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Jill Ireland

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Jill Ireland
Ireland in 1967
Born
Jill Dorothy Ireland

(1936-04-24)24 April 1936
London, England
Died18 May 1990(1990-05-18) (aged 54)
Malibu, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1955–1990
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1957; div. 1967)​
​
(m. 1968)​
Children5; including Val McCallum

Jill Dorothy Ireland (24 April 1936 – 18 May 1990) was an English actress and singer.

Early life

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Born in Hounslow South West London, Ireland was the daughter of a wine importer.[1][2] She was educated at Chatsworth Junior School in Hounslow. She lived at 'Chertsey' on Maswell Park Road in Hounslow.[3]

Career

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Ireland began acting in the mid-1950s with small roles in films such as Simon and Laura (1955) and Three Men in a Boat (1956). She appeared with first husband David McCallum 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).

She appeared in 16 films with second husband Charles Bronson between 1970 and 1987, and was involved in two of Bronson’s other films as a producer. The last of these films, Assassination (1987), was her biggest role in terms of screen time, with Ireland playing the First Lady of the United States and Bronson a Secret Service agent assigned to protect her. During her marriage to Bronson, Ireland appeared in only one TV episode, one made-for-TV movie and one theatrical film that didn't star her husband.

Personal life

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In 1957, Ireland married actor David McCallum, whom she met while working on Hell Drivers.[4] They had two sons, Paul and Valentine, and adopted a third, Jason. McCallum and Ireland separated in 1965 and divorced in 1967. Jason McCallum died of a drug overdose in 1989.[5]

In 1968, Ireland married Charles Bronson.[4] 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.[6]

Death and legacy

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Ireland was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984.[4] 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.[4] 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.[7]

In 1990, Ireland died of breast cancer at her home in Malibu, California.[7] She was cremated and her ashes were placed in a walking cane which Charles Bronson had buried with him at Brownsville Cemetery[8] when he died in 2003.[9]

For her contribution to the film industry, Jill Ireland has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6751 Hollywood Boulevard.[10]

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.[11] To prepare for the role, Clayburgh, who had never met Ireland, read Lifelines and listened to Ireland's recorded interviews.[12]

Filmography

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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 Maral Alternative titles: Valdez Horses, Valdez the Halfbreed
1975 Breakout Ann Wagner
Hard Times Lucy Simpson Alternative titles: Street Fighter & The Streetfighter
Breakheart Pass Marica Scoville
1976 From Noon till Three Amanda Starbuck
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

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  • 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

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  1. ^ Middlesex Chronicle Thursday 18 April 1991, page 2
  2. ^ Bernstein, Fred (17 September 1979). "It's a Pretty Impasse When Jill Ireland Is Taller in the Saddle Than Charles Bronson". People. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  3. ^ Daily Mirror Friday 19 August 1955, page 20
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Sporkin, Elizabeth (20 May 1991). "Jill Ireland". People. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  6. ^ Smith, Kyle (15 September 2003). "Tender as Nails". People. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Brownsville Cemetery in West Windsor, Vermont
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "Hollywood Walk of Fame". Walkoffame.com. 20 June 1989. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  11. ^ Multiple sources:
  12. ^ 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.
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