Jacqueline Bisset

Jacqueline Bisset (born 13 September 1944) is an English actress. She has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy Award. She is known for her roles in the films Bullitt (1968), Airport (1970), The Deep (1977), Class (1983), and the TV series Nip/Tuck in 2006. She has also appeared in several French productions and was nominated for a César Award for La cérémonie (1995). She was awarded the Légion d'honneur in 2010.

Early life and family

Bisset was born Winifred Jacqueline Fraser Bisset in Weybridge, Surrey, England, the daughter of Arlette Alexander, a lawyer turned homemaker, and Max Fraser Bisset, a general practitioner. She was brought up in Tilehurst, Berkshire. Her father was Scottish and her mother was of French and English descent; Bisset's mother cycled from Paris and boarded a British troop transport to escape the Germans during World War II. Bisset has a brother, Max. Her mother taught her to speak French fluently, and she was educated at the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in London. She had taken ballet lessons as a child and began taking acting lessons and fashion modeling to pay for them. When Bisset was a teenager, her mother was diagnosed with disseminating sclerosis. In the following years while Bisset was working as an actress in Hollywood, she made frequent trips back home in order to care for her mother, which she says got in the way of her personal relationships.
Bisset's parents divorced in 1968, after 28 years of marriage. Her father died aged 71 of a brain tumour in 1982. Her mother died in 1999.

Career

Bisset at the 1989 Academy Awards

Bisset made her screen debut with a bit part in The Knack ...and How to Get It (1965). Her first speaking role was in the 1966 film Cul-de-sac, starring Donald Pleasence and directed by Roman Polanski. She was cast in the romance film Two for the Road (1967) starring Audrey Hepburn, and played her first lead role opposite James Brolin in The Cape Town Affair (1967). She participated in the 1966 James Bond satire, Casino Royale, as Miss Goodthighs. In 1968, she replaced Mia Farrow to star opposite Frank Sinatra in The Detective; Farrow and Sinatra had split shortly before production began and the role was given to Bisset, who received special billing in the film's credits.
Bisset's breakout role was as Steve McQueen's girlfriend in the hit action film Bullitt, also released in 1968. The following year she received her first Golden Globe nomination as New Star of the Year for her performance in The Sweet Ride, and played her first sexy "older woman" (at 25) in The First Time (1969). She was one of the many stars in the blockbuster disaster film Airport (1970), a Best Picture nominee in which she acted opposite Dean Martin and Helen Hayes. She co-starred with Sean Connery in Murder on the Orient Express (1974).
Bisset made strides towards becoming a better-known entertainer in America with The Deep (1977), co-starring Robert Shaw and Nick Nolte and directed by Peter Yates, who had previously directed her in Bullitt. A scene of her swimming underwater wearing only a thin, white T-shirt and bikini bottom helped make the film a box office success, leading the producer Peter Guber to say, "That T-shirt made me a rich man".At the time, Newsweek declared her "the most beautiful film actress of all time." About that time, a small film Bisset had made six years earlier was re-released in the United States under the title Secrets. That movie featured the only extensive nude scenes of Bisset's career and the producers cashed in on her fame. She earned a Golden Globe nomination for the comedy Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978).
Soon thereafter, she starred in the movies Rich and Famous (1981) with Candice Bergen, Class (1983) (playing a woman who seduces her son's best friend) co-starring Rob Lowe and Andrew McCarthy, and Under the Volcano (1984), for which she earned her a second Golden Globe nomination. Bisset often appeared with her leading men in more than one film. She was cast as Paul Newman's daughter in The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, then as his girlfriend in When Time Ran Out. Bisset has also worked with Albert Finney, Mickey Rourke, Anthony Perkins, and Michael York on multiple occasions. Bisset has worked with such directors as François Truffaut, John Huston, Stanley Donen, Sidney Lumet and George Cukor. Several of her older movies are French or Italian productions.
Bisset has appeared in many made-for-TV and independent films, especially in recent years. In 1996, she was nominated for a César Award, for her role in La Cérémonie. She received Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations for the 1999 miniseries Joan of Arc. Other notable projects include the acclaimed Biblical epics Jesus (1999) and In the Beginning (2000) with Martin Landau. She made guest appearances on Ally McBeal during 2001–2002, and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit in 2003. One of her later TV movies, in 2003, was America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story, in which she portrayed Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. In 2005, she appeared in the action movie Domino with Keira Knightley. Bisset's most recent television work was a recurring role as the mysterious James, during the fourth season of the FX series Nip/Tuck in 2006. Later she starred in an An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving, which premiered on the Hallmark Channel on November 22, 2008. In the same year she also garnered acclaim for her role in the Holocaust drama, Death in Love. She recently finished filming The Last Film Festival, which will be the final screen appearance of Dennis Hopper.

Personal life

Bisset in September 2007

Bisset is godmother to actress Angelina Jolie. She appeared with Jolie in the film Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005); however, their scenes together were deleted during postproduction.
Unlike many actresses of her generation who have difficulty finding work after 40, Bisset has made a seamless transition from leading lady to character actor. She remains in demand in Hollywood and Europe. She told a Bermuda newspaper in 2004:

This film business, perhaps more so in America than in Europe, has always been about young sexuality. It's not true of theatre, but in America, film audiences are young and they go to the cinema to see the sort of romance or adventure that appeals to them. It's not an intellectual cinema in America. But one mustn't be too greedy. One wants to be stimulated by the work as long as there is something to give. I think you have to be as flexible as possible. Perhaps you don't get handed the big American productions, but, quite honestly, who would want to be in a lot of them? Many of them are just puerile teenage filler, and they're not fascinating to be in. To be used in a part without depth is a frustrating feeling, when you know you have something to give, and the camera just sort of brushes past you, and doesn't get what you have to give. Most actresses I know are frustrated, but you have to adapt to the reality. I go and find a small part in something I find interesting, or find an independent film"

Bisset has never married though she has had several lengthy romances. These include a relationship with the actor Michael Sarrazin that lasted over 10 years and with the Russian-American dancer and actor Alexander Godunov. “I feel like I was married to them because I was very dedicated to them,” she said in a 2008 interview. “But I also used to feel claustrophobic. Like many people who don’t easily commit, I think I had a fear of being known; I was not sure there was anybody inside there.”
She divides her time between homes in England and Beverly Hills, California.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1965	The Knack ...and How to Get It	Extra	Uncredited
1966	Cul-de-sac	Jacqueline
1966	Drop Dead Darling	Dancer
1966	Casino Royale	Miss Goodthighs
1967	The Cape Town Affair	Candy
1967	Two for the Road	Jackie
1968	The Detective	Norma Maclver
1968	The Sweet Ride	Vickie Cartwright	Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Female
1968	Bullitt	Cathy
1968	The First Time	Anna
1969	The Grasshopper	Christine Adams	Nominated—Laurel Award for Best Female Dramatic Performance
1969	Secret World	Wendy Sinclair	Original title: L'échelle blanche
1970	Airport	Gwen Meighen
1971	The Mephisto Waltz	Paula Clarkson
1971	Believe in Me	Pamela
1971	Secrets	Jenny
1972	Stand Up and Be Counted	Sheila Hammond
1972	The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean	Rose Bean
1973	The Thief Who Came to Dinner	Laura
1973	Day for Night	Julie	Original title: La nuit américaine
1973	Le Magnifique	Tatiana/Christine	AKA How to Destroy the Reputation of the Greatest Secret Agent...
1974	Murder on the Orient Express	Countess Andreyni
1975	The Spiral Staircase	Helen Mallory
1975	End of the Game	Anna Crawley	Original title: Der Richter und sein Henker
1975	The Sunday Woman	Anna Carlo Dosio	Original title: La donna della domenica
1976	St. Ives	Janet Whistler
1977	The Deep	Gail Berke
1978	The Greek Tycoon	Liz Cassidy
1978	Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?	Natasha O'Brien	Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1979	Amo non amo	Louise	AKA Together ?
1980	When Time Ran Out	Kay Kirby
1981	Inchon	Barbara Hallsworth
1981	Rich and Famous	Liz Hamilton
1983	Class	Ellen Burroughs
1984	Under the Volcano	Yvonne Firmin	Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
1984	Forbidden	Nina von Halder	Nominated—CableACE Award for Actress in a Movie or Miniseries
1985	Anna Karenina	Anna Karenina	TV movie
1986	Choices	Marisa Granger	TV movie
1987	High Season	Katherine Shaw
1987	Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story	Josephine de Beauharnais	TV mini-series
1988	La maison de Jade	Jane Lambert
1989	Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills	Clare Lipkin
1989	Wild Orchid	Jackie
1991	The Maid	Nicole Chantrelle	TV film, original title: Un amour de banquier
1991	Rossini! Rossini!	Isabella Colbran
1993	Hoffman's Hunger	Marian Hoffman	Original title: Hoffman's Honger
1993	Corrupt Justice	Holly McPhee	AKA CrimeBroker
1993	Les marmottes	Frédérique
1994	Leave of Absence	Nell	TV movie
1995	La Cérémonie	Catherine Lelievre	Nominated—César Award for Best Supporting Actress
1996	September	Pandora	TV movie
1996	Once You Meet a Stranger	Sheila Gaines	TV movie
1997	End of Summer	Christine Van Buren
1998	Dangerous Beauty	Paola Franco
1999	Let the Devil Wear Black	Helen Lyne
1999	Witch Hunt	Barbara Thomas
1999	Joan of Arc	Isabelle d'Arc	TV mini-series Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
1999	Hey Arnold!	Madame Parvenu	Episode: "Grudge Match/Polishing Rhonda"
1999	Jesus	Mary	TV movie
2000	Britannic	Lady Lewis	TV movie
2000	Les gens qui s'aiment	Angie
2000	Sex & Mrs. X	Madame Simone	TV movie
2000	In the Beginning	Sarah	TV movie
2001	The Sleepy Time Gal	Frances	Nominated—Chlotrudis Award for Best Actress
2001	New Years Day	Geraldine
2001– 2002	Ally McBeal	Frances Shaw	2 episodes
2002	Dancing at the Harvest Moon	Maggie Webber	TV movie
2003	America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story	Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis	TV movie
2003	Latter Days	Lila
2003	Swing	Christine / Mrs. DeLuca
2003	Law & Order: SVU	Juliet Barclay	Episode: "Control"
2004	The Survivors Club	Carol Rosen	TV movie
2004	Fascination	Maureen Doherty	Co-star James Naughton
2005	The Fine Art of Love: Mine Ha-Ha'	Headmistress
2005	Domino	Sophie Wynn
2005	Summer Solstice	Alexia	TV movie
2006	Save the Last Dance 2	Monique
2006	Nip/Tuck	James LeBeau	7 episodes
2007	Carolina Moon	Margaret Lavelle	TV movie
2008	Death in Love	Mother	Boston Film Festival Best Actress Ibiza International Film Festival – Best Actress
2008	An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving	Isabella	Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television
2009	The Eastmans	Emma Eastman	CBS pilot
2010	The Last Film Festival	Claudia Benvenuti
2010	An Old Fashioned Christmas	Isabella	To air on 11 December 2010
2011	Vivaldi	The Countess	Pre-production