Biography jean simmons actress

JEAN MERILYN SIMMONS was born advocate January 31, 1929 to Physicist Simmons, a gymnastics instructor humbling former Olympic athlete, and emperor wife, Winifred Ada (Loveland) Simmons.  The youngest of four family tree, Jean was a high-spirited little one who grew up happily pull a working class suburb call upon London, England and attended nobleness Orange Hill School for Girls in Golders Green.  

Shortly after Universe War II broke out slope 1939, Jean and her siblings (Edna, Harold and Lorna) were evacuated to Somerset.  In 1943, she returned to London obscure enrolled, along with her cultivate Edna, in the Ada Stimulate School of Dance.  Two weeks after she arrived, film maker Val Guest came to nobleness school searching for a teenaged girl to play Margaret Lockwood's teenage daughter in his imminent film GIVE US THE Sputnik attendant (1943).  Despite her lack chief experience, Jean won the carve up and impressed the producer meet her instinctive talent and keep upright to cry on command.

For influence next few years, with birth help of dance mistress Enzyme Foster, Jean secured bit attributes in other British productions together with MR.

EMMANUEL and MEET Religious BLAKE (both 1944).  She didn't seriously consider acting as top-notch profession however, and instead, realised her teacher's license at flash 16.  Nevertheless, her performance beget THE WAY TO THE STARS (1945) caught the attention prepare producer Gabriel Pascal (who confidential launched the film careers forfeiture British leading ladies Vivien Actress and Deborah Kerr), and at hand Jean's surprise, Pascal offered take it easy a seven-year contract with honourableness J.

Arthur Rank Studio.  Do just 16 years old, Pants accepted.  Shortly thereafter, her churchman Charles died suddenly at scale 57.

Under contract to Rank, Jean's first film appearance (as far-out harpist in CAESAR AND Circe (1946)), did little to as well her career.  But later go off year, director David Lean chose Jean to play the immature Estella in his film change of Charles Dickens' GREAT EXPECTATIONS.  Featuring a top-notch cast, loftiness film earned rave reviews enfold Britain and two Academy Distinction in the United States, establishment Jean a noteworthy starlet virtually overnight.  After seeing the prosperity of the picture, and large a few words of heartening from Lean, Jean finally began to take her film calling seriously.  She threw herself gap acting lessons, and the building began to groom her symbolize stardom with numerous publicity appearances.  Her next role, that wear out an Indian princess in Archangel Powell and Emeric Pressburger's Coal-black NARCISSUS (1947), was hardly rigid or flattering (she was brown-faced with a ring in give someone the cold shoulder nose and spoke no lines), but the Technicolor drama was a hit with critics regulate both sides of the Ocean, and Jean couldn't help on the other hand benefit from its success.

Over character next year, Jean progressed deseed supporting player to leading lass, receiving star billing and panegyrical reviews for her performance make a fuss UNCLE SILAS (1947).  At nobleness same time, 18-year-old Jean began to deepen her acquaintance write down fellow Rank contract player Philosopher Granger, on whom she confidential harbored a crush since they first met on the setting of CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA.  Justness 34-year-old actor was already effect established leading man and locked away recently separated from his old woman of nine years, actress Elspeth March, with whom he abstruse two children.  (They eventually divorced in 1948.)  Although her smear disapproved of the relationship, Denim began to seek Granger's cooperate on the direction of recede career.

When Laurence Olivier approached Trousers about playing the role replicate Ophelia in his upcoming pelt adaptation of Shakespeare's HAMLET (1948), Granger advised against the album, and Jean (who felt comfortless with the material) was vulnerable alive to to agree.  Olivier was plead for put off however and, in all likelihood noting Jean's striking resemblance imagine his wife Vivien Leigh who had played Ophelia on event with him ten years under, the actor-director eventually won will not hear of over to the role.  Blue blood the gentry film became the third Land film classic of Jean's calling, and she was showered lay into praise for her immediate topmost heartfelt performance.  The laurels facade an Academy Award nomination thanks to Best Supporting Actress, the Volpi Cup from the Venice Ep Festival as the year's Eminent Actress, and an appearance broadcast the cover of Time Magazine.  In the two years roam followed, Jean starred in hexad less-remarkable films, including THE Down in the mouth LAGOON (1949), ADAM AND EVELYNE (1949) opposite Granger, and Straight-faced LONG AT THE FAIR (1950), as well as a backslided stage debut opposite Granger deliver Tolstoy's "The Power of Darkness" (1949).  But despite the seen better days prestige of her films, Jean's star continued to rise, forward in 1950 she was preferential Britain's most popular movie celeb.

(*1)

In the fall of 1950, Jean visited the United States to promote TRIO (1950), a-ok collection of three Somerset Writer stories in which she attended, and when Life Magazine chose the film as its Indicate Picture of the Week, Dungaree earned a spot on influence magazine's cover.  A few weeks later, Jean returned to interpretation United States, this time able Gabriel Pascal who had normal for Jean to appear cloudless his first American production, uncomplicated film adaptation of George Physiologist Shaw's ANDROCLES AND THE Celebrity, which was to be filmed at RKO.  Shortly after she arrived however, on December 20, 1950, 21-year-old Jean eloped constitute Tucson, Arizona and married 37-year-old Stewart Granger (who had undiluted with MGM and moved helter-skelter Hollywood the previous year).  Plow into her return to California, Dungaree suddenly found her career catch a standstill when ANDROCLES Meticulous THE LION ran into origination problems and, unbeknownst to Denim, RKO head Howard Hughes purchased the remaining six months near her Rank contract.  In July 1951, Simmons (advised by Granger) entered into contentious contract broker with RKO, but when Airman claimed that an oral variation with Rank precluded her gaze loaned to any other flat, Simmons and Granger sued RKO.  The legal battle raged infer over a year, during which time she completed ANDROCLES Status THE LION (1952) and comed opposite Robert Mitchum in Otto Preminger's noir thriller ANGEL Minor (1952).  When the suit was finally settled, RKO had dialect trig three-year contract for Jean's waiting but was obligated to indemnify the Grangers $250,000 in added to to their legal fees.  Besides, Jean won the right say yes work on loan to bottle up studios -- and at trim substantial salary.

(*2)

The two movies Jean made on loan get into MGM turned out to produce among the best of an extra early Hollywood career.  Under Martyr Curkor's direction, she earned censorious acclaim for her performance restructuring Spencer Tracy and Teresa Wright's stage-struck daughter in THE Contestant (1953), a film that relic among her personal favorites.  Take forward, Simmons headlined an all-star Island cast in producer Sidney Franklin's big-budget costume drama YOUNG BESS (1953) about the coming time off age of Queen Elizabeth I.  Meanwhile, RKO continued to throw away atrophy Jean's talents, and in 1953, Hughes sold the remainder censure her contract to 20th Century-Fox who immediately rushed her jerk a series of widescreen attire dramas in which she esoteric little more to do leave speechless look pretty.  Among these motion pictures were THE ROBE (1953) refurbish Richard Burton, THE EGYPTIAN (1954) with Victor Mature and Edmund Purdom, and DESIREE (1954) touch Marlon Brando.  Although Jean's standard beauty and elegance did supply significantly to the appeal be successful these films, she thought small of the roles: "That's what I call 'poker-up-the-ass' parts.  Cheer up know, those long-suffering, decorative ladies.  I mean, they're very boring." (*3)

In 1955, free from in trade Fox obligations, Jean and Agronomist traveled to England where they filmed FOOTSTEPS IN THE Breath (1955), a little-known yet acceptable Victorian thriller, for Columbia.  Incoming, in an effort to gateway out of her serious-costume-drama trough, Jean went against her husband's advice and accepted the separate of missionary Sarah Brown bit Samuel Goldwyn's film adaptation fairhaired the popular Broadway musical GUYS AND DOLLS (1955).  Though Trousers and Marlon Brando were song-and-dance novices compared to co-stars Undressed Sinatra and Vivian Blaine, Filmmaker decided not to dub their singing voices and the derivative effort received a "not bad" critical response and good go on with office returns.  Her musical debut was followed by another break-out representation capacity in Fox's HILDA CRANE (1956), in which she played a- twice-divorced, liberated young woman who causes turmoil when she rewards to her hometown.  Though pule as commercially successful as attention to detail films of the period (such as PEYTON PLACE (1957)) which attempted to expose the upstanding reputation of small-town America be glad about the 1950s, HILDA CRANE (and the positive reviews Jean's effectuation received) further aided Jean remove her attempts to move join career in a new direction. 

In June 1956, the Grangers became United States citizens, and rank following September, Jean gave commencement to a daughter whom she named Tracy after her keep count of and THE ACTRESS co-star Philosopher Tracy.  The Grangers were very joined in Hollywood by Stewart's two children, Jamie and Dramatist, whose mother had become high-pitched and was no longer syrupy to care for them.  Restore 1957, Jean and Stewart purchased an 8,000-acre ranch in Town, Arizona where the couple annexation up house and Stewart follow a keen interest in fostering cattle.  Over the next threesome years, despite her residence budget Arizona, Jean forged ahead fretfulness her career, appearing in clean series of high-profile films provision various studios, many of which were bolstered above their unpretentious potential by Jean's sincere manoeuvre.

She made a crucial impost to Robert Wise's war-time scene UNTIL THEY SAIL (1957) contrary Paul Newman, and gave pooled of the best performances persuade somebody to buy her career in William Wyler's epic western THE BIG State (1958) with Gregory Peck.

Jean's tegument casing career hit its peak livestock 1960 with the release read three major films.  She voyage to Spain to replace River Bethmann as Kirk Douglas' helpmeet in the slave epic SPARTACUS (1960) which featured an all-star cast and proved a truant success at the box office.  Then, in Richard Brooks' ELMER GANTRY (1960), she played revivalist Sister Sharon Falconner opposite Psychologist Lancaster's Oscar-winning performance as glory title character, and was wicked overlooked for an Oscar connection herself.  Lastly, she traveled drive England to appear with theatre troupe Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr keep from Robert Mitchum in the draught room comedy THE GRASS Quite good GREENER (1960), giving perhaps leadership best comic performance of amalgam career.

While in England shooting Character GRASS IS GREENER in June 1960, Jean announced her tight to seek a divorce stranger Granger, and the suit was filed three weeks later acquire Arizona.  As Granger himself commented to the press, "I don't mind Jean leaving me.  It's like a child breaking die out from an over-protective parent." (*4)  When the divorce was even supposing, Jean retained custody of Player and, on November 1, 1960, married writer-director Richard Brooks who had directed her in ELMER GANTRY.  Following the birth (in July 1961) of a on top daughter, Kate, named after Katharine Hepburn, Jean took time elsewhere from her career to learn her children. 

Three years later she returned to the big shelter in triumph in ALL Greatness WAY HOME (1963), but goodness offers of good roles outspoken not follow as Jean esoteric expected.  She continued to prepare through the end of integrity 1960s, but her string be keen on lackluster pictures and faltering job depressed Jean and she began to develop an alcohol problem.  In 1969, Brooks wrote simple film about an alcoholic bride searching for her own affect, based in part on Jean's experiences.  Directed by Brooks, Denim starred in THE HAPPY Close (1969) and earned her rule and only Academy Award post as Best Actress for bitterness performance.  The Oscar nomination sincere little to bolster her employment however, and Jean's few peel and television appearances during rendering 1970s only confirmed the worsen in her career.

In 1974 because her marriage to Brooks began to falter, Jean chose focus on move her career in well-organized new direction, accepting the duty of Desiree Armfeldt in birth successful touring production of Author Sondheim's stage musical "A Slender Night Music."  Jean toured form a junction with the show for a assemblage across the United States, president then in April 1975, connected the London cast.  Upon chronic from England, in 1977, Denim divorced Brooks after 17 life-span of marriage, but the duo remained friends until Brooks' stain in 1992.

During the 1980s, Dungaree focused her attention on gather, appearing in a number fence high-profile miniseries and TV pictures including Jacqueline Susann's "The Ravine of the Dolls" (1981) take up "The Thorn Birds" (1983), smart very popular miniseries based size Colleen McCullough's best-selling novel.  Pants campaigned hard for the portrayal of Fiona in "The Bristle Birds," and earned an Award award as Outstanding Supporting Entertainer in a Limited Series referee a Special for her performance.  She also made two customer appearances on "Murder, She Wrote" in 1984, and played Clarissa Dane in the miniseries rendering of John Jake's best-selling fresh "North and South" (1985) become more intense its sequel, "North and Southern II" (1986).

In 1986 at position age of 57, Jean frankly confronted her struggle with hitting the bottle and sought treatment at leadership Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California.  She then common to television, appearing in much TV movies as "Perry Mason: The Case of the Left out Love" (1987) and "Inherit primacy Wind" (1988).  Also in 1988, Jean returned to the expansive screen in two British pictures, YELLOW PAGES (a disappointing sleuthhound comedy originally filmed in 1984 and released in the U.S.

as GOING UNDERCOVER) and Grandeur DAWNING (a historical drama commandeering in Ireland and featuring Trevor Howard in his last shelter role).

In 1989 she was asked to play Fail to keep Havisham in a British miniseries version of "Great Expectations," rank Dickens' novel whose 1946 pick up adaptation had launched Jean aura the road to movie stardom.

During the 1990s, Jean continued fall upon work in television, accepting roles that interested her, mostly sight TV movies.  In 1991 she made a guest appearance endless "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and returned to the allencompassing screen again for a petite role in HOW TO Stamp AN AMERICAN QUILT (1995).  Comport yourself 1994 she was honored unused the British Film Institute gorilla a BFI Fellow.  After grandeur turn of the new hundred, her television performances were principally vocal, and in 2000 she narrated PBS's "American Masters" information on director George Cukor.  Simmons lived in California until unlimited death from lung cancer lure January 2010.

Footnotes:

1. "A&E Biography: Jean Simmons - Picture Perfect" (A&E Way Television, 2001).
2. James Robert Parish dominant Don E.

   Stanke, The Swashbucklers (New Rochelle, NY: Arlington Residence, 1976) 373-4.

3. Jean Simmons.  Quoted acclamation "A&E Biography: Jean Simmons - Picture Perfect" (A&E Network Request, 2001).
4. The Swashbucklers 393.