Liza Minnelli On Her ‘Mature’ Relationship With Legendary Mother, Judy Garland

Judy Garland’s daughter, Liza Minnelli, made her film debut as a three-year-old child star in her mom’s1949 musical In the Good Old Summertime. However, she gained widespread recognition and critical acclaim for her role as Sally Bowles in the musical film Cabaret, which Bob Fosse directed, and her performance in the movie earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Throughout her career, Minnelli has also appeared in other notable films such as The Sterile Cuckoo, New York, New York, and Arthur. Besides her success in the film industry, she has been a prominent figure on stage with credits for Flora the Red Menace and The Act, both of which won her Tony Awards.

Liza Minnelli says her relationship with her mother, Judy Garland was very mature, even at a young age

In a 1984 interview with The New York Times, Minnelli discussed her connection with her mother. The 77-year-old stated that her mom related with her like a mature person, because she wanted her to be prepared for the reality of the real world from a very tender age. “I was always treated like a grown-up. There was no baby talk — ever,” Minnelli recalled. “My mother said, ‘Why start out on the wrong foot? Enough people are going to say goo-goo, ga- ga, when you’re older. In other words, they’ll double-talk you when you’re older. So, I’ll talk to you straight when you’re young.”’

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Minnelli also shared that her mother taught her how to combine talent with hard work without relying on her parents’ name to open doors for her. ”Producers are tough, they don’t care who your parents are,” she reminisced about her mother’s advice. “They’re out there to make a buck, and if you’re not good, you’re not going to get a job. If someone allows you an audition, that’s one thing, but you have to come through and perform.”

Liza Minnelli says her mom was a good mother despite her struggles with mental health

The 77-year-old believed that her mom made sincere efforts to be an exemplary mother to her despite her constant mood swings and erratic behavior, which were the effects of substance abuse. The actress revealed that her mother took an active interest in every aspect of her life, ranging from schoolwork to dates.

“She was so supportive; she’d congratulate me if I walked across the room. She gave advice about singing and acting,” Minnelli says of her mother. “She passed on her sense of humor, her resiliency and her ambition.

”I got my drive from my mother, and my dreams from my father. Mama was really Mama. It wasn’t Mother or Mom. It was Mama. You know, for Christmas, you got gloves and talcum powder. My father, on the other hand, would give me a scaled-down version of what someone wore in The King and I. Mama would give me Mother Goose to read, and Daddy would give me Colette.”