Jean Simmons
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| Jean Simmons | |
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 from the trailer for Young Bess (1953) |
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| Born | Jean Merilyn Simmons January 31, 1929 Crouch Hill, London, England, United Kingdom |
| Years active | 1944-present |
| Spouse(s) | Stewart Granger (1950-1960) Richard Brooks (1960-1977) |
Jean Merilyn Simmons, OBE (born January 31, 1929) is an Oscar-nominated English actress. Simmons was named an Officer in the Order of the British Empire in 2003.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Career
Born in Crouch Hill, London, England, Simmons began acting at the age of 14. Prior to moving to Hollywood, she distinguished herself in such roles as the young Estella in David Lean's Great Expectations (1946) and Ophelia in Olivier's opus Hamlet in 1948. By this time, she was already well known for her work in other British films and her stage career.
In 1950, she married the English actor Stewart Granger, with whom she appeared in several films, successfully making the transition to Hollywood. Among her best-known leading roles are The Robe (1953) The Egyptian (1954), Guys and Dolls (1955), The Big Country (1958), Elmer Gantry (1960) (directed by her second husband, Richard Brooks), Spartacus (1960), and The Happy Ending, again directed by Brooks and for which she received her second Oscar nomination.
By the 1970s, Simmons turned her focus to stage and television acting. She toured the U.S. in the well-reviewed A Little Night Music, then took the show to London. For her appearance in the mini-series The Thorn Birds, she won an Emmy Award. In 1988, she starred in her first film for 10 years, titled The Dawning with Anthony Hopkins and Hugh Grant (pictured), and in 1989 she again starred in a miniseries version of Great Expectations, where she performed the role of Miss Havisham, Estella's adoptive mother, as well as in 1985 and 1986 in North & South. Simmons made a late career appearance in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Drumhead" as a witch hunt inspiring investigator named Admiral Nora Satie.
[edit] Personal life
She was married twice: in 1950 to Stewart Granger, divorcing in 1960, and in 1960 to director Richard Brooks divorcing in 1977. She has two daughters, Tracy Granger (born 1956) and Kate Brooks, one by each marriage. Simmons sought treatment for alcohol addiction in 1986 and currently lives in Santa Monica, California.
[edit] Filmography
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[edit] Awards and nominations
- Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Series/Special, The Thorn Birds (1983)
- Golden Globe for Best Musical/Comedy Actress, Guys and Dolls (1956)
- Nominations
- Academy Award for Best Actress, The Happy Ending (1969)
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Hamlet (1948)
- BAFTA for Best Actress, Guys and Dolls (1956)
- BAFTA for Best Actress, Elmer Gantry (1960)
- Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress - Drama Series, Murder, She Wrote (1989)
- Golden Globe for Best Drama Actress, Home Before Dark (1959)
- Golden Globe for Best Drama Actress, Elmer Gantry (1961)
- Golden Globe for Best Drama Actress, The Happy Ending (1970)
- Golden Globe for Best Musical/Comedy Actress, This Could Be the Night (1958)
- Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress - Miniseries, The Thorn Birds (1984)
[edit] External links
- Jean Simmons at the Internet Movie Database
- Jean Simmons article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki
- Jean Simmons at the TCM Movie Database
- Jean Simmons at Yahoo! Movies
- Jean Simmons - A Fan Resource
- Jean Simmons - Comprehensive Biography
| Awards | ||
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| Preceded by Judy Garland for A Star Is Born |
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy 1956 for Guys and Dolls |
Succeeded by Deborah Kerr for The King and I |
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| Persondata | |
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| NAME | Simmons, Jean |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Simmons, Jean Merilyn |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Actress |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 31, 1929 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Crouch Hill, London, England, United Kingdom |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
