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Jean Simmons

A graceful leading lady of British and American film for over six decades, Jean Simmons was an Oscar-winning actress whose outward fragility belied an emotional power wielded with skill and precision in such film as "Great Expectations" (1946), "Hamlet" (1948), "Spartacus" (1960) and countless others. A novice when she made her debut in 1943, she quickly blossomed into a talented dramatic performer under the direction of such noted filmmakers as David Lean. After leaving the UK for America, she starred in a wide variety of features, ranging from musicals like "Guys and Dolls" (1956) to stark dramas like "The Happy Ending" (1969), directed by her second husband, Richard Brooks. Though her screen appearances diminished in the 1970s, she remained active on television, where her star power illuminated productions like the epic miniseries "The Thorn Birds" (ABC, 1983). Still active in films and television in her eighth decade, she remained an enduring talent from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.