But around 75, she changed: she did a wonderful voice performance in Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle (2004), and she was deeply touching as a dying poet in Shadows in the Sun (2009). The marriage to Brooks came to an end in 1977, and there were stories that she was drinking too much. She would make an additional picture for 20th Century Fox while RKO got the services of Victor Mature for one film.[24]. Simmons did Heidi (1968) for TV, then Brooks wrote and directed The Happy Ending (1969) for her, and she received her second Oscar nomination. She performed as Desiree Armfeldt in the US national tour of the Stephen Sondheims musical A Little Night Music. On January 22, 2010, she succumbed to lung cancer at her home. Simmons had two daughters, Tracy Granger (a film editor since 1990), and Kate Brooks (a TV production assistant and producer), one by each marriage - their names bearing witness to Simmons' friendship with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. [13], Simmons had the lead in Frank Launder's The Blue Lagoon (1949), based on the novel by Henry De Vere Stacpoole and co-produced with Launder's partner Sidney Gilliat, a project originally announced for Lockwood a decade earlier. Closer Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Simmons went into Elmer Gantry (1960), directed by Richard Brooks, who became her second husband. Asked what Jean considered her greatest accomplishment, Kate quickly responds, Marrying my dad. Simmons was born on 31 January 1929, in Islington, London,[4] to Charles Simmons, a bronze medalist in gymnastics at the 1912 Summer Olympics, and his wife, Winifred Ada (ne Loveland). It was her first adult role, and Granger and she became romantically involved; they soon married. She was always so happy to see us around those dramatic Christmases.. [12][6], Simmons was top-billed for the first time in the drama Uncle Silas (1947). Id whine: Im afraid. And hed say: Never be afraid to fail. He would have these long, long speeches and when he delivered them it was as if he were thinking these thoughts and saying the words for the very first time. Jean named her first daughter Tracy Granger in his honour. She was the most gentle, polite hero in my book a real lady. My mother would wrap every little, tiny [present], Kate recalls. Star Perdita Weeks' Bikini Photos, See Your Favorite Celebrity Couples in Swimsuits: Best Beach Photos, She Loves Being a Mom! Simmons moved to the East Coast of the US in the late 1970s, briefly owning a home in New Milford, Connecticut. [1][2] One of J. Arthur Rank's "well-spoken young starlets", she appeared predominantly in films, beginning with those made in Great Britain during and after World War II, followed mainly by Hollywood films from 1950 onwards.[3]. In the 2003 New Year Honours, Simmons was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to acting. During 1944-45 she worked in several other British films doing small roles including the most expensive British Technicolor film of that time, Caesar and Cleopatra (1945), directed and produced by Gabriel Pascal. Her next prominent portrayal was that of Estela in the film Great Expectations directed by David Lean. Carrying on with the extravagance of the proposal, they married in Elvis Presleys Graceland in Memphis Tennessee in September 2019. She lost out on. Not bad for a kid from Cricklewood.. When one considers that she was barely past 25 in 1955, it is all the stranger that her films slipped so far in quality: Hilda Crane; as secretary to gangster Paul Douglas in This Could Be the Night; with Paul Newman in Until They Sail; with Gregory Peck and Charlton Heston in the big western, The Big Country; This Earth is Mine. Less popular was The Actress (1953) at MGM alongside Spencer Tracy; it was one of her personal favorites. From 1994 until 1998, Simmons narrated the A&E documentary television series Mysteries of the Bible. Spouse/Ex-: Richard Brooks, Stewart Granger, siblings: Edna Simmons, Harold Simmons, Lorna Simmons, place of death: Santa Monica, California, United States, Notable Alumni: Aida Foster Theatre School, (Adventure, War, Biography, History, Drama), (Crime, Thriller, Film-Noir, Romance, Drama), See the events in life of Jean Simmons in Chronological Order, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2wxy4Il9KA. Find the right content for your market. She took a risk, singing If I Were a Bell and The Eyes of a Woman in Love, to be Sister Sarah in the movie of Guys and Dolls (1955). Olivier offered her the chance to work and study at the Old Vic, advising her to play anything they offered her to get experience; but she was under contract to Rank, which vetoed the idea. This classy and talented beauty left a mark by her spectacular performances in big-screen films like Great Expectations, Hamlet, Guys and Dolls and The Happy Ending. She lent her voice as Grandma Sophie in the Japanese animated fantasy film, Howl's Moving Castle (2004) and also as Shepway in the Hong Kongproduced 3D-CGI feature film, Thru the Moebius Strip (2005). Given the grand adventures of Jeans life its surprising she never wrote her memoirs. He wasnt easy; she was a trouper. Have something to tell us about this article? The strange tycoon was obsessed with her personally, and he laid siege to her romantically and professionally so that she did not work for over a year. It was only when I worked with David Lean on Great Expectations that I began to get the bug. Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Officer of the Order of the British Empire, Bambi Award for Best Actress International, National Board of Review Award for Best Actress, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Laurel Award for Top Female Dramatic Performance, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress Motion Picture Drama, Laurel Award for Top Female Comedy Performance, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress Series, Miniseries or Television Film, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Best Actress Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, Best Supporting Actress Series, Miniseries or Television, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, "Jean Simmons dies at 80; radiant beauty was known for stunning versatility", "Jean Simmons: Actress who dazzled opposite the likes of Marlon Brando, Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier", "Jean Simmons: an unforgettable English rose", "Critics Praise Drama: Comedians Win Profits", "Stewart Granger Jean Simmons and Claire Bloom adventures of two north London girls", "English actress was known for roles in the films 'Hamlet' and 'Elmer Gantry', "Looking at Hollywood: Story of Talking Animals Bought for Movie", "Jean Simmons Suit Settled by Hughes: British Actress Wins on Points; Producer to Pay All Costs of Trial", "Philip French's screen legends No 11: Jean Simmons profile", "A Little Night Music: 1974 Touring Production; 1975 London Production", "The Stewart Grangers Become Citizens of US", "Jean Simmons Files To Divorce Stewart Granger", "Sting leads campaign against Blair's plan to reclassify cannabis", "British-born Hollywood actress Jean Simmons dies at 80", "Bob Hope Takes Lead from Bing In Popularity", In Appreciation of Jean Simmons (19292010), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jean_Simmons&oldid=1148072615, Most Outstanding British Actress of the Year, This page was last edited on 3 April 2023, at 22:34. The producer, Sam Goldwyn, had wanted Grace Kelly for the part. Tracy Grainger, who became a film editor, and TV production assistant and producer, Kate Brooks. Suggest an alternative Share your comments about this record She got an Oscar nomination for it (she lost to Maggie Smith in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie), but rather more out of respect than conviction. How far she understood the picture is unclear. She liked her privacy. Yet, even in her twilight years, Jeans values held strong. no intention of becoming an actress, believing that her true talent was teaching. She took some years off screen, then returned in All the Way Home (1963) with Robert Preston. I didnt do anything, she confessed. Simmons had a small part as a harpist in the high-profile Caesar and Cleopatra (1945), produced by Gabriel Pascal, starring Vivien Leigh, and co-starring Simmons's future husband Stewart Granger. She lived in Santa Monica with her pets, a . Biography [ edit ] At age 20, while studying Russian and photography, Kate became actively involved in the plight of Russian orphans, starting a non-profit aid group to help the children at an institution . But in terms of career this was often a frustrating period for Jean. One can only say that it is a rare tribute to unrequited love. She was born on January 31, 1929, in Lower Holloway, London, United Kingdom. Jean Simmons, who has died aged 80, had a bounteous moment, early in her career, when she seemed the likely casting for every exotic or magical female role. Thus it contains and she sustains some of the most luminous close-ups ever given to a femme fatale. I really dont have a bad word to say about her., The British-born actress got her start early, garnering international renown at just 17 for her portrayal of Estella in David Leans, . I'd whine: 'I'm afraid.' Then, in the same year, she played the adopted daughter of Stewart Granger in Adam and Evelyne. Listening to her it was clear she could see herself in Hannah. Jean would seek treatment years later at the Betty Ford Center, quipping, All I can say is thank God for Mrs. Ford!, 'Just when I thought nobody would play any dirtier than me': Chance surprises Blake Shelton with 'long game' strategy on 'The Voice' Season 23 Knockouts premiere, Like 'Clockwork': Legendary British actor's son mysteriously vanishes from 'American Idol,' in third resignation of Season 21, Ray Romano reveals that he had a stent put in his heart: 'I had 90% blockage', 'Air': Matt Damon, Chris Messina break down how they filmed movies explosive, hilariously vulgar phone call, The Weeknd's 'The Idol': Lily-Rose Depp transforms into 'nasty, bad' pop star in new trailer for controversial series. In the cute shot, Michelle rocks a white flared jumpsuit that Elvis himself would be proud of as well as some killer sunglasses. Simmons, who herself faced challenges and fought her own battle with alcohol addiction, never shied away from speaking publicly about her own ordeal due to the addiction. Born: 31-Jan-1929 Birthplace: London, England Died: 22-Jan-2010 Location of death: Santa Monica, CA Cause of death: Cancer - Lung . However, she was by then an expert at the Oscars, for she attended the previous year and four times was on stage to accept awards on behalf of Great Expectations and Black Narcissus. It was really fun for her. Speaking ahead of her highly anticipated . Jean certainly had a revolving door of leading men to choose from, but she only had eyes for screenwriter and director Richard Brooks, Jeans second husband and Kates father. Singing with Marlon Brando and acting with Frank Sinatra you couldnt get better casting than that! Kate says. Ive got some lovely memories, she told me. Simmons won her fi rst Oscar nomination for Hamlet when she was just 19 and moved to Hollywood in 1950 with first husband Stewart Granger, who was 16 years her senior and already married when they fi rst met. I would always tease her and say, Mom, which one?. She is interred in Highgate Cemetery, north London.[38][39][40]. According to her, this film changed her perception about filming, which till such time was only fun and games for her, and from that time onwards she seriously contemplated taking up acting as a career. All Rights Reserved, Please note that this form cannot be used to reset your Google, Jean Simmons is remembered as a luminary of the, , she played her most cherished role behind the scenes as a doting mother and wife. Thereafter, she sportingly played the female lead in Spartacus, and had some overlong, giggle-making love scenes with its star, Kirk Douglas "Put me down, Spartacus, I'm having a baby!". My husbands were both much noisier and much more opinionated it's really nothing to do with age it's to do with what's there the twinkle and sense of humour. Two of her later big-screen flicks were The Dawning (1988) starring along with Hugh Grant and Antony Hopkins and How to Make an American Quilt (1995) with Winona Ryder, Anne Bancroft and Ellen Burstyn. (Photo by Gary Merrin/Keystone/Getty Images). At this point, her ambition was to be an acrobatic dancer.[8]. In 1961, their daughter Kate Brooks was born. AKA Jean Merilyn Simmons. Simmons and Brooks divorced in 1980. Lower Holloway, London, kate brooks jean simmons Kingdom soon married 'm afraid. the,. Mother would wrap every Little, tiny [ present ], Kate Brooks ' Bikini Photos, See Your Celebrity! To lung cancer at her home Kelly for the part 22, 2010, she told me 'd whine '! They soon married Adam and Evelyne responds, Marrying my dad Ford Center, quipping, All I say! 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