Joan Fontaine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joan Fontaine
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Fontaine in 1951
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Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland
October 22, 1917 Tokyo, Japan
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| Died | December 15, 2013 (aged 96) |
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1935–1994 |
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| Children | 2 |
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| Relatives | Olivia de Havilland (sister) |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Actress (1941) |
Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (born October 22, 1917 – died December 15, 2013), known as Joan Fontaine, was a famous British-American actress. She was well-known for her many roles in Hollywood movies. Joan Fontaine acted in over 45 films during her long career, which lasted for five decades. She was also the younger sister of another famous actress, Olivia de Havilland.
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Becoming a Star: Early Life and Career
Joan Fontaine was born in Tokyo, Japan. Her parents were British. When she was almost two years old, she moved to California with her mother, Lilian Fontaine, and her sister, Olivia. This happened after her parents got divorced.
After living in Japan and going to school there for a short time, Joan started her acting career on stage in 1935. Soon after, she signed a movie contract with RKO Pictures. Her first big movie role was in The Man Who Found Himself (1937). However, this movie did not make her famous, and her contract was not renewed.
Her acting career got much better when she starred in the movie Rebecca (1940). This film was directed by the famous Alfred Hitchcock. For her role in Rebecca, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. This was her first of three Oscar nominations! The very next year, she won the Academy Award for her role in another Hitchcock film, Suspicion (1941). She received a third Oscar nomination for the movie The Constant Nymph.
During the 1940s, Joan mostly appeared in drama films. One of her most famous movies from this time is Letter from an Unknown Woman, which many people now consider a classic film. In the 1950s, her movie career slowed down. She then started acting more in stage plays and on television. She appeared in fewer films in the 1960s. Her last major movie was The Witches (1966).
Life Beyond the Movies
Joan Fontaine had dual citizenship. She was British because her parents were British. She also became an American citizen in April 1943.
Besides acting, Joan Fontaine had many other talents and hobbies. She was a licensed pilot, meaning she could fly airplanes! She was also a very good interior decorator, someone who designs the inside of homes. Plus, she was a Cordon Bleu-level chef, which means she was a fantastic cook.
In 1978, Joan Fontaine wrote a book about her life called No Bed of Roses. In 1982, she traveled to Berlin, Germany. There, she was the head of the jury for the Berlin International Film Festival. This is a big event where new movies are shown and judged.
Her very last acting role was in a TV movie called Good King Wenceslas in 1994. After this, she retired. She spent her time at her home, Villa Fontana, in Carmel Highlands, California. She enjoyed working in her gardens and spending time with her dogs.
For all her amazing work in movies, Joan Fontaine has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You can find it at 1645 Vine Street. She also left her hand and foot prints in front of the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre on May 26, 1942.
A Unique Legacy
Joan Fontaine was very active in radio, television, and theater for most of her life. She continued acting until her last performance in 1994.
She won an Academy Award for her role in Suspicion. This makes her the only actor to have won an Academy Award for acting in a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Also, Joan and her sister, Olivia de Havilland, are the only sisters to have both won major acting Academy Awards. This is a very special achievement!
Her Final Years
Joan Fontaine passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 15, 2013. She was 96 years old and died of natural causes at her home in Carmel Highlands. Her friend Noel Beutel said that she had been slowing down in her last days. After Joan's death, her sister Olivia de Havilland said she was "shocked and saddened" by the news. Joan Fontaine was cremated.
Joan Fontaine's Academy Award for Best Actress was almost sold at an auction to help animal rights. However, the Academy (the group that gives out the awards) said they would sue. This is because the award was supposed to be offered back to them for $1. So, Joan Fontaine's family kept the award.
Images for kids
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Fontaine with Arturo de Córdova in Frenchman's Creek (1944)
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See also
In Spanish: Joan Fontaine para niños
