Jill Ireland
| Jill Ireland | |
|---|---|
 Jill Ireland as Marion Starett and Christopher Shea as her son, Joey in Shane | |
| Born |
Jill Dorothy Ireland 24 April 1936 London, England, United Kingdom |
| Died |
18 May 1990 (aged 54) Malibu, California, United States |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1955–1990 |
| Spouse(s) |
David McCallum (m. 1957–1967) Charles Bronson (m. 1968–1990; her death) |
| Children | 5 (2 adopted) |
Jill Dorothy Ireland (24 April 1936 – 18 May 1990) was an English actress and singer, best known for her many films with her second husband, Charles Bronson.[1]
Life and career
Born in London, Ireland was the daughter of a wine importer.[2] She began acting in the mid-1950s with bit parts in films including Simon and Laura (1955) and Three Men in a Boat (1956).
In 1957, Ireland married actor David McCallum[1] after the couple met while working on the film Hell Drivers (1957). Later they appeared together in five episodes of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: "The Quadripartite Affair" (season 1, episode 3, 1964), "The Giuoco Piano Affair" (season 1, episode 7, 1964), "The Tigers Are Coming Affair" (season 2, episode 8, 1965), "The Five Daughters Affair" (season 3, episodes 28 & 29, 1967). They had three sons, Paul, Valentine, and Jason (who was adopted). Jason McCallum died of a drug overdose in 1989, six months before Ireland's own death.[3] McCallum and Ireland divorced in 1967.
In 1968, Ireland married Charles Bronson.[1] She had first met him when he and McCallum were filming The Great Escape (1963) some years earlier. Together they had a daughter, Zuleika, and adopted a daughter, Katrina. They remained married until Ireland's death in 1990.[4]
Death
Ireland was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984.[1] After her diagnosis, Ireland wrote two books chronicling her battle with the disease (at the time of her death, she was writing a third book) and became a spokesman for the American Cancer Society.[1] In 1988, she testified before Congress about medical costs and was given the American Cancer Society's Courage Award by President Ronald Reagan.[5]
In 1990, Ireland died of breast cancer at her home in Malibu, California.[5] She was cremated and her ashes were placed in a cane which Charles Bronson had buried with him when he died.
For her contribution to the film industry, Jill Ireland has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6751 Hollywood Boulevard.[6]
In 1991, Jill Clayburgh portrayed Ireland in the made-for-television film Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland Story, which told of her later years, including her fight with breast cancer.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1955 | No Love for Judy | The Other Woman | |
| The Woman for Joe | Bit Part | Uncredited | |
| Oh... Rosalinda!! | Lady | ||
| Simon and Laura | Burton's Receptionist | ||
| 1956 | Three Men in a Boat | Bluebell Porterhouse | |
| 1957 | There's Always a Thursday | Jennifer Potter | |
| Hell Drivers | Jill, Pull In Waitress | Alternative title: Hard Drivers | |
| Robbery Under Arms | Jean Morrison | ||
| 1958 | The Big Money | Doreen Frith | |
| 1959 | Carry On Nurse | Jill Thompson | |
| The Ghost Train Murder | Sally Burton | Alternative title: Scotland Yard: The Ghost Train Murder | |
| The Desperate Man | Carol Bourne | ||
| 1960 | Jungle Street | Sue | Alternative title: Jungle Street Girls |
| Girls of the Latin Quarter | Jill | ||
| 1961 | So Evil, So Young | Ann | |
| Raising the Wind | Janet | Alternative title: Roommates | |
| 1962 | Twice Round the Daffodils | Janet | Alternative title: What a Carry On: Twice Round the Daffodils |
| The Battleaxe | Audrey Page | ||
| 1967 | The Karate Killers | Imogen Smythe | |
| 1968 | Villa Rides | Girl in restaurant | |
| 1970 | Twinky | Girl at airport | Uncredited |
| Rider on the Rain | Nicole | Alternative title: Le Passager de la Pluie | |
| Città violenta | Vanessa Shelton | Alternative title: Violent City | |
| Cold Sweat | Moira | ||
| 1971 | Someone Behind the Door | Frances Jeffries | Alternative title: Quelqu'un derrière la porte |
| 1972 | The Valachi Papers | Maria Reina Valachi | |
| The Mechanic | The Girl | Alternative title: Killer of Killers | |
| 1973 | Valdez Horses | Catherine | Alternative titles: Chino, Valdez the Halfbreed & Wild Horses |
| 1975 | Breakout | Ann Wagner | |
| Hard Times | Lucy Simpson | Alternative titles: Street Fighter & The Streetfighter | |
| Breakheart Pass | Marica | ||
| 1976 | From Noon till Three | Amanda | |
| 1979 | Love and Bullets | Jackie Pruit | |
| 1982 | Death Wish II | Geri Nichols | |
| 1987 | Assassination | Lara Royce Craig | |
| Caught | Janet Devon | Last appearance | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1959 | The Voodoo Factor | Renee | Unknown episodes |
| 1960 | Juke Box Jury | 1 episode | |
| 1961 | Armchair Theatre | Sybil Vane | 1 episode |
| Kraft Mystery Theatre | 1 episode | ||
| Ghost Squad | Anna | 1 episode | |
| 1963 | Richard the Lionheart | Marianne | 1 episode |
| 1964 | Ben Casey | Julie Carr | 1 episode |
| The Third Man | Julia | 1 episode | |
| Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea | Julie Lyle | 1 episode | |
| 1964–67 | The Man From U.N.C.L.E. | Various roles | 5 episodes |
| 1965 | My Favorite Martian | Zelda | 1 episode |
| 1965–66 | Twelve O'Clock High | Alyce Carpenter "The Hotshot"/Sara Blodgett "The Survivor" | 2 episodes |
| 1966 | The Wackiest Ship in the Army | 1 episode | |
| Shane | Marian Starrett | 17 episodes | |
| 1967 | Star Trek | Leila Kalomi | 1 episode "This Side of Paradise" |
| 1968 | Mannix | Ellen Kovak | 1 episode "To The Swiftest, Death" |
| 1969 | Daniel Boone | Angela | 1 episode "The Traitor" |
| 1972 | Night Gallery | Ann Loring | 1 episode "The Miracle at Camafeo"/"The Ghost of Sorworth Place" [second segment, "Ghost"] |
| 1980 | The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything | Charla O'Rourke | Television film |
Books
- Life Wish: a Personal Story of Survival (1987) ISBN 0-515-09609-1, ISBN 0-316-10926-6
- Lifeline: My Fight to Save My Family (1989) ISBN 0-7126-2531-3, ISBN 0-446-51480-2
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Stevens, Christopher (2010). Born Brilliant: The Life Of Kenneth Williams. John Murray. pp. 370/1. ISBN 1-84854-195-3.
- ↑ Bernstein, Fred (17 September 1979). "It's a Pretty Impasse When Jill Ireland Is Taller in the Saddle Than Charles Bronson". People. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
- ↑ Sporkin, Elizabeth (20 May 1991). "Jill Ireland". People. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
- ↑ Smith, Kyle (15 September 2003). "Tender as Nails". People. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
- 1 2 Yarrow, Andrew L. (19 May 1990). "Jill Ireland, Actress, 54, Is Dead; Wrote of Her Fight With Cancer". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
- ↑ "Hollywood Walk of Fame". Walkoffame.com. 20 June 1989. Retrieved 9 September 2013.