You Could Get Close—But Not That Close
The Rat Pack had a reputation for being loose, unpredictable, and open to anything. On stage, it looked like anyone could step in and be part of it. But off stage, it was something very different. The group didn’t change. It didn’t expand. And no matter how close someone got, there was a line that never moved.
Silver Screen Collection, Getty Images
Not Just Another Face In The Crowd
The Rat Pack had its core five—Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop. That was it. There was never an official sixth member of the pack. But there should’ve been. And her name was Shirley MacLaine.
She Worked Directly With Sinatra
MacLaine starred opposite Sinatra in Some Came Running (1958), one of his major dramatic roles. Her performance earned an Academy Award nomination. That working relationship mattered, because Sinatra didn’t collaborate closely with people he didn’t respect.
Hans Gerber, Wikimedia Commons
She Was Already A Major Star
By 1960, MacLaine wasn’t an up-and-comer. She had starred in The Apartment, which earned her another Oscar nomination and became one of the most acclaimed films of the era. She had clear momentum without needing the Rat Pack.
movie studio, Wikimedia Commons
She Was Part Of The Same Vegas Circuit
MacLaine performed in Las Vegas during the same period the Rat Pack dominated the Sands. While she wasn’t part of their regular shows, she was working the same venues and playing to similar audiences.
Hans Gerber, Wikimedia Commons
She Knew Sinatra Socially
Beyond films, MacLaine and Sinatra moved in overlapping social circles. That included the late-night Vegas scene, where performers, executives, and celebrities mixed after shows.
She Was Around During Their Peak Years
MacLaine’s rise lined up closely with the Rat Pack’s peak from roughly 1959 to 1963. She wasn’t connected later through nostalgia. She was there while it was happening.
She Wasn’t Part Of The Sands Shows
The Rat Pack’s identity was built around their performances at the Sands Hotel. MacLaine was not part of those core group shows, which helped define who was in and who wasn’t.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
She Wasn’t Included In Their Films
When the Rat Pack moved into film with Ocean’s 11, they kept the same core group. The movie featured friends and cameos, but the central lineup stayed intact. MacLaine wasn’t part of it.
Underwood Archives, Getty Images
Sinatra Controlled The Group
Sinatra had the most influence over the group’s direction. He shaped who appeared, how shows were structured, and how the group operated publicly. There’s no record of him expanding the group beyond the original five.
William P. Gottlieb, Wikimedia Commons
Membership Didn’t Expand
Even as their fame grew and their network expanded, the Rat Pack never added members. That includes periods when they worked with other major stars who were just as well known.
John Springer Collection, Getty Images
Even Core Members Weren’t Fully Equal
Sammy Davis Jr., despite being central to the group, still faced racial barriers. In early Vegas appearances, he wasn’t always allowed to stay where he performed. The group itself had internal limits.
Jay Bernstein Public Relations, Wikimedia Commons
Peter Lawford Shows How Fixed It Was
Lawford was deeply connected through both the group and his ties to the Kennedy family. But after falling out with Sinatra, he was effectively cut off. If a core member could be removed that quickly, adding someone new wasn’t realistic.
Women Were Around—But Not Included
Women like Angie Dickinson and Judy Garland spent time around the group and performed in similar spaces. But none were considered part of the Rat Pack itself, regardless of their fame or proximity.
Eric Carpenter for en:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wikimedia Commons
The Group Was Built That Way
Women were part of the Rat Pack’s world—on stage, off stage, and in their personal lives. But the group itself was something else entirely. It was built as a five-man identity—and that was never something that expanded.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Talent Wasn’t The Barrier
MacLaine had major film success, awards recognition, and industry respect. She wasn’t lacking anything professionally that would have excluded her on merit alone.
Roland Godefroy, Wikimedia Commons
Neither Were Connections
She worked with Sinatra. She moved in the same Hollywood circles. She had real relationships, not surface-level access. She was already inside that system in a meaningful way.
![Title: Shirley MacLaine, actress, anti-war demonstration, NYC [Vietnam moratorium]
Creator(s): Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer
Date Created/Published: [1969]
Medium: 1 photograph : color transparency ; 35mm (slide format)
Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-gtfy-02693 (digital file from original)
Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication. For information see](https://www.factinate.com/storage/app/media/theshot/2026/4/20/177669298747767d2d9d379215cfaa852f68c8e2d8ced1a431.jpg)
Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer, Wikimedia Commons
She Got There A Different Way
A lot of women who got close to that world did so through relationships, usually with Sinatra or someone in the group. MacLaine didn’t. She didn’t date Sinatra or rely on that kind of access. She got there on her own through her work, her presence, and her reputation.
Silver Screen Collection, Getty Images
So What Was Missing?
Nothing on her side. That’s what makes it stand out. She had the talent, the timing, and the access. The only thing in the way wasn’t her—it was the structure of the Rat Pack itself, and the fact that it was never designed to include anyone new.
William Lovelace, Getty Images
The Line Never Moved
Even when it would have made sense. Even when the fit was obvious to anyone watching at the time. The group stayed exactly what it was, and there’s no evidence it was ever seriously considered to expand beyond those original five members.
Others Came And Went
Plenty of celebrities orbited the group over the years—actors, comedians, musicians. Some shared the stage. Some were part of the same late-night scene. But none crossed into membership, no matter how close they got or how often they appeared alongside them.
unknown (20th Century Fox), Wikimedia Commons
The Clearest Proof Was On Screen
When the Rat Pack turned themselves into a movie with Ocean’s 11 (1960), that was the group—on screen and off. Even with access to major Hollywood talent, the core lineup didn’t change. MacLaine wasn’t part of it, and neither was anyone else outside the five.
The Sixth Member That Never Was
Shirley MacLaine was never officially part of the Rat Pack. But based on timing, relationships, and proximity, she remains one of the few names that can reasonably be placed just outside that core group.
Silver Screen Collection, Getty Images
You Might Also Like:
Britt Ekland was a frosty blonde 70s cool girl—but love derailed her journey every step of the way.
