Jean Merilyn Simmons
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Awards
Jean Simmons earned an Oscar nomination for Hamlet 1948 after roles in Great Expectations and Hamlet. She moved to Hollywood in the 1950s, starring in Guys and Dolls, The Robe, and Spartacus. Later television work included The Thorn Birds. She died of lung cancer in 2010.
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Jean Simmons by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Jean Simmons — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Jean Merilyn Simmons was born on January 31, 1929, in Crouch Hill, London, to Charles Simmons, an Olympic bronze medalist in gymnastics, and Winifred Aida Loveland. Her father died when she was 16. At age 14, while studying dance at the Aida Foster Theatre School, she was discovered for the film Give Us the Moon 1944.
Simmons made an immediate impact with Great Expectations 1946, playing Estella, and Black Narcissus 1947. She earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Hamlet 1948 opposite Laurence Olivier. In 1950 she married Stewart Granger and moved to Hollywood, where she overcame a restrictive contract with Howard Hughes to star in Young Bess 1953 and The Robe 1953, the first CinemaScope film. She won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for Guys and Dolls 1955, singing her own parts. After divorcing Granger, she married director Richard Brooks and gave an Oscar-nominated performance in The Happy Ending 1969. Later roles included television miniseries such as The Thorn Birds 1983 and a voice role in Howl’s Moving Castle 2004.
Simmons married actor Stewart Granger on December 20, 1950; they had a daughter, Tracy, born in 1956. The couple divorced in 1960. That same year she married writer-director Richard Brooks, with whom she had a daughter, Kate. The marriage ended in 1977, partly due to Simmons’s alcohol addiction, for which she sought treatment in 1986. She later lived in Santa Monica with her pets.
Simmons appeared in four Best Picture nominees: Great Expectations, Hamlet, The Robe, and Elmer Gantry. She received an OBE in 2003 for services to drama. Her performance in Spartacus 1960 is preserved in the National Film Registry. She worked in both British classics and Hollywood epics.
Browse the complete filmography of Jean Simmons — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
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Every award, honor, and recognition received by Jean Simmons — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Jean Simmons — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
My Career Has Had a Lot of Ups and Downs, but Basically It Has Been Wonderful.
If I Hadn’t Gone to Dancing School, I Would Have Married and Had Children Like My Mum and Had a Normal Life.
Every Actress Has to Face the Facts There Are Younger, More Beautiful Girls Right Behind You. Once You’ve Gone Beyond the Vanity of the Business, You’ll Take on the Tough Roles.
Little-known facts about Jean Simmons — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
William Wyler wanted her for Roman Holiday after her performance in The Blue Lagoon 1949, but Howard Hughes would not loan her out.
She was the only guest star on Murder, She Wrote to receive an Emmy nomination 1989.
Samuel Goldwyn decided she and Marlon Brando should sing their own songs in Guys and Dolls 1955 after hearing them rehearse.
Laurence Olivier urged her to pursue stage work, but she chose to follow future husband Stewart Granger to Hollywood.
She turned down the role of Jean Pargetter on As Time Goes By, which went to Judi Dench.
She became addicted to alcohol due to a lack of quality roles and sought treatment in 1986.
She was made a Fellow of the British Film Institute.
She sued Howard Hughes over her contract; the settlement included $250,000 and the right to work on loan to other studios.
Her daughter Tracy was born on September 10, 1956, from her marriage to Stewart Granger.
By the end of 1950, she was the #4 box office attraction in British cinema.
Director Richard Brooks wrote The Happy Ending 1969 about Simmons’s drinking problem.
She had two daughters: Kate Brooks and Tracy Granger.
She quit smoking while filming Shadows in the Sun 2009.
Her mother was Winifred Aida Loveland; her father, Charles Simmons, died of an ulcer when she was 16.
She became a U.S. citizen in 1956.
One of her films, Spartacus 1960, is in the National Film Registry.
She was awarded the OBE in the 2003 New Year Honours.
Cecil B. DeMille wanted her for Delilah in Samson and Delilah but she was busy in England.
In the late 1970s she lived in New Milford, Connecticut, with her daughter Kate.
She is one of six women to receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination for a performance directed by her spouse The Happy Ending.
She reportedly had an affair with Richard Burton during The Robe 1953.
She won her role in Black Narcissus from 1,600 applicants.
She was 10 years younger than Teresa Wright, who played her mother in two films.
Her daughters are named after Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.
She accepted the Best Actor Oscar on behalf of Alec Guinness in 1958.
She was considered for the role of Marion Crane in Psycho 1960.
Four of her films were Best Picture nominees; Hamlet won.
A memorial service was held at St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden, on June 29, 2010.
She was considered for Julie Andrews’s roles in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music.
Like Helena Bonham Carter, she played Ophelia and Miss Havisham in different adaptations.
She was chosen from about 200 applicants for her first film role.
She declined the lead in The Seven Year Itch 1955; Marilyn Monroe’s performance became iconic.
Her first on-screen kiss was with Tony Wager in Great Expectations 1946.
Darryl F. Zanuck wanted her for All About Eve but Rank refused to loan her.
She was considered for Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate 1967.
She was offered two roles in Beat the Devil but turned them down.
She was considered for Bonnie Parker in Bonnie and Clyde but deemed too old.
She was considered for Brenda in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning but deemed too famous.
She was considered for Bree Daniels in Klute; Jane Fonda won an Oscar.
She is one of 23 actresses who won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical without an Oscar nomination for that film.
She was considered for Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment; Shirley MacLaine won an Oscar.
She read for the title role in Miranda but was rejected.
She was screen-tested for Holiday Camp.
She declined an invitation to the 1980 premiere of The Blue Lagoon; she starred in the 1949 version.
She was cast in The Blue Lagoon on the suggestion of J. Arthur Rank.
In Italy, her films were often dubbed by Fiorella Betti.
She applied for the role of Rose in Brighton Rock but lost to Carol Marsh.
She took a break from The Blue Lagoon to accept an Oscar on behalf of J. Arthur Rank.
She declined an offer to replace Jean Kent in Diamond City; the role went to Diana Dors.
She was considered for Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet 1968 but the role went to Natasha Parry.
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