Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

Jill Ireland

 
Actor: Jill Ireland
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: Apr 24, 1936 in London, England, UK
  • Died: May 18, 1990 in Malibu, California
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '50s-'80s
  • Major Genres: Comedy, Crime
  • Career Highlights: Rider on the Rain, The Valachi Papers, Villa Rides
  • First Major Screen Credit: Hell Drivers (1957)

Biography

A dancer from age 12, British performer Jill Ireland became an audience favorite in her teens thanks to her many engagements at the London Palladium. Signed to a Rank Organization contract in 1955, Ireland made her first screen appearance as a ballerina in Oh, Rosalind. In 1957, Ireland married actor David McCallum, with whom she would later appear in several Man From UNCLE TV episodes. Her second husband was action star Charles Bronson, whom she married in 1967. From 1970 onward, Ireland seldom appeared onscreen without her husband; their best collaborative efforts include Hard Times (1975) and From Noon Til Three. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984, Ireland underwent a mastectomy, gaining the respect of friends and fans alike for her courage in the face of death: she wrote a book on her recovery, Life Wish, in 1987, and served as chairperson of the National Cancer Society. Ireland then devoted herself to rehabilitating her adopted son Jason McCallum, who had become a drug addict. She penned another book called Life Lines, this one devoted to her struggle to bring her son back to health. His death from an overdose in 1989 weakened Ireland's already precarious physical state. Refusing to surrender to despair, Ireland was busy at work on her third book of reminiscences, Life Times, when she died in 1990. One year later, a TV biopic, Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland Story was telecast, with Jill Clayburgh as Ireland and Lance Henriksen as Charles Bronson (though not so named, as Bronson was dead-set against the film and refused to allow his name to be mentioned onscreen). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Search unanswered questions...

Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics

Wikipedia: Jill Ireland
Top
Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Jill Ireland
Born Jill Dorothy Ireland
April 24, 1936(1936-04-24)
London, England
Died May 18, 1990 (aged 54)
Malibu, California, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1955 – 1990
Spouse(s) David McCallum (m. 1957–1967) «start: (1957)–end+1: (1968)»"Marriage: David McCallum to Jill Ireland" Location: (linkback:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Ireland)
Charles Bronson (m. 1968–1990) «start: (1968)–end+1: (1991)»"Marriage: Charles Bronson to Jill Ireland" Location: (linkback:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Ireland)

Jill Dorothy Ireland (April 24, 1936 – May 18, 1990) was an English actress, best known for her many films with second husband Charles Bronson.

Contents

Life and career

Born in London, England, Ireland was the daughter of a wine importer.[1] 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 Scottish actor David McCallum. The couple starred opposite each other in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. episode "The Quadripartite Affair" (season 1, episode 3 - 1964) and again four weeks later in episode 7, "The Giuoco Piano Affair". She came back a third time in "The Tigers Are Coming Affair" (episode 37 in 1965) and a fourth in the two-part episode The Five Daughters Affair (season 3, episodes 28 and 29 - 1967). They had three sons, Paul, Valentine, and their adopted son, Jason McCallum, who died of a drug overdose in 1989, six months before Ireland's own death.[2] McCallum and Ireland divorced in 1967.

In 1968, Ireland married Charles Bronson after meeting him while he and McCallum starred in The Great Escape some years earlier. Together they had a daughter, Zuleika, and adopted a daughter, Katrina. They remained married until Ireland's death in 1990.[3]

Death

Ireland was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984. 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 spokesperson for the American Cancer Society. In 1988, she testified before Congress about medical costs and was awarded the Medal of Courage from then-President Ronald Reagan.[4]

On May 18, 1990, Ireland died of breast cancer at her home in Malibu, California.[4]

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Jill Ireland has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6751 Hollywood Boulevard.

In 1991, Jill Clayburgh portrayed Ireland in the made-for-television movie Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland Story, which told of her later years, including her fight with cancer.

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1955 The Woman for Joe Bit Part
Oh... Rosalinda!! Lady
Simon and Laura Burton's Receptionist Uncredited
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 Firth
1959 Carry on Nurse Jill Thompson
The Desperate Man Carol Bourne
The Ghost Train Murder Sally Burton Alternative title: Scotland Yard: The Ghost Train Murder
1960 Girls of the Latin Quarter Jill
1961 So Evil, So Young Ann
Jungle Street Sue Alternative title: Jungle Street Girls
Raising the Wind Janet Alternative title: Roommates
1962 The Battleaxe Audrey Page
Twice Round the Daffodils Janet Alternative title: What a Carry On: Twice Round the Daffodils
1968 Villa Rides Girl in restaurant
1969 Twinky Girl at airport Uncredited
1970 Rider on the Rain Nicole Alternative title: Le Passager de la Pluie
Città violenta Young Bram Alternative title: Violent City
Cold Sweat Moira
1971 Brainkill Frances Jeffries Alternative title: Someone Behind the Door
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
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
1964-1967 The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Various roles 5 episodes
1965 My Favorite Martian Zelda 1 episode
1965-1966 Twelve O'Clock High Alyce Carpenter/Sara Blodgett 2 episodes
1966 The Wackiest Ship in the Army 1 episode
Shane Marian Starrett 17 episodes
1967 Star Trek Leila Kalomi 1 episode
1968 Mannix Ellen Kovak 1 episode
1969 Daniel Boone Angela 1 episode
1972 Night Gallery Ann Loring 1 episode
1980 The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything Charla O'Rourke Television movie

Books

References

  1. ^ Bernstein, Fred (1979-09-17). "It's a Pretty Impasse When Jill Ireland Is Taller in the Saddle Than Charles Bronson". People. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20074609,00.html. Retrieved 2008-10-12. 
  2. ^ Sporkin, Elizabeth (1991-05-20). "Jill Ireland". People. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20115141,00.html. Retrieved 2008-10-12. 
  3. ^ Smith, Kyle (2003-09-15). "Tender as Nails". People. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20141057,00.html. Retrieved 2008-10-12. 
  4. ^ a b Yarrow, Andrew L. (1990-05-19). "Jill Ireland, Actress, 54, Is Dead; Wrote of Her Fight With Cancer". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE3DC1E3EF93AA25756C0A966958260. Retrieved 2008-10-12. 

External links



This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Actor. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Jill Ireland".  Read more