Streisand has more than 50 gold albums (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)It's hard to believe that the young star who brought to life comedienne Fannie Brice in the stage and film versions of "Funny Girl" is now 70 years old. In honor of Barbra Streisand's milestone birthday today, we present you with five facts about the iconic singer, actress, writer, producer, and director, who grew up living in a Brooklyn housing project and went on to become Hollywood royalty.
1. She Loves Her Bumpy Nose. Streisand has said she that early in her career she was encouraged to undergo rhinoplasty to get a perfect, movie star nose, but she declined. "I was afraid of the pain," she told Oprah Winfrey. "And how could I trust a doctor's aesthetic sense? How would I know he wouldn't take too much off?" And if she hadn't been afraid, it still would have been a no-go. "From certain angles, I liked my nose — still do. Some people would tell me, 'You could take the bump off.' And I would say, 'But I like the bump.'"
2. She Lost an "A." The star, who was born with the given name Barbara Joan Streisand, was also encouraged to change her name to make it more marquee friendly. While she opted not to do that either, she did make one small modification to it. "People told me to change my last name," she also told Winfrey. "But I thought, That's not real. So instead, I decided to take an 'a' out of my first name and shorten it to Barbra. I did that when I was 18."
[Related: Barbra Streisand Won't Sing at Obama's L.A. Fundraiser]
Streisand in Funny Girl (Everett Collection)
3. She Has a Gigantic Trophy Collection. Streisand is the only artist ever to receive Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy, Directors Guild of America, Golden Globe, National Medal of Arts and Peabody Awards. Then there's France's Legion d'Honneur, the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award — oh, and she was the first female film director to receive the Kennedy Center Honors. The icon won the Best Actress Oscar for "Funny Girl" and picked up the other for Best Original Song for "Evergreen." As far as her music, the "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" singer's works have been nominated for over 57 Grammy Awards. She won 15, including two special awards. And she has over 50 gold records.
4. She Is Diane Lane's Stepmother-In-Law. Streisand has been married twice. Her first husband was actor Elliott Gould, with whom she had a son, Jason. In 1998, she married her second husband, actor James Brolin. She became stepmother to his two children, including actor Josh Brolin. When Josh married actress Diane Lane in 2004, Streisand became Lane's step-mother-in-law. "[She] is an amazing woman," Lane told Redbook. "I especially admire her gift for listening to people. If you go out for dinner with her, she'll interview everyone in the restaurant."
5. She Will Soon Appear on the Big Screen with … Seth Rogen. Streisand has worked with Hollywood legends from Robert Redford to Robert De Niro, but she has an interesting co-star in her next project: Seth Rogen! After showing off her comedy chops in the "Meet the Fockers" movies, she'll again be going for laughs in the upcoming comedy "The Guilt Trip," in which she plays Rogen's mom.
[Related: Exclusive — Barbra Streisand, Seth Rogen to Star in Movie for Paramount]
What is your favorite Streisand movie or song? Let us know.
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