Liza Minnelli has criticised her late co-star Gene Hackman in her new memoir, describing the Oscar-winning actor as 'downright rude' during the filming of the 1975 comedy-drama Lucky Lady. The 79-year-old actress claims Hackman was 'very dismissive' towards her on set more than 50 years ago.
In her book, titled Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, Minnelli writes: 'I don't like to whine, but Stanley later shared publicly that Gene was very dismissive of me during the film. It's hard to go to work when the chemistry is absent. I think it's fair to say that Gene was downright rude.' She refers to director Stanley Donen, who worked on the film.
Lucky Lady, also starring Burt Reynolds, was set during the Prohibition era and followed three smugglers involved in a love triangle. Despite its star-studded cast, the film was a box office disappointment. Hackman died aged 95 in February 2025 at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, who died a week earlier from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Hackman's death was attributed to heart disease with complications from Alzheimer's.
Minnelli's memoir also recounts other personal and professional moments, including claims about past affairs with actor Peter Sellers and director Martin Scorsese. She describes an awkward encounter with Scorsese at the 2014 Oscars and writes about appearing on stage with Lady Gaga at the 2022 ceremony, claiming the singer undermined her dignity. Elsewhere, she calls her fourth marriage to producer David Gest 'traumatising', labelling him a 'loser' and a 'treacherous thief'.
