Jennifer Jones Wiki: Spouse, Daughter, Children, Husband, Net Worth



Known for movies



Jennifer Jones (born Phylis Lee Isley; March 2, 1919 – December 17, 2009) was an American actress and producer. She was one of the most popular leading ladies of her time, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Song of Bernadette (1943). She was also nominated for Best Actress for Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955). Jones’ career spanned more than 40 years, and she appeared in more than 80 films.

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to a wealthy family, Jones was raised Roman Catholic and attended Catholic schools. She made her film debut with a small role in In Old Arizona (1928). Her first starring role came in the early 1930s with a string of films from RKO Radio Pictures, including Berkeley Square (1933), Little Women (1933), and The Women in Red (1935). She became one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1940s with her appearances in such films as Since You Went Away (1944) and Love Letters (1945). She worked with some of the era’s most prominent directors, including Alfred Hitchcock in Spellbound (1945) and David O. Selznick in Since You Went Away (1944) and Portrait of Jennie (1948).

In 1955, Jones starred in Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, her first color film. Her performance earned her a second Academy Award nomination. She continued to work regularly throughout the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in such films as A Farewell to Arms (1957), The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956), Tender Is the Night (1962), and The Towering Inferno (1974). She was active in philanthropy, working with the United Service Organizations (USO) and other charities. In her later years, she continued to act on occasion, making her final film appearance in The Beverly Hillbillies (1993).

Jones was married four times, most notably to actor Robert Walker from 1939 until his death in 1951. She had three children, one of whom predeceased her. Her final marriage was to businessman Norton Simon in 1971. Jones died at her home in Beverly Hills, California, on December 17, 2009, at the age of 90.

Early Life

Jennifer Jones was born Phylis Lee Isley in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the daughter of Flora Mae (née Suber) and Phillip Ross Isley. Her parents were both aspiring actors who worked only sporadically; they divorced when she was five years old. Jones and her sister were raised by their maternal grandmother, Emma Jackson Suber, an African-American woman who had been born into slavery but freed before the Civil War. Through Suber, Jones is descended from enslaved Africans as well as Cherokee Indians.

Jones’ father eventually moved to California, where he worked as an extra and bit-player for Warner Bros. studios during the 1930s. He met and married Dorothy Frances Spencer, another aspiring actress; they had three children together. Jones’ stepfather was abusive; he would often beat her and her sister when he was drunk. Jones’ mother divorced him when she was nine years old and moved the family to Los Angeles. Jones’ mother remarried several times throughout her life; her last husband was businessman Norton Simon.

Jones was a shy child and did not take part in school activities until she was attending Hollywood High School. She began acting in school plays and community theater productions. After graduating from high school in 1936, she enrolled in UCLA to study acting. However, she dropped out after one semester to pursue a career in film.

Career

Early work: 1928–1932

Jones made her film debut with a small role in In Old Arizona (1928), the first all-talking Western. She appeared as an extra in a number of films produced by Warner Bros., including The Jazz Singer (1927), Gold Diggers of Broadway (1929), and Little Caesar (1931). In 1932, she signed a contract with RKO Radio Pictures. Her first starring role came that year with Berkeley Square (1933), a British-set historical drama. She followed it with roles in several other RKO films, including Little Women (1933), The Women in Red (1935), and Streamline Express (1935).

In 1934, Jones met actor Robert Walker while filming Streamline Express; they married two years later. The couple had two sons: Robert Jr., who was born in 1939, and Michael Walker, who was born in 1942.

Rise to stardom: 1933–1945

Jones became one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1940s with her appearances in such films as Since You Went Away (1944) and Love Letters (1945).

In 1943, Jones starred as Saint Bernadette Soubirous in The Song of Bernadette, a biographical drama about the apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes. Her performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress, making her the first actress to win the award for a role in a religious film. The film was a huge commercial success, grossing $5 million at the box office.

Jones followed up her Academy Award-winning performance with roles in a string of successful films, including Madame Curie (1943), Since You Went Away (1944), Love Letters (1945), and Duel in the Sun (1946). She also worked with some of Hollywood’s most prominent directors during this period, including Alfred Hitchcock in Spellbound (1945) and David O. Selznick on Since You Went Away (1944) and Portrait of Jennie (1948).

In 1945, Jones’ husband Robert Walker died at the age of 32 from an accidental overdose of sleeping pills. His death left Jones devastated; she withdrew from public life for several months and did not work again until 1947.

Later work: 1946–1993

In 1955, Jones starred in Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, her first color film. Her performance earned her a second Academy Award nomination.

Jones continued to work regularly throughout the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in such films as A Farewell to Arms (1957), The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956), Tender Is the Night (1962), and The Towering Inferno (1974). She also made several television appearances during this time, including guest spots on episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Love Boat.

In 1971, Jones married businessman Norton Simon; it was her fourth marriage. The couple remained married until Simon’s death in 1993.

Jones’ final film appearance came that year with a small role in The Beverly Hillbillies (1993). She retired from acting after filming wrapped on the movie.

Personal Life

Jones was married four times: to actors Robert Walker (1939–1951) and Roger Davis (1967–1969), businessman John Meriweather (1964–1966), and businessman Norton Simon (1971–1993). She had three children: Robert Walker Jr., Michael Walker, and Mary Jennifer Selznick. Her grandson is actor Ethan Embry.

Jones suffered from depression throughout her life; she attempted suicide several times throughout her career. In 1949, she underwent electroconvulsive therapy after being diagnosed with manic depression.

Death

Jennifer Jones died at her home in Beverly Hills, California on December 17, 2009 at the age of 90 from natural causes.

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia