Barbra Streisand only sings if she’s being paid.
The multi-talented 74-year-old’s career has spanned six decades, and she recently released Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway, her 35th studio album. But when it comes to her vocal talents, Barbra never shows them off on a daily basis.
"I worry – I haven’t sung in two years, really," she said during an interview with ITV showbiz correspondent Ross King. "How am I going to sound? Because I don’t go around the house singing."
Asked if she ever sings in the shower, Barbra replied: "No, no vocalising – no singing any time, unless I’m paid to sing."
Thanks to her incredible voice and impressive acting skills, Barbra remains one of the most famous faces in the world. However, she added in the interview that being a celebrity isn’t something she enjoys.
"There’s part of me that just doesn’t know who I am," she said. "Because I don’t understand stardom, I don’t think I ever will, and I didn’t expect to be like it was. You know when you’re a child and you want to be noticed and you want attention and you want to be famous, that’s all well and good, and then you get that fame and what comes with it is not so pleasant.
"I’m only interested in the work – that’s what I’ve realised about myself."
Barbra’s screen career has seen has star in films including Funny Girl and The Way We Were. But she would have been a more prolific actress if she had taken more of the roles that she was offered, admitting she was too "lazy" to take on many projects.
"I’m lazy. That is the truth," she smiled. "There are many movies I should have made but I turned down because I’d rather stay home and read books and not to have to learn a part and all that stuff."