Liza Minnelli talks new memoir, famous parents, turning 80 and more
Actress and singer Liza Minnelli is opening up on a life spent in the spotlight, including personal details around sobriety and fame in her new memoir.
Minnelli joined "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts to discuss her upcoming book, titled "Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! My Memoir," which she co-wrote with her best friend of 40 years, Michael Feinstein.
Minnelli, daughter of Hollywood legends Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli, discussed being born into fame and her relationship with her parents.
"The humor was everywhere, everywhere," Minnelli told Roberts in an interview that aired Tuesday on "GMA," describing the culture of her household as a young child.
Born in Los Angeles on March 12, 1946, Minnelli began acting at a young age, and quickly rose to fame as a musical theater entertainer.
She won an Oscar for her 1972 performance in "Cabaret," collected five Emmy nominations including a win as well as three Tony Awards for her work on the stage in shows like "Flora the Red Menace" and "Liza's at The Palace..."
Minnelli told Roberts that in addition to the highlights of fame, she also saw the darker parts, including with her mother, Garland, who dealt with romantic, substance abuse and professional issues throughout her decades-long acting career.
"We just knew each other, so we talked like friends," Minnelli said. "And I was there for her, you know, and she would come to me, and it could be about anything."
"They kept mama working so hard," she added of Garland, who rose to fame as a teenager portraying Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz". "They had beat her up so badly. When you're this high to be put on the stage, that's not a very good thing. But she fought her way through all of it."
Minnelli's co-author, Feinstein, told Roberts that he believes Minnelli witnessing her parents' hard work in their Hollywood careers helped lead to her own success.
"I think one of the things about Liza is that her fame and her having become an icon is not accidental," said Feinstein, who also spoke with Roberts. "It's something that she created through extraordinary hard work that she saw in her parents."
In her memoir, Minnelli discusses substance abuse issues that, like her mom, she dealt with in her own life.
"It was the first time I took any such drug, and I marveled at how quickly it took the edge off," Minnelli writes in the book, according to an excerpt shared with ABC News. "What began as a one-day blessing soon turned into a habit, then a full-blown case of addiction in the years ahead."
Minnelli writes in her book that she fights every day to keep the "disease" of addiction at bay.
In recent years, Minnelli has taken on roles in high-profile comedies like "Arrested Development" and "Sex and the City 2." Her image and likeness have been reproduced in countless pop culture references through the years.
According to Feinstein, the co-opting of her image was part of the reason Minnelli felt compelled to tell her story herself.
"You came to the point where you wanted to tell about your life, because, otherwise, other people will tell the story," he said.
Reflecting on her upcoming 80th birthday on March 12, Minnelli told Roberts she has lived a full life and has found "sweet peace" in the quieter times.
Asked what her birthday celebration will entail, Minnelli joked, "I don't know. Let's go to Disneyland."
Minnelli's memoir, "Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! My Memoir," is available now.
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