Jill Ireland
Jill Dorothy Ireland (24 April 1936 – 18 May 1990) was an English actress and singer. She appeared in 16 films with her second husband, Charles Bronson, and was involved in two other of Bronson’s films as a producer.
Jill Ireland | |
|---|---|
Ireland in 1967 | |
| Born | Jill Dorothy Ireland 24 April 1936 |
| Died | 18 May 1990 (aged 54) Malibu, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1952–1990 |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 5; including Val McCallum |
Life and career
Born in London, Ireland was the daughter of a wine importer.[1] She began acting in the mid-1950s with small roles in films including Simon and Laura (1955) and Three Men in a Boat (1956).
In 1957, Ireland married actor David McCallum[2] 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), and a two-parter "The Five Daughters Affair" (season 3, episodes 28 & 29, 1967). They had three sons, Paul, Valentine, and Jason (who was adopted). McCallum and Ireland divorced in 1967. Jason McCallum died of a drug overdose in 1989, six months before Ireland's death.[3]
In 1968, Ireland married Charles Bronson.[2] She had 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 and legacy
Ireland was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984.[2] 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 spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society.[2] In 1988, she testified before the U.S. 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 at Brownsville Cemetery[6] when he died in 2003.[7]
For her contribution to the film industry, Jill Ireland has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6751 Hollywood Boulevard.[8]
In 1991, Ireland was portrayed by Jill Clayburgh in the made-for-television film Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland Story. The film, which was based on Ireland's memoir Lifelines and listed her posthumously as an executive producer received mixed reviews from critics.[9] To prepare for the role, Clayburgh, who had never met Ireland, read Lifelines, and listened to Ireland's recorded interviews.[10]
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 | The Big Money | Doreen Frith | |
| Three Men in a Boat | Bluebell Porterhouse | ||
| 1957 | There's Always a Thursday | Jennifer Potter | |
| Hell Drivers | Jill, Pull Inn Waitress | Alternative title: Hard Drivers | |
| Robbery Under Arms | Jean Morrison | ||
| 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 | |
| Violent City | Vanessa Shelton | Alternative titles: Città violenta, The Family, Final Shot | |
| Cold Sweat | Moira | Alternative title: De la part des copains | |
| 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 | Chino | Catherine | Alternative titles: Valdez Horses, Valdez the Halfbreed |
| 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 | (final film role) | |
| 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. | Imogen Smythe / Marion Raven / Suzanne de Serre | 5 episodes |
| 1965 | My Favorite Martian | Zelda | 1 episode |
| 1965–1966 | 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 |
| 1991 | Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland Story | Executive Producer | posthumous credit, Television film inspired by Ireland's memoir Lifeline |
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
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d Stevens, Christopher (2010). Born Brilliant: The Life of Kenneth Williams. John Murray. pp. 370/1. ISBN 978-1-84854-195-5.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Brownsville Cemetery in West Windsor, Vermont
- ^ Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 23030-23037). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.
- ^ "Hollywood Walk of Fame". Walkoffame.com. 20 June 1989. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
- ^ Multiple sources:
- Kogan, Rich (20 May 1991). "NO REASON FOR WATCHING 'REASON FOR LIVING'". Chicago Tribune.
- Pergament, Alan (16 May 1991). "'OUR SONS,' 'JILL IRELAND STORY' BOTH SUFFER FROM TV ADDICTION". Buffalo News.
- Jicha, Tom (20 May 1991). "NBC'S 'REASON FOR LIVING' FALLS SHORT OF DOING JUSTICE TO JILL IRELAND, SON". Sun-Sentiel.
- Dawson, Greg (20 May 1991). "PORTRAIT OF JILL IRELAND IS DRAWN WITH DIGNITY". Orlando Sentinel.*Zurawik, David (22 May 1991). "'Reason for Living' exploits struggle of Jill Ireland". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ Mills, Nancy (18 May 1991). "Jill Clayburgh: The Passion of Mothers : Truths Abound for the Actress Who Plays Jill Ireland in TV Movie". Los Angeles Times.
External links
- Jill Ireland at IMDb
- Jill Ireland at AllMovie
- Jill Ireland at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
- Jill Ireland at Find a Grave