Arts & Entertainment
Liza sparkles in new Variety cover story
Iconic show biz diva Liza Minnelli has stepped into the spotlight once again, this time for a Variety cover story in which she takes us on a deep dive into her storied past, offering reminiscences about her famous mother, her movie career, and her struggles with addiction – along with anecdotes that reveal how truly charmed her life has been, regardless of its ups and downs.
The 73-year-old Minnelli, for those just arrived on Planet Earth, is the daughter of Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli; like her mother, she has developed an enormous following in the LGBTQ community, especially among gay men.
In the lengthy article, which also features comments from a few of the EGOT performer’s famous friends and collaborators, she doesn’t talk about that.
She has a lot to say, however, on many other topics.
Some of the highlights are below.
About her relationship with fashion designer Halston:
“What he did for me, he didn’t do for anybody else.”
On Bob Fosse, who directed her Oscar-winning “Cabaret” performance:
“I have scoliosis, and he noticed that because when I’m standing, sometimes it looks like a little knock knee. He noticed that one leg went higher than the other. He took all my mistakes or things that I did that I thought were awful or he thought were unusual and he used them.”
On growing up with celebrity parents:
“My parents were my parents. I didn’t know that I had to dodge questions about Mama until people started asking me questions.”
On following in her mother’s footsteps:
“The hardest part was getting to be known as myself as opposed to somebody’s daughter.”
On her Broadway education:
“I went to see shows. My dad was nice enough to tell the producers to let me in. I watched a lot of them from the back, so I could see every detail.”
On her memories of winning the Academy Award:
“[My] father screamed and he gave me tinnitus. I had tinnitus because of the way my father screamed at the Oscars, honestly.”
About her famous mother:
“We had such fun because she was so funny. She was funny, and she loved her kids so much. She was protective and very strict. She wanted you to do the right thing, like any mother. It’s that simple.”
About the recent film, “Judy,” detailing Garland’s final days:
“I hope [Zellweger] had a good time making it.”
On the subject of whether she would like to act again, Minnelli replied simply, “Oh, sure.” When asked what she would like to do, she said, with characteristic pluck:
“Whatever comes up. I’ve always been like that.”
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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