Jill St. John

Jill St. John
source
Name	Jill St. John
Caption	St. John in the 1960s
Birth name	Jill Arlyn Oppenheim
Birth date	19 August 1940
Birth place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1949–present
Spouse	Neil Dubin (1957–1958), Lance Reventlow (1960–1963), Jack Jones (1967–1969), Robert Wagner (1990–present)

Jill St. John is an American actress known for her work in film and television, particularly during the 1960s and 1970s. She gained international recognition for her role as Tiffany Case in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever opposite Sean Connery. Her career spans numerous appearances in major studio productions and popular television series, establishing her as a prominent figure in Hollywood.

Early life and education

Born Jill Arlyn Oppenheim in Los Angeles, she was the daughter of a restaurateur and began performing at a very young age. She studied at the prestigious UCLA and trained as an actress at the Pasadena Playhouse, honing her craft before entering the professional entertainment industry. Her early exposure to the arts in Southern California provided a strong foundation for her subsequent career in American cinema.

Career

St. John's career began in childhood with roles on radio and early television, including appearances on The Red Skelton Show. She signed a contract with 20th Century Fox and made her feature film debut in the 1959 comedy Holiday for Lovers. Throughout the 1960s, she starred in a variety of films such as The Lost World, Come Blow Your Horn with Frank Sinatra, and Tony Rome. Her breakthrough role came in 1971 when she was cast in the Eon Productions film Diamonds Are Forever, becoming one of the iconic Bond girls. She continued to work extensively in television, with guest roles on series like Batman, Hart to Hart, and The Love Boat, and later appeared in films such as The Concrete Jungle and The Player. She has also performed on stage in productions like The Lion in Winter.

Personal life

St. John's personal life has often been featured in the media, particularly her high-profile marriages. Her spouses have included heir Lance Reventlow, singer Jack Jones, and actor Robert Wagner, to whom she has been married since 1990. She was a close friend of Natalie Wood and has been involved in various philanthropic endeavors. St. John is also an accomplished gourmet cook and has authored a cookbook, moving in social circles that included numerous celebrities from Hollywood and the Las Vegas entertainment scene.

Filmography

A selected list of her film and television work includes *Holiday for Lovers (1959), *The Lost World (1960), *Come Blow Your Horn (1963), *Who's Minding the Store? (1963), *The Liquidator (1965), *Tony Rome (1967), *Diamonds Are Forever (1971), *The Concrete Jungle (1982), and *The Player (1992). Her television credits encompass series such as Batman, The Big Valley, Love, American Style, and a recurring role on Hart to Hart.

Awards and nominations

For her performance in Diamonds Are Forever, she received a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year. Her body of work in television and film has been recognized by organizations like the Saturn Awards, and she has been honored for her contributions to the James Bond film legacy at various fan events and retrospectives.

Category:American film actresses Category:American television actresses Category:1940 births Category:Living people Category:Actresses from Los Angeles