Joan Fontaine Biography

Fast Facts

• At the 1982 Berlin International Film Festival, she served as head of the jury
• Served as Vice-President Emeritus of the Episcopal Actors' Guild of America
• Died peacefully in her sleep at age 96 after battling a long illness
• When starting out as an actress, she was forced to invent a new surname because her mother refused to let her use the family name since her sister, Olivia, was already using the name as an actress
• Quote: "(On her rivalry with her sister Olivia de Havilland) "I married first, won the Oscar before Olivia did, and if I die first, she'll undoubtedly be livid because I beat her to it!""
• Quote: "(On her multiple marriages) "If you keep marrying as I do, you learn everybody's hobby․""
• Frequently takes on the role of characters who experience emotional hardships
• Corresponded with her fans frequently until her 90th birthday
• A woman of many talents, she is a licensed pilot, prize-winning tuna fisherman, Cordon Bleu trained chef and licensed interior decorator
• In 1943, she became a naturalized citizen of the United States
• Is the only person to win an acting Oscar for a performance in a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock