Jocelyn Brando facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jocelyn Brando
Brando in an episode of One Step Beyond (1959)
Born	(1919-11-18)November 18, 1919 San Francisco, California, U.S.
Died	November 27, 2005(2005-11-27) (aged 86) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1942–1983
Spouse(s)	Don Hanmer ​ ​ (div. 1950)​ Eliot Asinof ​ ​ (m. 1950; div. 1955)​
Children	2
Relatives	Marlon Brando (brother)

Jocelyn Brando (born November 18, 1919 – died November 27, 2005) was an American actress and writer. She was well-known for her role as Katie Bannion in the movie The Big Heat (1953). This film was a type of movie called film noir, which often has a dark and mysterious style.

Jocelyn Brando's Early Life

Jocelyn Brando was born in San Francisco, California. She was the older sister of the very famous actor, Marlon Brando. Jocelyn learned how to act at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, a well-known school for performers.

Acting Career

Jocelyn Brando started acting naturally. Her first time on stage was in a play directed by her mother. Her mother, Dorothy Brando, was a leader in a community theater group in Omaha. Interestingly, her mother had also helped Henry Fonda start his theater career in the same group back in 1925.

Broadway Beginnings

Jocelyn made her first appearance on Broadway, which is New York City's famous theater district, in a play called The First Crocus. This was on January 2, 1942.

A few years later, in 1947, Jocelyn and her brother Marlon became some of the first members of a new acting school called the Actors Studio in New York. This studio was a very important place for actors to learn and practice their craft.

On February 18, 1948, Jocelyn appeared in her second Broadway play, Mister Roberts. She played a Navy nurse named Lieutenant Ann Girard. This play was a huge success and ran for about three years!

Jocelyn also acted in other Broadway plays, including The Golden State and a new version of Desire Under the Elms by Eugene O'Neill.

Moving to Movies and TV

Jocelyn Brando made her first movie appearance in a war drama called China Venture (1953). When she first arrived in Hollywood, she was asked about her brother Marlon's advice. She joked that he told her, "Oh, I just say the words. That's all I know about picture acting."

Her second movie role became her most famous: she played the wife of a detective in Fritz Lang's The Big Heat (1953). She also acted in two movies with her brother, The Ugly American (1963) and The Chase (1966).

In the late 1960s, Jocelyn joined the cast of the TV show Love of Life. She also had a regular role as Mrs. Reeves on the popular TV series Dallas.

She appeared in many other TV shows, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Wagon Train, The Virginian, Kojak, and Little House on the Prairie. Her last movie role was in Mommie Dearest (1981).

Personal Life and Passing

Jocelyn Brando was married twice. She first married actor Don Hanmer and later married author Eliot Asinof. She had two sons, Gahan Hanmer and Martin Asinof.

Jocelyn Brando passed away at her home in Santa Monica, California, on November 27, 2005. She was 86 years old.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Jocelyn Brando para niños