Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland, known to the world as Oscar-winning actress Joan Fontaine, died at her home in Carmel, California on Sunday. She was 96. A close friend reported that her health had deteriorated over the last week, and that she died peacefully in her sleep.Born in Tokyo to British parents, Joan's mother moved her to California after illnesses left her weak and anaemic. She thrived in the Saratoga sunshine, but returned to Japan with her father - an academic turned patent attorney - aged 16 to attend the American School there. Her older sister was also an actress, Olivia de Havilland, with whom Joan endured a famously fractious relationship.Joan's acting career began as soon as she graduated. Taking the surname of her mother's second husband, she made her stage debut in 1935, and signed a contract with Rko soon afterwards. Her first film appearance was in No More Ladies,...
- 12/16/2013
- EmpireOnline
Admired actress Joan Fontaine, best known for her roles in the Hitchcock films Suspicion and Rebecca, has passed away, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 96.
Fontaine, who was born "Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland" to British parents—her father: a patent attorney; her mother: a stage actress, whose stage name was Lillian Fontaine— in Tokyo, Japan in 1917.
After her parents divorced, Fontaine, her mother, and her older sister, Olivia, moved to California. She made her acting debut in a stage production of Call It a Day at 18 and soon after made her film debut with a small role in the 1935 comedy No More Ladies.
Six years later, Fontaine was nominated for her first Oscar for starring opposite Laurence Olivier in the 1940 Alfred Hitchcock-directed mystery thriller Rebecca. She didn't have to wait long to take home her first Oscar, as she was granted the award for Best Actress the following year at the 1942 Oscars for [link...
Fontaine, who was born "Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland" to British parents—her father: a patent attorney; her mother: a stage actress, whose stage name was Lillian Fontaine— in Tokyo, Japan in 1917.
After her parents divorced, Fontaine, her mother, and her older sister, Olivia, moved to California. She made her acting debut in a stage production of Call It a Day at 18 and soon after made her film debut with a small role in the 1935 comedy No More Ladies.
Six years later, Fontaine was nominated for her first Oscar for starring opposite Laurence Olivier in the 1940 Alfred Hitchcock-directed mystery thriller Rebecca. She didn't have to wait long to take home her first Oscar, as she was granted the award for Best Actress the following year at the 1942 Oscars for [link...
- 12/16/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
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