Shirley MacLaine picked up her American Film Institute award in front of Hollywood colleagues including Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, John Travolta and Meryl Streep.
The ceremony in California celebrated her illustrious career that started in 1955 with her role in Alfred Hitchcock's The Trouble With Harry. The debut earned her a Golden Globe for the most promising female newcomer.
Since then, MacLaine has starred in more than 50 films, winning an Oscar in 1984 for Terms of Endearment, as well as receiving France's most prestigious cultural award, the Legion of Honour.
Her other credits include The Children's Hour with Audrey Hepburn, The Apartment with Jack Lemmon, and Steel Magnolias with Dolly Parton.
Earlier this year, MacLaine joined the cast of Downton Abbey for its third series as the mother of Lady Grantham.
Jack Black presented a comic reel of himself congratulating MacLaine dressed up in costumes ranging from prehistoric times to the Elizabethan era as a nod to her belief in reincarnation
"Shirley MacLaine is a powerhouse of personality that has illuminated screens large and small," said AFI chairman Howard Stringer. Previous winners range from Sean Connery and George Lucas to Martin Scorsese and Elizabeth Taylor.
