Jennifer Jones Biography

Fast Facts

• Her Academy Award win for Best Actress in "The Song of Bernadette" came on her 25th birthday
• Established the Jennifer Jones Simon Foundation for Mental Health and Education with a $1 million donation in 1980, several years after her daughter's suicide
• Originally thought her dreams of becoming a movie star had fallen through and began modeling accessories in Los Angeles and voicing characters on radio programs
• Quote: "Actually every time I stop to think about it, I'm really amazed․ I think I've had an extraordinary life․ And lots of times I can hardly believe it's me․"
• Quote: "If you could choose one characteristic that would get you through life, choose a sense of humor․"
• Later roles went against her image as an innocent adolescent, offering her opportunities to play passionate lovers and other darker roles
• Earned herself a saintly reputation with her breakout performance as a dying teenager who devotes the rest of her life to becoming a nun
• Avoided the lime light, preferring to keep her personal life to herself, especially in her later years
• Served as chairwoman of the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, Calif
• The second two of her three marriages occurred on boats