Jacqueline Bisset Biography

Date of Birth: September 13, 1944

Her first job may have been as a waitress in a Chinese restaurant, but British-born Jacqueline Bisset didn't carry plates for long. She began modeling in order to make enough money to take acting lessons, moving quickly from being an extra in her first film, The Knack (1965), to landing a speaking role in her second film, Roman Polanski's Cul-de-sac (1966).

She gained notice playing Miss Goodthighs in the James Bond spoof Casino Royale (1967), then attracted even more attention with a topless scene in The Sweet Ride (1968). She received her first Golden Globe nomination for the film, as Most Promising Newcomer - Female. The same year she starred opposite Steve McQueen in the popular action film Bullitt (1968) and earned 2nd place at the Laurel Awards for Female New Face.

Though her mother is French, Jacqueline had to learn to speak the language for the film L'échelle blanche (1969). She played in several more French films over the years, including François Truffaut's La nuit américane (1973). But 1977 was the year Jacqueline made the biggest impact. Appearing in The Deep alongside Nick Nolte and Robert Shaw, her underwater swimming scenes in which she wore a T-shirt inspired the wet T-shirt craze. The Golden Apple Awards named her Female Star of the Year and Newsweek magazine dubbed her "the most beautiful film actress of all time."

She continued to receive rave reviews, earning three more Golden Globe nominations for her work in Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978), Under the Volcano (1984) and the TV mini-series Joan of Arc (1999). She also received a César award nomination for her role in La cérémonie (1995).

Jacqueline has continued to work steadily over the years, including portraying Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy in the TV movie America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy J. Story (2003) and as a widowed mother who finds love again in the feature film Fascination (2004).

She also continues to receive awards, including a 2001 CineMerit award at the Munich Film Festival, an Honorary Roger in recognition of her 30-year acting career both in France and America at the 2001 Avignon/New York Film Festival, a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2003 Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival and a Town of Karlovy Vary Award at the 2004 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. In 2014 she won her first Golden Globe for her work in the mini-series Dancing on the Edge. She also recently played a supporting role in the thriller Backstabbing for Beginners (2018) alongside Ben Kingsley.

Never married, Jacqueline is the godmother of actress Angelina Jolie.