Jill St. John facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jill St. John
St. John, c. 1970s
Born	Jill Arlyn Oppenheim (1940-08-19) August 19, 1940 (age 85) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	Hollywood Professional School
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1946–2014
Spouse(s)	Neil Dubin ​ ​ (m. 1957; div. 1958)​ Lance Reventlow ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1963)​ Jack Jones ​ ​ (m. 1967; div. 1969)​ Robert Wagner ​ (m. 1990)​
Relatives	Katie Wagner (stepdaughter) Natasha Gregson (de facto stepdaughter)

Jill St. John (born Jill Arlyn Oppenheim; August 19, 1940) is an American actress who is now retired. She is most famous for playing Tiffany Case in the 1971 James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever. She was the first American actress to play a Bond girl.

Jill St. John also appeared in many other films. These include Holiday for Lovers, The Lost World, and Come Blow Your Horn. For Come Blow Your Horn, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. She also acted in TV shows like Batman, The Love Boat, and Seinfeld. Jill St. John is married to actor Robert Wagner. They have worked together on several projects, including the TV miniseries Around the World in 80 Days.

Early Life and Education

Jill St. John was born Jill Arlyn Oppenheim in Los Angeles, California, on August 19, 1940. Her father, Edward Oppenheim, was a restaurant owner. Her mother, Betty, was known for her charity work. Jill was an only child, but she grew up with many cousins.

When she was young, Jill was part of the Michael Panaieff Children's Ballet Company. She danced with other future actresses like Natalie Wood and Stefanie Powers. When Jill was 13, her mother changed her last name to St. John. This new name was thought to be better for her acting career.

Jill was a very smart student. She finished high school at Hollywood Professional School when she was only 14 years old. She then went on to study at UCLA's Extension School at age 15.

Acting Career

Starting as a Child Actress

Jill St. John began acting on stage at age five in 1946. She said she was "precocious" and could read very well by age six. Her first TV role was in 1948 in a children's musical show called Sandy Dreams. In 1949, she played Missie Cratchit in The Christmas Carol. This was one of the first TV versions of the classic story by Charles Dickens.

By the time she was 10, Jill was a regular on a TV show called Fantastick Studios, Ink. She also appeared in two episodes of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. She had a small, uncredited role in the movie Thunder in the East (1951). She also appeared in TV shows like Sky King and Fireside Theatre.

Becoming a Young Star

John Saxon, Shelley Fabares, John Wilder and Jill St. John in Summer Love (1958)

In 1957, when Jill St. John was 16, she signed a seven-year contract with Universal Pictures. Her first big movie with a major studio was Summer Love (1958). She also appeared in TV shows like The Christophers and Schlitz Playhouse of Stars.

Later, she signed a contract with 20th Century Fox. They wanted to make her a big star. She played the daughter of Clifton Webb in The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker and Holiday for Lovers (both 1959). She then starred in the adventure movie The Lost World (1960). She later said these were "starlet parts," meaning she often played the daughter or girlfriend.

Moving to Comedy

With Robert Wagner in 1959

Jill St. John had a very important role in Come Blow Your Horn (1963). In this movie, she starred with Frank Sinatra. Her performance earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.

She said in 1963, "I'm a comedienne. I've never pretended to be a dramatic actress. But I'm very funny."

After this, she starred in several other comedies:

• Who's Minding the Store? (1963) with Jerry Lewis
• Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963) with Dean Martin
• Honeymoon Hotel (1964)

With comedian Bob Hope and entourage at LAX in 1964

She also made guest appearances on TV shows like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Burke's Law. She appeared in some TV specials with comedian Bob Hope.

MGM gave her a main role in the spy comedy The Liquidator (1965). She also appeared in The Oscar (1966).

Jill St. John was in the first two episodes of the TV series Batman. She played Molly, who worked for the Riddler. She was the first character to die in an episode of Batman. She also appeared in an episode of The Big Valley.

Return to Universal and James Bond

Wagner and St. John in How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1967)

Jill St. John signed another contract with Universal. She was in the TV movie Fame Is the Name of the Game (1966). She also had a supporting role in How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1967), which starred her future husband, Robert Wagner.

She worked with Bob Hope again in Eight on the Lam (1967). She also made Banning (1967) with Robert Wagner and The King's Pirate (1967).

In 1966, she said her goal was to be able to choose her roles more carefully. She wanted to prove herself as an actress. She was reunited with Frank Sinatra in Tony Rome (1967). She also made the TV movies The Spy Killer (1969) and its sequel Foreign Exchange (1970).

With Lana Wood on the set of Diamonds Are Forever (1971).

Jill St. John achieved her biggest success when she starred as Tiffany Case in the James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever (1971). She played the love interest of James Bond, who was played by Sean Connery. She was the first American actress to play a Bond girl. Her character, Tiffany, was known for being strong and outspoken.

After filming Sitting Target (1972), Jill St. John took a break from acting. She said that making two movies in a row was tiring and she needed a new way of life.

Later TV Roles and Retirement

Jill St. John appeared in several TV movies, including Saga of Sonora (1973) and Brenda Starr (1976), where she played the main character. She also made guest appearances on popular TV shows like Vega$, The Love Boat, Magnum, P.I., and Fantasy Island. She was also in the first episode of Hart to Hart.

In 1981, after living in Aspen, Colorado for ten years, Jill St. John moved back to Hollywood. She said she did not need to work, but she got bored. She starred in the TV movies Two Guys from Muck (1982) and Rooster (1982). She also had a main role in the movie The Concrete Jungle (1982). From 1983 to 1984, she starred with Dennis Weaver in the TV show Emerald Point N.A.S..

Jill St. John and Robert Wagner appeared together in several projects later in their careers. These included Around the World in 80 Days (1989) and Something to Believe In (1998). They also had small roles as themselves in the movie The Player (1992).

In 1996, they started performing together on stage in a play called Love Letters. In 1997, they appeared together at the end of an episode of the TV show Seinfeld.

In 2014, Jill St. John played Mrs. Claus in the TV movie Northpole. Robert Wagner played Santa Claus in the same movie. This was her first acting role in 12 years. She has since officially retired from acting.

Other Interests

In 1972, Jill St. John mostly left Hollywood and moved to Aspen, Colorado. There, she focused on her personal interests, especially cooking. She became known for her cooking skills. She appeared in cooking segments on ABC-TV's Good Morning America. She also wrote a cooking column for USA Weekend magazine. This led to her writing The Jill St. John Cookbook in 1987. The book included healthy recipes and some personal stories.

Jill St. John also started a business making handmade Angora sweaters. She became interested in growing orchids, skiing, hiking, river rafting, camping, and gardening. In 1987, she said she loved the outdoors and using fresh vegetables and herbs.

Charity Work

During the Vietnam War, Jill St. John traveled to entertain American soldiers. She performed in United Service Organizations (USO) shows.

She also founded the Aunts Club. This group of women helps provide financial support for children in need.

Politics

Jill St. John is a member of the Republican Party. In 2023, she ran for a board seat on the Aspen Fire Department, but she was not elected.

Personal Life

Jill St. John has been married four times. Her current husband is actor Robert Wagner. They first met in 1959 and have been together since 1982. They married in 1990.

Jill St. John has three stepdaughters:

• Katie Wagner, born in 1964.
• Natasha Gregson, born in 1970. She was raised in the Wagner/St. John home after her mother, Natalie Wood, passed away.
• Courtney Wagner, born in 1974.

In 2007, Jill St. John and Robert Wagner sold their home in Los Angeles. They moved to Aspen, Colorado, full-time.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

See also

In Spanish: Jill St. John para niños