Jean Simmons
Jean Merilyn Simmons, OBE (born
January 31,
1929 in
Crouch Hill,
London,
England) is an
Oscar-nominated
British actress.
She was plucked from school to play
Margaret Lockwood's younger sister in "
Give Us the Moon" in
1944. She went on to appear in some prestigious British productions (notably as
Estella in
David Lean's "
Great Expectations" in
1947, as a sultry native beauty in Powell and Pressburger's "
Black Narcissus" in
1947 and as
Ophelia in Olivier's
1948 "
Hamlet", for which she was
nominated for an
Academy Award). Whilst filming "
So Long at the Fair" in
1949, she fell in love with and married her co-star
Stewart Granger. The couple then moved to
Hollywood the following year.
Simmons found out shortly after her arrival in the States that
RKO head
Howard Hughes had purchased the remaining six months of her
Rank Studio contract. When Hughes claimed that an oral agreement with Rank precluded her from being loaned out to any other studio, she sued RKO. The legal battle raged for over a year. When the suit was finally settled, RKO had a three-year contract for her services but was obligated to pay her $250,000 in addition to her legal fees. Furthermore, Simmons won the right to work on loan to other studios at a substantial salary.
Simmons soon became a major
Hollywood star, appearing opposite leading men including
Richard Burton ("
The Robe",
1953),
Marlon Brando ("
Guys and Dolls",
1955 â€" Simmons picking up a
Golden Globe for her performance in this film),
Paul Newman ("
Until They Sail",
1957) and
Gregory Peck ("
The Big Country",
1958).
In
1960, Simmons divorced Granger and married
Richard Brooks, who directed her and
Burt Lancaster that same year in "
Elmer Gantry", an acclaimed adaptation of the
Sinclair Lewis novel. She had a memorable role in
Stanley Kubrick's "
Spartacus" that same year.
She subsequently appeared in mostly unexceptional films, though "
The Happy Ending" in
1969 for her husband yielded another
Oscar nomination, and she began featuring in high-profile TV productions, such as "
The Dain Curse" in
1978, "
The Thorn Birds" in
1983 (for which she won an
Emmy and received an Golden Globe nomination) and "
North and South" in
1985. Becoming depressed at the lack of quality parts being offered her, Jean became addicted to
alcohol. In 1986, she sought
professional treatment.
In the
Disney TV remake of "Great Expectations" (
1989), Simmons essayed the role of
Miss Havisham to great acclaim. In
1995, she was featured with other powerhouse actresses in the
ensemble film "
How to Make an American Quilt" as Em, the wife of a philandering artist.
In
1991, Simmons assumed the role of gothic matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard in the short-lived NBC revial of "
Dark Shadows".
Simmons also appeared on stage, most notably as Desiree in the
London premiere of
Stephen Sondheim's '
A Little Night Music' (
1974) performing the signature tune ‘
Send in the Clowns', and she headlined the American national tour as well.
Her husband Brooks died in
1992.
Most recently, she has provided one of the voices for the English language version of
Hayao Miyazaki's
Howl's Moving Castle in
2005.
* In
2003 She was made an Officer in the
Order of the British Empire.
She was married twice:#
Stewart Granger (
1950-
1960); (one child)#
Richard Brooks (
1960-
1977); (one daughter
Kate Brooks)
Sports Day (1944)
Give Us the Moon (1944)
Mr. Emmanuel (1944)
Kiss the Bride Goodbye (1945)
Meet Sexton Blake (1945)
The Way to the Stars (1945)
Caesar and Cleopatra (1945)
Great Expectations (1946)
The Woman in the Hall (1947)
Uncle Silas (1947)
Black Narcissus (1947)
Hungry Hill (1947)
Hamlet (1948)
The Blue Lagoon (1949)
Adam and Evelyne (1949)
So Long at the Fair (1950)
Cage of Gold (1950)
Trio (1950)
The Clouded Yellow (1951)
Angel Face (1952)
Androcles and the Lion (1952)
Young Bess (1953)
Affair with a Stranger (1953)
The Robe (1953)
The Actress (1953)
She Couldn't Say No (1954)
Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)
The Egyptian (1954)
A Bullet Is Waiting (1954)
Desiree (1954)
Footsteps in the Fog (1955)
Guys and Dolls (1955)
Hilda Crane (1956)
This Could Be the Night (1957)
Until They Sail (1957)
The Big Country (1958)
Home Before Dark (1958)
This Earth Is Mine (1959)
Elmer Gantry (1960)
Spartacus (1960)
The Grass Is Greener (1960)
All the Way Home (1963)
Life at the Top (1965)
Mister Buddwing (1966)
Divorce American Style (1967)
Rough Night in Jericho (1967)
The Happy Ending (1969)
Say Hello to Yesterday (1971)
Mr. Sycamore (1975)
Dominique (1978)
The Dawning (1988)
Going Undercover (1988)
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1991)
They do it with Mirrors (1991)
How to Make an American Quilt (1995)
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) (voice)
Jean Simmons: Rose of England (2004) (documentary)
Howl's Moving Castle (Hauru no ugoku shiro) (2004) (voice)
Through the Moebius Strip (2005) (voice) (currently in post-production)
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Classic Movies (1939 - 1969): Jean Simmons*
Jean Simmons - A Fan Resource
