The 1960s and 1970s were a golden age for Hollywood. Talented directors made masterpieces, while talented performers and actresses came to prominence. Jacqueline Bisset, whose pleasant attitude and acting skills dominated Hollywood, was one of these actresses.
Who Is Jacqueline?
Jacqueline Bisset’s charisma and acting talent stole the hearts of millions of moviegoers from the minute she entered the field. This blue-eyed beauty has been nominated for multiple Golden Globes and has won one. She has starred in several popular films, including The Deep, Bullitt, and Airport.
Who Is Jacqueline?
Her Ancestry
Despite popular belief, Jacqueline Bisset was not an American actress. She was born in Weybridge, Surrey, England, on September 13th, 1944, to George Maxwell Fraser Bisset and Arlette Alexander. Her father was a general practitioner, and her mother was a lawyer, both of whom were accomplished in their fields. Her ancestors come from a variety of European civilizations, making her heritage rather unusual. Her father was Scottish, while her mother was half-English and half-French, having ridden from Paris to avoid the German invasion during WWII.
Her Ancestry
Where She Grew Up
Despite the fact that Bisset was born in Surrey, England, she did not grow up there. She grew up in Tilehurst, a Berkshire village just west of Reading, where she spent her childhood. She and her family grew raised in a 17th-century cottage, which is still there today. Surprisingly, she still owns the cottage and spends nearly half of each year in Berkshire, where she grew up.
Where She Grew Up
Studying In France
Because of their successful careers as a general practitioner and a lawyer, Jacqueline’s parents were wealthy and well-liked. As a result, Jacqueline received the best education possible. She attended London’s Lycee Francais, a French co-educational school built after World War I, and had French language lessons from her mother, and would frequently speak French with her brothers when she wanted to keep a secret from the local kids.
Studying In France
Learning Ballet
Jacqueline’s wealthy background not only ensured her a top-notch education but also enabled her to excel in extracurricular activities. She took ballet training as a child, a skill that later helped her in her acting career. She began taking acting lessons as she grew older and worked as a fashion model to help pay for them. Her time in the light, though, was brief. Her mother was diagnosed with disseminated sclerosis while she was a teenager, and she was quickly confronted with the harsh realities of life.
Learning Ballet
First Acting Gig
Jacqueline’s first acting role was unremarkable. She had her debut film appearance when she was 21 years old, in 1965. Richard Lester’s film The Knack…and How To Get It, based on a play by Ann Jellicoe, included her in an uncredited appearance as a potential model. Despite her little appearance in the film, it was a critical and commercial triumph, winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1965 and being nominated for the Golden Bear in Berlin.
First Acting Gig
Roman Polanski
Her earlier uncredited film, The Knack…and How To Get It, was quickly followed by more crucial and noteworthy playing roles. She made her screen début in the film Cul-De-Sac, directed by the great Roman Polanski, in 1966. This was her second film performance, and while she only had a little part, she was given credit for it. However, she was credited as Jackie Bisset rather than Jacqueline Bisset, which is her real name.
Roman Polanski
Working For Fox
Bisset was quickly offered a prominent role in Two for the Road in 1967 after her breakthrough with the films The Knack…and How to Get It and Cul-de-Sac. The romantic comedy was widely appreciated and was nominated for multiple Academy Awards and Golden Globes. This was Bisset’s first important part, and she had the chance to collaborate with great actors like Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn. She did an excellent job, and 20th Century Fox quickly offered her a contract as a result of her outstanding performance.
Working For Fox
Casino Royale
Who wouldn’t want to be in a James Bond film? The perfect chance emerged for Jacqueline Bisset soon after she signed a contract with 20th Century Fox. In Casino Royale, she was cast in the role of Miss Goodthighs. No, it’s not the one from 2006! This James Bond spoof, Casino Royale, was published in 1967 and featured an ensemble cast that included Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, and Woody Allen, among others. Bisset, unsurprisingly, managed to distinguish out amid the stars and establish herself as a cult classic queen.
Casino Royale
The Cape Town Affair
Jacqueline Bisset had a lot of talent, which is why 20th Century Fox continued giving her opportunities over and over again. Her first leading part, however, was in 1967, the same year as Casino Royale. The Cape Town Affair, a reworking of the 1953 spy picture Pickup on South Street, was unlike anything she’d ever done before. The picture was shot in South Africa and marked the debut of James Brolin, another talented actor who would soon become well-known.
The Cape Town Affair
Her Biggest Break Yet
Bisset’s big break came in 1968, when she was cast as Norma MacIver in The Detective, a neo-noir crime thriller based on a novel of the same name by Roderick Thorp. She performed opposite Frank Sinatra, who was at the height of his popularity at the time. She was a replacement for actress Mia Farrow. Fox produced the film, and Bisset had already made an impression on the company.
Her Biggest Break Yet
Golden Globe Nomination
Jacqueline’s rise to popularity was unstoppable. She was offered an early major role in The Sweet Ride, an American drama film featuring aspects of surfing and motorcycling, after excellent performances in films such as Two for the Road and The Detective. She starred alongside Michael Sarrazin, with whom she later had a love connection. The film was a huge hit, and Bisset was nominated for her first Golden Globe for ‘Best Promising Rookie.’ Although she didn’t win, Bisset did eventually live up to her promise as a newcomer.
Golden Globe Nomination
Gaining Fame
In the same year that she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in The Sweet Ride, Jacqueline Bisset starred in Bullitt, an American police thriller film. She played the girlfriend of Steve McQueen’s character, a manly action hero. The film was a great box office success, and it was one of the year’s highest-grossing pictures. She quickly became the talk of Hollywood with her amazing performances in Bullitt and The Sweet Ride.
Gaining Fame
First Love
Bisset met Canadian actor Michael Sarrazin while filming The Sweet Ride. Sarrazin’s character in the film was an aimless surfer who tried to persuade his lover, played by Bisset, that he could only marry her if he got the beatnik lifestyle out of his system. Bisset and Sarrazin, on the other hand, began a real-life romantic connection soon after filming. They dated for 14 years and appeared together in two more films, but they never married.
First Love
More Roles
In 1969, Jacqueline starred in two more films, one of which was her first actual starring role. She had a role in The First Time, an American coming-of-age comedy in which she played Anna. In the same year, she starred in Secret World, a French film that was originally titled Le Promesse. Despite the fact that neither picture was a box office hit, they helped secure her acting career in Hollywood.
More Roles
Airport
With her newfound celebrity, the British beauty appeared in a number of well-known and critically praised films. One of her most well-known roles was in the 1970 disaster picture Airport, directed by George Seaton and starring Dean Martin, Burt Lancaster, and Helen Hayes, among others. Bisset portrayed a stewardess who is pregnant with Dean Martin’s character’s love child, and she was fantastic in the role. Airport was a huge box office success, grossing ten times its initial budget.
Airport
More Movies
Throughout the 1970s, Jacqueline appeared in a number of other films, collaborating with a number of well-known and skilled actors. She had starring roles in films like The Grasshopper, a 1970 drama, and The Mephisto Waltz, a 1971 horror film starring Alan Alda (M*A*S*H). In the 1972 western film The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, she played the daughter of Paul Newman’s character. Bisset also stepped in for Charlotte Rampling in the 1973 film The Thief Who Came To Dinner, co-starring Ryan O’Neal.
More Movies
Day For Night
Jacqueline Bisset got more interested in pursuing other options in film after her remarkable success as a movie actress in America. Bisset, who was born in England and has strong French origins thanks to her mother, returned to Europe to appear in several films. One of her first European collaborations was with renowned director Francois Truffaut, on the film Day For Night (1973). In 1974 and 1975, Bisset got multiple Academy Award nominations for Day for Night, cementing her reputation as a recognized actress among European critics.
Day For Night
Another French Film
Jacqueline Bisset stayed in France after her success in Day for Night to concentrate on another film. The French film Le Magnifique was a B-series spy film starring Bisset and Jean-Paul Belmondo, a well-known French actor. The film was not extensively distributed in English-speaking areas because it was largely in French. Nonetheless, it was a great smash in France. Jacqueline’s celebrity grew as a result of the film, and she eventually became a household name in Europe.
Another French Film
Going Back To The UK
Jacqueline Bisset was already a major star in France, but she decided to branch out and try her luck in other European nations. She worked on the 1974 mystery film Murder on the Orient Express in her home nation of the United Kingdom. Lauren Bacall, Albert Finney, Ingrid Bergman, and Sean Connery starred in the film, which was directed by Sidney Lumet and had an ensemble cast. With six Oscar nominations and one win, the picture was a commercial and critical success.
Going Back To The UK
Staying In The UK
After the success of Murder on the Orient Express, Jacqueline Bisset stayed in the UK to work on another film. She starred in The Spiral Staircase, a 1975 British horror mystery film that was a remake of the 1945 film of the same name. The picture, which starred Christopher Plummer and was somewhat well-received by moviegoers, starred Christopher Plummer and was reasonably well-received by moviegoers. Jacqueline resumed her European tour after the filming concluded in the hopes of landing further acting gigs.
Staying In The UK
Other European Countries
Bisset did not limit herself to France and the United Kingdom when it came to testing her acting abilities across Europe. Although her French and English ancestors are likely to have influenced her preference for their films, she went on to work in other European countries as well. She traveled to Germany in 1975 to work on the End of the Game with director Maximillian Schell. In the same year, she co-starred in the Italian film The Sunday Woman with Marcello Mastroianni, one of the country’s most talented performers.
Other European Countries
The Deep
In 1976, Jacqueline Bisset returned to America to star alongside Charles Bronson in the film St. Ives. Jacqueline’s career reached its pinnacle the following year when she played Gail Berke in the 1977 adventure thriller The Deep. One of the most memorable scenes in movie history at the time — a meticulously crafted, audience-friendly shot of Bisset swimming underwater in only a T-shirt — appeared in the film. The scene is credited with popularizing the famed wet T-shirt contest and making the picture a great box office hit.
The Deep
Accolades
Jacqueline Bisset had a golden era in the late 1970s. Bisset was named “the most beautiful actress of all time” by Newsweek shortly after the premiere of The Deep, and in 1978 she starred in the British black comedy Who Is Killing the Great Chefs in Europe? Bisset received her second Golden Globe nomination for the film, this time for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical.
Accolades
Several Flops
Following her second Golden Globe nomination, Jacqueline had a lot on her schedule. During this time, the brunette goddess appeared in a number of flicks. In 1978, she starred opposite Anthony Quinn in The Greek Tycoon as Jackie Onassis, previously Jacqueline Kennedy. Bisset also had a brief role in the Italian film Together? in the year 1979 In 1980, she starred alongside Paul Newman and Laurence Olivier in the films When Time Ran Out and Inchon, respectively. Unfortunately, none of these films earned positive reviews from moviegoers.
Several Flops
A Revived Career
Bisset’s acting career was saved in the 1980s when she appeared in numerous more commercially and critically successful films. She landed a role in George Cukor’s Rich and Famous in 1981, and she also served as a co-producer on the film. Jacqueline also starred as a mother in the 1983 comedy-drama Class, in which she played a mother who falls in love with her son’s classmate. Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, John Cusack, and Virginia Madsen were among the many actors who would go on to become well-known figures in Hollywood later in their careers. In 1984, she co-starred with Albert Finney in Under the Volcano, for which she was nominated for another Golden Globe.
A Revived Career
Switching To TV
Following her phenomenal box office success, Jacqueline decided to try her hand at a new form of entertainment. As television movies became more popular, Bisset signed on to star in Anna Karenina, a film based on Leo Tolstoy’s novel of the same name. On March 26th, 1985, CBS broadcasted the television film, in which Bisset co-starred with Christopher Reeve. Aside from the TV movie, the actress appeared in a few box office blockbusters, including Forbidden (1984) and Choices (1986).
Switching To TV
Starring In Comedies
Bisset isn’t just a fantastic pick for horror, thriller, and drama films; she’s also a great choice for comedies. During the late 1980s, the beauty queen starred in a number of comedy flicks, demonstrating her acting abilities. High Season (1987), a tourist comedy, was well-received. Jacqueline was favorably praised for her portrayal in the American dark comedy Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills in 1989.
Starring In Comedies
Becoming Famous In France
Bisset’s acting abilities have earned her countless prizes and plaudits in the United States. Apart from that, the actress has also been recognized for her talent in other nations. In 1996, she starred in the Claude Chabrol-directed French crime drama film La Cérémonie. The film was nominated for a number of César Awards, France’s highest cinematic honor. Jacqueline Bisset was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role as a result of her outstanding performance.
Becoming Famous In France
TV Movies
Jacqueline began to concentrate on television movies rather than full-length feature pictures in her later years. Her debut television appearance was in 1985, in Anna Karenina, a film based on Leo Tolstoy’s novel. She was cast as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in America’s Prince: The John F. Kennedy Story in 2003, a role she had previously performed in The Greek Tycoon. She also starred in several major Biblical TV movies, including Jesus (1999), In the Beginning (2000), and Joan of Arc, for which she was nominated for an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress.
TV Movies
Recent Works
Bisset began to appear in fewer and fewer films as she grew older. She would, however, occasionally feature in films or television shows. She starred in the independent film The Sleepy Time Gal, which aired on the Sundance Channel. Domino, a biographical film based on the life of British bounty hunter Domino Harvey, starred her with Keira Knightley in 2005. She also had a recurring part in the American television series Nip/Tuck, which ran from 2003 to 2010.
Recent Works
Winning A Golden Globe
For her role in The Sweet Ride, Jacqueline Bisset received her first Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Female Newcomer in 1968. She would have to wait 46 years and four more nominations before winning the Golden Globe in 2014. Dancing on the Edge, a British 1930s drama series that premiered on BBC Two in 2013, was responsible for her nomination and triumph. She fought out other brilliant actors like Sofia Vergara and Janet McTeer to win the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series or Miniseries.
Winning A Golden Globe
Her Relationships
Jacqueline Bisset had been in various long-term relationships over the course of her life, but she had never married. Her first romance lasted 14 years, and it was with Canadian actor Michael Sarrazin. On the set of the film The Sweet Ride, she met the actor. She also had romantic relationships with Moroccan businessman Victor Drai, Russian actor Alexander Godunov (from Die Hard), Swiss actor Vincent Perez, and Turkish martial arts instructor Emin Boztepe, all of whom were 18 and 20 years her junior. Bisset subsequently admitted that she had always been wary of marriage because she was scared that her husband might develop unhealthy habits.
Her Relationships
A Godmother
Jacqueline Bisset was never married and hence never had children of her own. She does, however, have a godchild, and it is none other than Angelina Jolie, one of Hollywood’s most renowned faces today! Despite the fact that she is Jolie’s godmother, Bisset claimed that she only meets the actress on rare occasions due to her celebrity. They are, nevertheless, still close. Following Jolie’s divorce, the couple was recently sighted in Paris in 2019. In the year 200, Jolie’s mother died of ovarian cancer. As a result, it’s very possible that she sees Jacqueline as the closest thing she has to a maternal figure and wants her emotional support.
A Godmother
Her Life Nowadays
Jacqueline Bisset is still going strong in the world of Hollywood at the age of 75. Asher, starring Ron Perlman, and Here and Now, starring Renée Zellweger and Sarah Jessica Parker, are two of her most recent films, both of which were released in 2018. Several of her films are still in post-production and will be released in 2020 or 2021. Jacqueline is still as gorgeous and charming as ever, even though her glory days are long gone.
Her Life Nowadays