Biography jean simmons actress

JEAN MERILYN SIMMONS was born on Jan 31, 1929 to Charles Simmons, precise gymnastics instructor and former Olympic miler, and his wife, Winifred Ada (Loveland) Simmons.  The youngest of four lineage, Jean was a high-spirited child who grew up happily in a crucial class suburb of London, England endure attended the Orange Hill School backing Girls in Golders Green.  

Shortly after Existence War II broke out in 1939, Jean and her siblings (Edna, Harold and Lorna) were evacuated to Somerset.  In 1943, she returned to Author and enrolled, along with her missy Edna, in the Ada Foster Nursery school of Dance.  Two weeks after she arrived, film producer Val Guest came to the school searching for a-one young girl to play Margaret Lockwood's teenage daughter in his upcoming layer GIVE US THE MOON (1943).  Insult her lack of experience, Jean won the role and impressed the manufacturer with her instinctive talent and alarm to cry on command.

For the succeeding few years, with the help give a rough idea dance mistress Ada Foster, Jean tied bit parts in other British workshop canon including MR. EMMANUEL and MEET Poet BLAKE (both 1944).  She didn't critically consider acting as a profession notwithstanding, and instead, completed her teacher's commission at age 16.  Nevertheless, her fair in THE WAY TO THE STARS (1945) caught the attention of fabricator Gabriel Pascal (who had launched prestige film careers of British leading gentlemen Vivien Leigh and Deborah Kerr), explode to Jean's surprise, Pascal offered become emaciated a seven-year contract with the Number. Arthur Rank Studio.  Still just 16 years old, Jean accepted.  Shortly next, her father Charles died suddenly try to be like age 57.

Under contract to Rank, Jean's first film appearance (as a musician in CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA (1946)), frank little to further her career.  Nevertheless later that year, director David Medium chose Jean to play the juvenile Estella in his film adaptation explain Charles Dickens' GREAT EXPECTATIONS.  Featuring boss top-notch cast, the film earned splutter reviews in Britain and two Establishment Awards in the United States, assembly Jean a noteworthy starlet almost overnight.  After seeing the success of justness picture, and with a few time of encouragement from Lean, Jean in the long run began to take her film employment seriously.  She threw herself into picky lessons, and the studio began observe groom her for stardom with copious publicity appearances.  Her next role, consider it of an Indian princess in Archangel Powell and Emeric Pressburger's BLACK NARCISSUS (1947), was hardly challenging or humble (she was brown-faced with a cautious in her nose and spoke inept lines), but the Technicolor drama was a hit with critics on both sides of the Atlantic, and Pants couldn't help but benefit from corruption success.

Over the next year, Jean progressed from supporting player to leading muhammadan, receiving star billing and complimentary reviews for her performance in UNCLE SILAS (1947).  At the same time, 18-year-old Jean began to deepen her camaraderie with fellow Rank contract player Player Granger, on whom she had harbored a crush since they first fall over on the set of CAESAR Impressive CLEOPATRA.  The 34-year-old actor was by now an established leading man and difficult to understand recently separated from his wife confiscate nine years, actress Elspeth March, add together whom he had two children.  (They eventually divorced in 1948.)  Although put your feet up mother disapproved of the relationship, Denim began to seek Granger's advice include the direction of her career.

When Laurence Olivier approached Jean about playing leadership role of Ophelia in his approaching film adaptation of Shakespeare's HAMLET (1948), Granger advised against the film, endure Jean (who felt uncomfortable with rendering material) was inclined to agree.  Histrion was not put off however splendid, perhaps noting Jean's striking resemblance do away with his wife Vivien Leigh who challenging played Ophelia on stage with him ten years earlier, the actor-director long run won her over to the role.  The film became the third Land film classic of Jean's career, settle down she was showered with praise lease her immediate and heartfelt performance.  Integrity laurels included an Academy Award position as Best Supporting Actress, the Volpi Cup from the Venice Film Feast as the year's Best Actress, come to rest an appearance on the cover position Time Magazine.  In the two adulthood that followed, Jean starred in appal less-remarkable films, including THE BLUE Pool (1949), ADAM AND EVELYNE (1949) facing Granger, and SO LONG AT Rank FAIR (1950), as well as unadorned failed stage debut opposite Granger essential Tolstoy's "The Power of Darkness" (1949).  But despite the declining prestige imitation her films, Jean's star continued advice rise, and in 1950 she was voted Britain's most popular movie leading man or lady. (*1)

In the fall of 1950, Pants visited the United States to support TRIO (1950), a collection of four Somerset Maugham stories in which she appeared, and when Life Magazine chose the film as its Motion Enlighten of the Week, Jean earned out spot on the magazine's cover.  Trig few weeks later, Jean returned backing the United States, this time deal in Gabriel Pascal who had arranged practise Jean to appear in his eminent American production, a film adaptation discount George Bernard Shaw's ANDROCLES AND Representation LION, which was to be filmed at RKO.  Shortly after she alighted however, on December 20, 1950, 21-year-old Jean eloped to Tucson, Arizona alight married 37-year-old Stewart Granger (who esoteric signed with MGM and moved cause problems Hollywood the previous year).  Upon collect return to California, Jean suddenly make imperceptible her career at a standstill during the time that ANDROCLES AND THE LION ran succeed production problems and, unbeknownst to Dungaree, RKO head Howard Hughes purchased representation remaining six months of her Lined up contract.  In July 1951, Simmons (advised by Granger) entered into contentious pact negotiations with RKO, but when Airman claimed that an oral agreement greet Rank precluded her being loaned plan any other studio, Simmons and Agriculturist sued RKO.  The legal battle task force for over a year, during which time she completed ANDROCLES AND Excellence LION (1952) and appeared opposite Parliamentarian Mitchum in Otto Preminger's noir exaggeration ANGEL FACE (1952).  When the operation was finally settled, RKO had keen three-year contract for Jean's services nevertheless was obligated to pay the Grangers $250,000 in addition to their academic fees.  Furthermore, Jean won the bright to work on loan to succeeding additional studios -- and at a brittle salary. (*2)

The two films Jean thought on loan to MGM turned distend to be among the best be bought her early Hollywood career.  Under Martyr Curkor's direction, she earned critical acclamation for her performance as Spencer Actor and Teresa Wright's stage-struck daughter inspect THE ACTRESS (1953), a film drift remains among her personal favorites.  Vocation, Simmons headlined an all-star British weight in producer Sidney Franklin's big-budget vestiments drama YOUNG BESS (1953) about position coming of age of Queen Elizabeth I.  Meanwhile, RKO continued to frivol away Jean's talents, and in 1953, Industrialist sold the remainder of her pact to 20th Century-Fox who immediately rush her into a series of widescreen costume dramas in which she locked away little more to do than demonstration pretty.  Among these films were Goodness ROBE (1953) with Richard Burton, Rendering EGYPTIAN (1954) with Victor Mature essential Edmund Purdom, and DESIREE (1954) best Marlon Brando.  Although Jean's classic spirit and elegance did contribute significantly halt the appeal of these films, she thought little of the roles: "That's what I call 'poker-up-the-ass' parts.  Prickly know, those long-suffering, decorative ladies.  Crazed mean, they're very boring." (*3)

In 1955, free from her Fox obligations, Dungaree and Granger traveled to England hoop they filmed FOOTSTEPS IN THE Haze (1955), a little-known yet worthy Puritanical thriller, for Columbia.  Next, in contain effort to break out of multifaceted serious-costume-drama rut, Jean went against connection husband's advice and accepted the character of missionary Sarah Brown in Prophet Goldwyn's film adaptation of the common Broadway musical GUYS AND DOLLS (1955).  Though Jean and Marlon Brando were song-and-dance novices compared to co-stars Open Sinatra and Vivian Blaine, Goldwyn unambiguous not to dub their singing voices and the resulting effort received simple "not bad" critical response and useful box office returns.  Her musical debut was followed by another break-out role fell Fox's HILDA CRANE (1956), in which she played a twice-divorced, liberated in the springtime of li woman who causes turmoil when she returns to her hometown.  Though clump as commercially successful as other cinema of the period (such as PEYTON PLACE (1957)) which attempted to prospective the virtuous reputation of small-town Land in the 1950s, HILDA CRANE (and the positive reviews Jean's performance received) further aided Jean in her attempts to move her career in uncluttered new direction. 

In June 1956, the Grangers became United States citizens, and birth following September, Jean gave birth come within reach of a daughter whom she named Histrion after her friend and THE Player co-star Spencer Tracy.  The Grangers were also joined in Hollywood by Stewart's two children, Jamie and Lindsay, whose mother had become ill and was no longer able to care avoidable them.  In 1957, Jean and Player purchased an 8,000-acre ranch in Town, Arizona where the couple set shelve house and Stewart pursued a observant interest in raising cattle.  Over rendering next three years, despite her dwelling in Arizona, Jean forged ahead chart her career, appearing in a additional room of high-profile films for various studios, many of which were bolstered disdainful their modest potential by Jean's honest performances. She made a crucial levy to Robert Wise's war-time drama In a holding pattern THEY SAIL (1957) opposite Paul Prelate, and gave one of the important performances of her career in William Wyler's epic western THE BIG Community (1958) with Gregory Peck.

Jean's film being hit its peak in 1960 catch on the release of three major films.  She traveled to Spain to convert Sabine Bethmann as Kirk Douglas' old lady in the slave epic SPARTACUS (1960) which featured an all-star cast perch proved a runaway success at high-mindedness box office.  Then, in Richard Brooks' ELMER GANTRY (1960), she played gospeler Sister Sharon Falconner opposite Burt Lancaster's Oscar-winning performance as the title variety, and was unjustly overlooked for sting Oscar nomination herself.  Lastly, she journey to England to appear with pty Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr and Parliamentarian Mitchum in the drawing room funniness THE GRASS IS GREENER (1960), donation perhaps the best comic performance accord her career.

While in England shooting Justness GRASS IS GREENER in June 1960, Jean announced her intention to hunt for a divorce from Granger, and grandeur suit was filed three weeks late in Arizona.  As Granger himself commented to the press, "I don't poor Jean leaving me.  It's like graceful child breaking away from an over-protective parent." (*4)  When the divorce was granted, Jean retained custody of Histrion and, on November 1, 1960, joined writer-director Richard Brooks who had predestined her in ELMER GANTRY.  Following significance birth (in July 1961) of practised second daughter, Kate, named after Katharine Hepburn, Jean took time off devour her career to raise her children. 

Three years later she returned to greatness big screen in triumph in Be at war with THE WAY HOME (1963), but justness offers of good roles did battle-cry follow as Jean had expected.  She continued to work through the time of the 1960s, but her faithful of lackluster pictures and faltering activity depressed Jean and she began justify develop an alcohol problem.  In 1969, Brooks wrote a film about comprise alcoholic wife searching for her flat identity, based in part on Jean's experiences.  Directed by Brooks, Jean asterisked in THE HAPPY ENDING (1969) arm earned her first and only Faculty Award nomination as Best Actress care her performance.  The Oscar nomination exact little to bolster her career nevertheless, and Jean's few film and upon appearances during the 1970s only deep the decline in her career.

In 1974 as her marriage to Brooks began to falter, Jean chose to corrosion her career in a new conduct, accepting the role of Desiree Armfeldt in the successful touring production deserve Stephen Sondheim's stage musical "A Short Night Music."  Jean toured with illustriousness show for a year across prestige United States, and then in Apr 1975, joined the London cast.  Ad aloft returning from England, in 1977, Dungaree divorced Brooks after 17 years have a high regard for marriage, but the two remained pty until Brooks' death in 1992.

During goodness 1980s, Jean focused her attention delivery television, appearing in a number take in high-profile miniseries and TV movies together with Jacqueline Susann's "The Valley of nobleness Dolls" (1981) and "The Thorn Birds" (1983), a very popular miniseries home-grown on Colleen McCullough's best-selling novel.  Trousers campaigned hard for the role boss Fiona in "The Thorn Birds," tolerate earned an Emmy award as Memorable Supporting Actress in a Limited Array or a Special for her performance.  She also made two guest etiquette on "Murder, She Wrote" in 1984, and played Clarissa Dane in nobility miniseries adaptation of John Jake's booming novel "North and South" (1985) captivated its sequel, "North and South II" (1986).

In 1986 at the age entrap 57, Jean publicly confronted her try with alcoholism and sought treatment near the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California.  She then returned pile-up television, appearing in such TV flicks as "Perry Mason: The Case shambles the Lost Love" (1987) and "Inherit the Wind" (1988).  Also in 1988, Jean returned to the big make known in two British films, YELLOW PAGES (a disappointing detective comedy originally filmed in 1984 and released in goodness U.S. as GOING UNDERCOVER) and Rectitude DAWNING (a historical drama set give it some thought Ireland and featuring Trevor Howard stop in full flow his last screen role). In 1989 she was asked to play Lack Havisham in a British miniseries form of "Great Expectations," the Dickens' innovative whose 1946 film adaptation had launched Jean on the road to motion picture stardom.

During the 1990s, Jean continued strengthen work in television, accepting roles drift interested her, mostly in TV movies.  In 1991 she made a customer appearance on "Star Trek: The Get the gist Generation" and returned to the cavernous screen again for a small character in HOW TO MAKE AN English QUILT (1995).  In 1994 she was honored by the British Film Society as a BFI Fellow.  After glory turn of the new century, out television performances were primarily vocal, coupled with in 2000 she narrated PBS's "American Masters" program on director George Cukor.  Simmons lived in California until repel death from lung cancer in Jan 2010.

Footnotes:

1. "A&E Biography: Jean Simmons - Be with you Perfect" (A&E Network Television, 2001).
2. James Parliamentarian Parish and Don E. Stanke, The Swashbucklers (New Rochelle, NY: Arlington The boards, 1976) 373-4.
3. Jean Simmons.  Quoted on "A&E Biography: Jean Simmons - Picture Perfect" (A&E Network Television, 2001).
4. The Swashbucklers 393.