| Jean Simmons | |
|---|---|
 from the trailer for Young Bess (1953) | |
| Birth name | Jean Merilyn Simmons |
| Born | 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. She was born in Crouch Hill, London, England, and was named an Officer in the Order of the British Empire in 2003. She was married twice; in 1950 to Stewart Granger, divorcing in 1960, and again in 1960 to Richard Brooks divorcing him in 1977. Simmons has two daughters, Tracy Granger and Kate Brooks, one from each marriage.
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Career
Prior to moving to Hollywood, Simmons distinguished herself in such roles as 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 Egyptian (1954), Guys and Dolls (1955), 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, her screen career had tapered off and Simmons turned 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 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. Jean Simmons would make a late career appearance in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Drumhead" where she portrays a witch hunt inspiring investigator named Admiral Nora Satie.
Filmography
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Awards & Nominations
- Emmy won: Outstanding Supporting Actress - Series/Special The Thorn Birds (1983)
- Golden Globe won: Best Musical/Comedy Actress Guys and Dolls (1956)
Nominations
- Academy Award nomination: Best Supporting Actress Hamlet (1948)
- Academy Award nomination: Best Actress The Happy Ending (1969)
- BAFTA nomination: Best Actress Guys and Dolls (1956)
- BAFTA nomination: Best Actress Elmer Gantry (1960)
- Emmy nomination: Outstanding Guest Actress - Drama Series Murder, She Wrote (1989)
- Golden Globe nomination: Best Musical/Comedy Actress This Could Be the Night (1958)
- Golden Globe nomination: Best Drama Actress Home Before Dark (1959)
- Golden Globe nomination: Best Drama Actress Elmer Gantry (1961)
- Golden Globe nomination: Best Drama Actress The Happy Ending (1970)
- Golden Globe nomination: Best Supporting Actress - Miniseries The Thorn Birds (1984)
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
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Preceded by Penny Fuller The Elephant Man | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Miniseries or a Movie 1983 for The Thorn Birds | Succeeded by Roxana Zal Something About Amelia |
