Liza Minnelli Reflects on Reinvention, Resilience, and Her Love for Performing

Liza Minnelli had to reinvent herself following the devastating death of her beloved mother, Judy Garland — and she was finally able to be her best self!

“For Liza to become Liza, she had to let go of Judy,” says Bruce David Klein, director of a new documentary, “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story,” a film that “captures how Liza became the It girl of the 1970s and the biggest star in the world.”

From day one, expectations were high for Liza, the daughter of the legendary “Wizard of Oz” star Judy and perfectionist acclaimed director father Vincente Minnelli. “People were always comparing Liza to her mother,” Klein says. “In many ways, that made it harder for her to become her own person.”

Liza was age 3 when she made her movie debut in Judy’s 1949 musical “In the Good Old Summertime.” As a teen, Liza wanted to be a dancer, even though she was self-conscious that one leg was shorter than the other due to her scoliosis, a curvature of the spine.

When Liza was attending New York’s High School of Performing Arts, her mother started bringing her onstage to sing with her. Even though Liza won her first Tony Award at age 19 for her role in “Flora the Red Menace,” she remained in her mom’s massive shadow.

Things changed when Judy died from a barbiturate overdose in London in 1969.

“I started to cry and didn’t stop for about eight days,” Minnelli recalls. But Klein points out, “In the 1960s, a lot of Liza’s performances, however brilliant, were more traditional. I think after her mother’s death, she was able to spread her wings more. She felt freer.”

Stepping up to help Liza reinvent herself were mentors like “Funny Face” star and surrogate mom Kay Thompson, French crooner and singing guru Charles Aznavour, and her “Cabaret” director Bob Fosse.

“What I was really good at is picking the people to be around,” says Liza. “I had a really good eye.” Liza’s friends and mentors have also helped her get through the tough times — she’s been divorced four times, was unable to have kids, suffered addictions, and endured health problems.

But at age 78, she’s not done yet. “I love performing,” says Liza. “I still take dance lessons, and when I sing to people in the theater, I’m not giving a performance — I’m sharing my love with each individual person.”