Jill Ireland

Jill Dorothy Ireland (24 April 1936 – 18 May 1990) was an English actress and singer.

Early life

Ireland was born in Hounslow, West London, England. She was the daughter of a wine importer.^[1][2] She was educated at Chatsworth Junior School in Hounslow. She lived at 'Chertsey' on Maswell Park Road in Hounslow.^[3]

Career

Ireland began acting in the mid-1950s with small roles in films such as Simon and Laura (1955) and Three Men in a Boat (1956). She appeared with first husband David McCallum in Robbery Under Arms^[4] and five episodes of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: "The Quadripartite Affair" (season 1, episode 3, 1964), "The Giuoco Piano Affair" (season 1, episode 7, 1964), "The Tigers Are Coming Affair" (season 2, episode 8, 1965),^[5] and a two-parter "The Five Daughters Affair" (season 3, episodes 28 and 29, 1967).

She appeared in 16 films with second husband Charles Bronson between 1970 and 1987 and was involved in two of Bronson's other films as a producer. The last of these films, Assassination (1987), was her biggest role in terms of screen time, with Ireland playing the First Lady of the United States and Bronson a Secret Service agent assigned to protect her. During her marriage to Bronson, Ireland appeared in only one TV episode, one made-for-TV movie, and one theatrical film that did not star her husband.

Personal life

In 1957, Ireland married Scottish actor David McCallum, whom she met while working on Robbery Under Arms and Hell Drivers.^[6] They had two sons including Valentine "Val" McCallum, and adopted a third son. McCallum and Ireland separated in 1965 and divorced in 1967. Their adopted son died of a drug overdose at the age of 27.^[7]

Villa Rides marked the first of many appearances by Ireland in films with her future husband Charles Bronson. In 1968, Ireland married Bronson.^[6] She had met him when McCallum and he were filming The Great Escape (1963) some years earlier. Together, they had a daughter and an adopted a daughter, Katrina Holden Bronson. They remained married until Ireland's death in 1990.^[8]

Death and legacy

Ireland was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984.^[6] After her diagnosis, Ireland wrote two books, chronicling her battle with the disease. At the time of her death, she was writing a third book and became a spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society.^[6] In 1988, she testified before the U.S. Congress about medical costs and was given the American Cancer Society's Courage Award by then–US president Ronald Reagan.^[9]

In 1990, Ireland died of breast cancer at her home in Malibu, California.^[9] She was cremated and her ashes were placed in a walking cane, which Charles Bronson had buried with him at Brownsville Cemetery in Vermont^[10][11] when he died in 2003.^[12]

For her contribution to the film industry, Jill Ireland has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6751 Hollywood Boulevard.^[13]

In 1991, Ireland was portrayed by Jill Clayburgh in the made-for-television film Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland Story. The film, which was based on Ireland's memoir Lifelines and listed her posthumously as an executive producer, received mixed reviews from critics.^[14] To prepare for the role, Clayburgh, who had never met Ireland, read Lifelines and listened to Ireland's recorded interviews.^[15]

Filmography

Books

• Life Wish: a Personal Story of Survival (1987) ISBN 0-515-09609-1, ISBN 0-316-10926-6
• Lifeline: My Fight to Save My Family (1989) ISBN 0-7126-2531-3, ISBN 0-446-51480-2

References

1. ^ Middlesex Chronicle Thursday 18 April 1991, page 2
2. ^ Bernstein, Fred (17 September 1979). "It's a Pretty Impasse When Jill Ireland Is Taller in the Saddle Than Charles Bronson". People. Archived 3 Mar 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
3. ^ Daily Mirror Friday 19 August 1955, page 20
4. ^ Vagg, Stephen (7 March 2025). "Wrecking Australian stores: the 1957 film version of Robbery Under Arms". Filmink. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
5. ^ "TV Tonight: Farmer's Daughter Marries". Syracuse Herald-Journal. November 5, 1965. p. 27. Retrieved June 20, 2025. – via Newspapers.com
6. ^ Stevens, Christopher (2010). Born Brilliant: The Life of Kenneth Williams. John Murray. pp. 370/1. ISBN 978-1-84854-195-5.
7. ^ Sporkin, Elizabeth (20 May 1991). "Jill Ireland". People. Archived 21 Sep 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
8. ^ Smith, Kyle (15 September 2003). "Tender as Nails". People. Archived 3 Mar 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
9. ^ Yarrow, Andrew L. (19 May 1990). "Jill Ireland, Actress, 54, Is Dead; Wrote of Her Fight with Cancer". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
10. ^ Brownsville Cemetery in West Windsor, Vermont.
11. ^ https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/state-pride/vermont/unique-celebrity-tie-to-vt
12. ^ Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3rd ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 23030-23037). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.
13. ^ "Jill Ireland". Hollywood Walk of Fame. 20 June 1989. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
14. ^ Multiple sources: * Kogan, Rich (20 May 1991). "No Reason for Watching 'Reason for Living'". Chicago Tribune * Pergament, Alan (16 May 1991). "'Our Sons,' 'Jill Ireland Story' Both Suffer from TV Addiction". Buffalo News * Jicha, Tom (20 May 1991). "NBC's 'Reason for Living' Falls Short of Doing Justice to Jill Ireland, Son". Sun-Sentiel * Dawson, Greg (20 May 1991). "Portrait of Jill Ireland Is Drawn with Dignity". Orlando Sentinel * Zurawik, David (22 May 1991). "'Reason for Living' Exploits Struggle of Jill Ireland". The Baltimore Sun
15. ^ Mills, Nancy (18 May 1991). "Jill Clayburgh: The Passion of Mothers: Truths Abound for the Actress Who Plays Jill Ireland in TV Movie". Los Angeles Times

External links

• Jill Ireland at IMDb