BTL Staff
Detroit's own Elaine Stritch died at the age of 89 in her Birmingham home Thursday morning. In February, a wheelchair-confined Stritch sat down for a candid conversation with PrideSource.com – one of the Broadway legend's last interviews before her death this morning. Known for her roles in "Bus Stop" and "Company," Stritch reflected thoroughly on her life, both the happy and the sad.
"Oh, I had moments," Stritch said. "I had moments that were knockouts, great, successful and 'yay.' Lots of those moments, absolutely. And accomplishments. God, I thought I accomplished a great deal. I've got a lot of wonderful memories, I really do."
The entertainer acknowledged that for all her hardships, "I had a ball in my life!"
Speaking candidly to entertainment editor Chris Azzopardi, Stritch revealed that a lack of parental affection inspired her pursuit of the stage.
"I'm gonna tell you something I've never told anybody, so that's good… I don't think anybody in my family – none of them were capable of standing up and declaring their love for anybody. I'm not saying they didn't love me, but they sure as hell didn't know how to show me.
"Something was missing in my life," she confessed. "But once I got on the stage, I felt totally at home."
Off stage, Stritch worked with some of Hollywood's finest, including Rock Hudson, whom she was rumored to be romantically involved with.
"Did we have an affair? No," she clarified. "He was nuts about me, and I felt it, knew it. And I was madly in love with this gorgeous guy. But I couldn't have reacted in any real way because I don't think he was truly in love with me. I think he just loved me and loved that we had fun and loved to be with me."