Shirley MacLaine Revealed Her Secret to Living a Long Life to Billy Eichner

Would you try it?

Shirley MacLaine
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Actress Shirley MacLaine is 90 years old, so she knows a thing or two about living a long life. And apparently she has a secret to her longevity—one she shared with Billy Eichner (which he recently shared in a new interview with PEOPLE).

The duo worked on a movie together in 2019—the Christmas film Noelle starring Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader—and it was during that time MacLaine let Eichner in on her little secret. While chatting with the magazine in support of the new film Mufasa: The Lion King, Eichner recalled working with that film's stacked ensemble cast, which included "friggin' Shirley MacLaine, who told me the secret to living long."

And according to MacLaine (via Eichner), the secret is, "to put a drop of oil of oregano under your tongue every day."

Shirley MacLaine poses holding a string of pearls alongside a pile of gift-wrapped Christmas presents, circa 1965.

Shirley MacLaine looking fabulous with pearls and presents, circa 1965.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The chat, which was conducted alongside the Pumbaa to Eichner's Timon—Seth Rogen—immediately asked his costar if he followed MacLaine's advice, asking "do you do that?"

Eichner admitted that, "I bought it, but I never did it." So now we know what to blame if Eichner doesn't live into his nineties.

Plenty of folks use oil of oregano in their beauty and homeopathic care routines. Zoey Deutch uses oregano oil to help combat hormonal acne, and Meghan Markle once tried to give some to Prince William when he was sick once upon a time. It is said that the oil has antioxidant, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties, and has been used by Chinese and alternative medicine practices for years.

Alicia Lutes
Freelance Writer

Alicia Lutes is a freelance writer, essayist, journalist, humorist, and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. She has written extensively on culture, entertainment, the craft of comedy, and mental health. Her work has been featured in places such as Vulture, Playboy, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, MTV, Cosmopolitan, Rotten Tomatoes, Bustle, Longreads, and more. She was also the creator/former host of the web series Fangirling, and currently fosters every single dog she can.