Bette Midler Reveals That She Believes Her Time on Stage is Over

Bette Midler recently chatted with Parade Magazine, where she discussed her career, her new children's book, and why her time on stage may be over.

First, Midler talked about her new book, The Tale of the Mandarin Duck: A Modern Fable, which was released last week. The book was inspired by the true story of a brightly colored bird that appeared in Central Park and made headlines in 2018.

"There was a gleam in its eye, a look of innocence, as if it were seeing something brand-new too," Midler said. "And there was something humble about it, despite its fantastic colors. That really moved me."

Midler then talked about how she feels her time on stage is over.

"My time on the stage is basically up," she said "I'm 75. I don't have the impulse to prove myself anymore. I feel like 'I did that.' And I've done a lot. I've earned my rest. Am I going to make an announcement? No. I'm just going to fade away."

"I did the best I could to give people joy," she said. "And I had a lot of fun myself. I overcame my circumstances, and I would like to help other people overcome theirs. I have high hopes for humanity."

Read the full interview on Parade Magazine.

Midler's book, The Tale of the Mandarin Duck: A Modern Fable, is available now on Amazon.

Winner of the 2017 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her starring role in Hello, Dolly!, Bette Midler made her Broadway debut in Fiddler on the Roof. Her remarkable career started while singing in New York bathhouses, where she was given the name, "The Divine Miss M."

Her record debut, "The Divine Miss M," earned her a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. In 1979, Bette made her film debut in portraying a doomed and self destructive rock & roll singer in The Rose, for which she earned the Golden Globe for Best Actress, Academy Award nomination, and Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal performance.

In 1988 Bette starred in Beaches, and received her third Grammy Award, Record of the Year, for the film's title song, "Wind Beneath My Wings." Midler garnered her second Best Actress Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination for Mark Rydell's For The Boys.

Additional film credits include: Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People, Big Business, Scene's From a Mall, Hocus Pocus, The First Wives Club, The Stepford Wives, Then She Found Me and The Women.