style of performance contributed to Minnelli's status as an enduring gay icon. An acclaimed performance in the drama film The Sterile Cuckoo (1969) marked a film breakthrough for Minnelli and brought her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She later received the award for her performance as Sally Bowles in the musical film Cabaret (1972), which brought her to international prominence. Most of her following films, including Lucky Lady (1975), New York, New York (1977), Rent-a-Cop (1988), and Stepping Out (1991), were not as successful, aside from the major box office hit and critically lauded Arthur (1981) which starred Minnelli. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Lucky Lady, New York, New York and Arthur. She returned to Broadway on a number of occasions, including The Act (1977), for which she received her second Tony Award, as well as The Rink (1984) and Liza's at The Palace.... (2008). Minnelli has also worked on various television formats and has predominantly focused on music hall and nightclub performances since the late 1970s. Her concert performances at Carnegie Hall in 1979 and 1987 and at Radio City Music Hall in 1991 and 1992 are recognized among her most successful. From 1988 to 1990, she toured with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. in Frank, Liza & Sammy: The Ultimate Event.
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Biography from TMDB.
- March 12, 1946 (80)
- Hollywood, California, USA
- Actor, also producer and writer
- 26 on MovieCove · 36 credits in all
What are Liza Minnelli's films like?
Across their 30 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 2 · Earnest 26
Light 20 · Serious 6 · Dark 3
A split, not a type: Grounded 19 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 5
Gentle 12 · Charged 13 · Intense 4
Steady 18 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 4
Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 17 · Funny 3
Slow burn 17 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 0
Casual 21 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 20 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 5
Resolved 24 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1
Roles they play
Usually the Hero: 8 of 14 analyzed roles.
Show the 14 rolesHide the roles
- Heroas Pookie Adams in The Sterile Cuckoo (1969)
- Heroas Junie Moon in Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970)
- Heroas Dorothy in Journey Back to Oz (1972)
- Heroas Sally Bowles in Cabaret (1972)
- Heraldas Claire in Lucky Lady (1975)
- Heroas Nina in A Matter of Time (1976)
- Heroas Francine Evans in New York, New York (1977)
- Shapeshifteras Linda Marolla in Arthur (1981)
- Heroas Mary-Lou Weisman in A Time to Live (1985)
- Allyas Della Roberts in Rent-a-Cop (1987)
- Allyas Linda Marolla Bach in Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988)
- Heroas Mavis Turner in Stepping Out (1991)
- Mentoras Mavis Turner in Stepping Out (1991)
- Allyas Cara Varnum in The West Side Waltz (1995)
Moods and endings
- Happy14
- Bittersweet14
- Ambiguous1
- Cyclical1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Liza Minnelli's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 26 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).
Subscription and free streaming for Liza Minnelli's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
36 credits, 26 with a MovieCove page; 154 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Smash(2012)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
Liza's at the Palace(2009)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Drop Dead Diva(2009)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1960's (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Rosie Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
The Oh in Ohio(2006)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Arrested Development(2003)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows
Jackie's Back!(1999)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all filmsΚόκκινο Βελούδο (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
The West Side Waltz(1995)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Parallel Lives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Stepping Out(1991)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Liza Minnelli: Visible Results (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Arthur 2: On the Rocks(1988)
Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
Sam Found Out: A Triple Play (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Rent-a-Cop(1987)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
A Time to Live(1985)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all filmsSalute to Lady Liberty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
The Princess and the Pea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
The King of Comedy(1982)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Faerie Tale Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Arthur(1981)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
New York, New York(1977)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
A Matter of Time(1976)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Silent Movie(1976)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Lucky Lady(1975)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Journey Back to Oz(1972)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Cabaret(1972)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
The Sterile Cuckoo(1969)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Charlie Bubbles(1968)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Career shape
Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 33 titles from 1949 to 2012; peak year 1971.
Biggest box office
Sex and the City 2 (2010)
Highest rated
Liza with a Z (1972)
Most popular right now
Sex and the City 2 (2010)
Film career
Peak 1971 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1949Screen debut· In the Good Old Summertime
- 1969First top-billed film· The Sterile Cuckoo
- 1972Breakout· Cabaret
- 2003Career best· Arrested Development
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
How do Liza Minnelli's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 61st percentile, the median of all 22; across their 29 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up10
- 50th to 74th9
- 25th to 49th2
- Below 25th5
Shape of the crowd
11 of their 26 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved3
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser11
- Mixed11
Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 20 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Liza Minnelli's work okay for kids?
Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Liza Minnelli work with?
People who share at least 2 of Liza Minnelli's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Dudley Moore shares the most, 3.
Directors
- Bob FosseShared titles: Cabaret (1972), Liza with a Z (1972)See all 2 shared titles with Bob Fosse
Writers
- Steve GordonShared titles: Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988), Arthur (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Steve Gordon
Actors
- Dudley MooreShared titles: Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's (2013), Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988), Arthur (1981)See all 3 shared titles with Dudley Moore
- John GielgudShared titles: Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's (2013), Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988), Arthur (1981)See all 3 shared titles with John Gielgud
- Joel GreyShared titles: Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story (2024), Cabaret (1972)See all 2 shared titles with Joel Grey
- Lorna LuftShared titles: Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story (2024), Liza with a Z (1972)See all 2 shared titles with Lorna Luft
Composers and cinematographers
- Geoffrey UnsworthShared titles: A Matter of Time (1976), Lucky Lady (1975), Cabaret (1972)See all 3 shared titles with Geoffrey Unsworth
- Burt BacharachShared titles: Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988), Arthur (1981)See all 2 shared titles with Burt Bacharach
- Ralph BurnsShared titles: Lucky Lady (1975), Cabaret (1972)See all 2 shared titles with Ralph Burns
Mixed roles
- John KanderShared titles: Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story (2024), Cabaret (1972)See all 2 shared titles with John Kander
- Vincente MinnelliShared titles: Liza Minnelli Live from Radio City Music Hall (1992), A Matter of Time (1976)See all 2 shared titles with Vincente Minnelli
- Mardik MartinShared titles: Movies Are My Life (1978), New York, New York (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Mardik Martin
- Martin ScorseseShared titles: Movies Are My Life (1978), New York, New York (1977)See all 2 shared titles with Martin Scorsese
