Who is Jacqueline Bisset?
British actress Winifred Jacqueline Fraser Bisset was born in Weybridge, Surrey, England on 13 September 1944, making Virgo her zodiac sign. She’s appeared in over 100 TV series and movies, but is probably still known best for starring as Cathy in the 1968 action crime thriller movie “Bullitt”, directed by Peter Yates, and which also starred Steve McQueen and Robert Vaughn. The film follows a police officer i San Francisco, California who’s determined to find the underworld kingpin who’s murdered a witness in his protection – it won seven of its 16 award nominations, including an Oscar win for Best Film Editing.
Jacqueline’s still today quite active in the movie industry, and is currently shooting for the upcoming movies “Sol y Sombra” and “Shelter Me”.
Education and early life
Jacqueline was raised in Reading, England alongside her older brother Max, who’s a retired business consultant, by their mother Ariette Alexander who was a lawyer and who passed away aged 85 in 1999, and father George Maxwell Fraser Bisset who was a general practitioner physicist, and who died aged 71 in 1982.
Jacqueline learned French from her mother, and then studied at the London high school Lycée Français de Londres; she was passionate about dancing while growing up, especially ballet, and worked several jobs as a teenager to pay for her ballet and acting lessons. Her parents divorced in 1968 after having been together for nearly 30 years – Ariette was eventually diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Jacqueline matriculated in 1963, and then didn’t enroll at college.
Roles in movies
Jacqueline made her debut film appearance in the 1965 comedy “The Knack… and How to Get It”, and some of her following roles were in the 1966 thriller comedy “Cul-de-sac”, the 1966 crime comedy “Arrivederci, Baby!”, and the 1967 comedy “Casino Royale”.
S well s “Bullitt”, what marked the ‘60s for her was perhaps playing Jackie in the 1967 romantic comedy “Two for the Road”, which starred Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn, and was directed by Stanley Donen. It follows the life of a couple in the south of France, and the film won three of its 13 award nominations, including an Oscar nomination for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay.
Jacqueline started off the ‘70s by appearing in the mystery horror thriller “The Mephisto Waltz”, the drama “Believe in Me” and another drama “Secrets”, all released in 1971, and the year 1973 saw her star as Julie Baker in the romantic comedy “Day for Night”, written and directed by Francois Truffaut, and which also starred Jean-Pierre Leaud. It follows a film director who’s struggling to complete his movie, and it won 13 of its 20 award nominations, including an Oscar win for Best Foreign Language Film. Some of Jacqueline’s other notable performances in the ‘70s were in the 1974 crime mystery “Murder on the Orient Express”, the 1976 crime action “St. Ives”, and the 1978 crime mystery comedy “Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?”
Skip (Rob Lowe) urges his roommate Jonathan (Andrew McCarthy) to seek out older women in Chicago, where he meets and beds the alluring Ellen (Jacqueline Bisset), who turns out to be Skip’s mother. Watch CLASS today at 1:30/12:30 C. https://t.co/2snO3EXjnX pic.twitter.com/FlQ5HJJImJ
— Charge TV (@WatchCHARGE) February 10, 2019
In 1983, she starred as Ellen in the romantic comedy “Class”, directed by Lewis John Carlino, and which also starred Rob Lowe and Andrew McCarthy; it follows a young man who’s had an interesting night out, and has hooked up with a woman without knowing who she is. Some of Jacqueline’s following roles were in the 1984 drama “Under the Volcano”, the 1985 romantic drama “Anna Karenina”, and the 1989 romantic drama “Wild Orchid”.
What marked the ‘90s for her was perhaps playing Paola Franco in the 1998 biographical romantic drama “Dangerous Beauty”, which starred Catherine McCormack, Rufus Sewell and Oliver Platt, and was directed by Marshall Herskovitz. It follows a Venetian courtesan who’s being targeted by the Church for witchcraft, and the movie was nominated for two awards.
Jacqueline started off the millenium by appearing in the 2002 romantic drama “Dancing at the Harvest Moon”, the 2003 biographical drama “America’s Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story” and in the same year the romantic comedy “Latter Days”. The year 2006 saw her play Monique, one of the main characters in the popular romantic musical drama “Save the Last Dance 2”, directed by David Petrarca, and which also starred Izabella Miko and Columbus Short; it follows Sara who’s joined Juilliard wanting to become a Prima ballerina, while she’s now fallen in love with hip hop and a young composer.
A couple of Jacqueline’s following roles were in the 2012 comedy “2 Jacks”, the 2014 drama “Welcome to New York”, and the 2015 drama “Peter and John”.
Her most recent film role has been starring as Rose in the 2022 drama “Loren & Rose”, written and directed by Russell Brown, and which also starred Kelly Blatz and Paul Sand. The movie’s about an unexpected friendship between an iconic actress and a young moviemaker, and it won four of its five award nominations.
Roles in TV series
Jacqueline’s had roles in only a couple of TV series, as she’s been focused on appearing in movies since the launch of her career.
Her debut TV series role was starring as Josephine de Beauharnais in all the three episodes of the 1987 historical romantic war mini-series “Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story”, which also starred Armand Assante and Stephanie Beacham, and follows the lives of Napoleon and the woman who conquered his heart; the mini-series was nominated for two Primetime Emmys.
Jacqueline’s following role came in 1999, when she appeared in both episodes of the biographical adventure mini-series “Joan of Arc”, while she also voiced Madame Parvenu in the episode “Grudge Match” of the animated comedy “Hey Arnold!” and portrayed Mary in both episodes of the biographical historical mini-series “Jesus”.
In the 2000s, she appeared in an episode or two of the crime mystery “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, the romantic drama “Rosamunde Pilcher” and the drama “Nip/Tuck”.
In 2013, Jacqueline starred as Lady Cremone in four episodes of the drama mini-series “Dancing on the Edge”, which also starred Matthew Goode and Chiwetel Ejiofor; set in the 1930s, the mini-series follows the lives of members of a black jazz band, and it won five of its 21 award nominations.
Jacqueline’s since appeared in only two TV series: the 2017 episode “Something Left to Love” of the comedy “Graves”, and the 2018 episode “Love the Lie” of the science fiction thriller “Counterpart”.
Other credits
Jacqueline produced the 1981 drama movie “Rich and Famous”, which won a 1982 Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium.
She received special thanks for the 2005 science fiction film “Bouit”, the 2008 documentary movie “The Making of ‘Casino Royale’” and the 2009 musical comedy film “The Concert”.
Jacqueline sang the song “Allerseelen (All Soul’s Day)” in the 1984 drama “Under the Volcano”, and the song “Silent Night” in the 2010 drama movie “An Old Fashioned Christmas”.
Some of her most recent talk-show appearances have been in “Celebrity Page”, “Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso” and “Inedits”.
Awards and nominations
Jacqueline’s won 13 of her 36 award nominations. Some of her wins include a 1978 Golden Apple Award for Female Star of the Year, a 2003 Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival Career Achievement Award and a 2014 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Miniseries, for “Dancing on the Edge”.
Jacqueline’s been nominated for four other Golden Globes, and a single Primetime Emmy.
Love life and relationships
Jacqueline’s never married and doesn’t have children, but has been in a long-term relationships with several men. From 1967 through 1973, she was in a relationship with the late Canadian actor Michael Sarrazin; he died from cancer aged 70 on 17 April 2011.
From 1974 through 1980, Jacqueline was in a relationship with Franco-Moroccan American nightclub owner and movie producer Victor Drai; he’s probably still known best for producing the 1984 romantic comedy movie “The Woman in Red”.
She began dating the late Russian-American ballet dancer and actor Alexander Borisovich Godunov in 1981, and the two remained together until 1988; Alexander died from hepatitis complications aged 45 in 1995.
From 1988 through 1992, Jacqueline was in a relationship with Swiss actor and director Vincent Perez, who’s perhaps still known best for starring in the 1996 superhero movie “The Crow: City of Angels”.
She met Turkish martial arts instructor Emin Boztepe in 1994, and they were together until 2005; the two reconciled in 2007, but split again in the following year.
Jacqueline’s also had brief romances with many famous actors, including Frank Howson, Jon Peters and Nick Nolte.
Jacqueline seems to be unattached as of May 2023.
Interesting facts and hobbies
Jacqueline’s godmother to famous American actress, moviemaker and humanitarian Angelina Jolie.
She was one of the first actresses to be paid over $1 million for a single role – $1.65 million for the 1981 historical war movie “Inchon”; the film turned out to be a disaster.
She’s been requested multiple times to write a memoir of her life, but has always refused.
Jacqueline’s two favorite actresses are Jessica Lange and Jeanne Moreau, and some of her favorite movies include “Frances”, “Music Box” and “Blue Sky”; her favorite actors are Marlon Brando and Anthony Hopkins.
She worked at a Chinese restaurant as a waitress before launching her acting career.
Jacqueline bought a used 1970 Cadillac Eldorado convertible in 1976, and drove it for the following three decades.
She served as a member of the jury at the 2001 Berlin International Film Festival.
Height, eyes and wealth
Jacqueline’s age is 78. She has blue eyes and brown hair, is 5ft 6ins (1.69m) tall and weighs around 135lbs (62kgs).
Jacqueline’s net worth’s been estimated at over $20 million, as of May 2023.
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