We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Barbra Streisand, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more interesting facts about the singer and musician that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: She Gave Her First Live Performance at a PTA Assembly. Streisand first performed in public at a Parent Teacher Association meeting, and she was quickly recognized as being extremely talented by everyone except her mother, who was quite critical of her.
Number Seven: She Wanted to Be an Actress More Than She Wanted to Be a Singer. Though Streisand knew that she was a talented singer, her true dream was to be an actress, and she spent a lot of her free time studying the biographies of other famous actresses at the time.
Number Six: She Once Dated a Prime Minister. Streisand has been married twice, but perhaps more interesting is her history with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. The two dated in 1969 and 1970.
Number Five: Her Mother Was Not Very Supportive. But this ended up being a good thing for Streisand! Streisand’s mother was highly critical of her; however, Streisand has said that she was pushed to work harder by her mother’s lack of encouragement.
Number Four: She Gives Back. In 1986, Streisand founded The Streisand Foundation, and since the year it was founded, she has helped donate more than $18 million. The money goes toward organizations surrounding environmentalism, race relations, women’s issues, AIDS research, and children’s issues.
Number Three: She Used Her Unique Looks to Her Advantage. Though most of the famous actresses of Streisand’s youth were conventionally beautiful, Streisand knew that her looks could be used to make her stand out. She refused to get a nose job, and her looks have become iconic and recognized all over the world.
Number Two: She Has Balls. Streisand is not very easily intimidated, and, considering her career, this should not come as much of a surprise. When she was presented to Queen Elizabeth the II at a movie premiere, she questioned the practice of why the women in the receiving line were forced to wear long gloves.
Number One: She Is in Great Company. Streisand has collaborated with many different talented artists. Some of these artists include Donna Summer, Neil Diamond, Barry Gibb, Judy Garland, Josh Groban, and Frank Sinatra.