English actress and beauty Jacqueline Bisset made a name for herself early on, both for her work as a model and her appearances in film. However, Bisset would be a far less fascinating character were it not for her astounding longevity and continually high demand, even in a typically youth-obsessed film industry.
Born Winifred Jacqueline Fraser-Bisset on September 13, 1944, in Weybridge, Surrey, England, Bisset’s parents were Max Fraser-Bisset and Arlette Alexander. Her father was a doctor, while her mother was an attorney. Bisset’s mother, a strong personality and influence on Bisset, even avoided the Nazis during World War II by cycling across Paris and boarding an English trooper.
Keeping her heritage alive, Bisset’s mother taught her how to speak French, and she attended school at the Lycée Francais Charles de Gaulle based in London. Receiving a severe emotional shock, Bisset’s mother was diagnosed and began suffering the effects of disseminating sclerosis when Bisset was just a teenager. The strain of the illness along with other factors led to her parent’s divorce in 1968. They had been married twenty-eight years.
Moving in to care for her mother, Bisset began modeling to pay the bills. Quickly realizing acting was her true passion, Bisset made her screen debut in 1965 with The Knack…And How to Get It. While her role was minor, Bisset did gain valuable experience as well as the opportunity to act alongside Rita Tushingham, Ray Brooks, and Michael Crawford.
Quickly finding work again, Bisset’s next film appearance was in the little known Roman Polanski film Cul-de-Sac with Donald Pleasence. Also in 1966, Bisset took a part in the lighthearted but ultimately poorly received film Drop Dead Darling with Tony Curtis and Zsa Zsa Gabor.
The following year, however, would prove to be Bisset’s big break. She appeared in the highly acclaimed and Oscar nominated film Two for the Road, starring Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney.
While not all of Bisset’s work in 1967 was as well-received as Two for the Road, she was gaining larger roles and increased exposure. This was certainly the case with The Cape Town Affair starring Claire Trevor and James Brolin, which was dismissed as a mediocre remake but afforded Bisset significant screen time. She also starred in the silly, giggly, and often ridiculous James Bond spoof Casino Royale. Featuring an all-star cast, Bisset acted alongside practically every big name in the business including Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, David Niven, Orson Welles, Woody Allen, Deborah Kerr, William Holden, John Huston, and more.
Her career, which began in the early 1960s, has successfully spanned four decades. And she continues to act today, most notably appearing in the popular television series Nip/Tuck.
High points in her career include Day for Night in 1973 (often cited as her first critically acclaimed work in a serious part) and The Deep in 1977 opposite Robert Shaw and Nick Nolte (in which Bisset is often credited with giving birth to the wet tee-shirt contest). Rocketing to stardom, Bisset was known across the globe by 1978.
Her many awards include four Golden Globe nominations, and a nomination for the French equivalent of the Oscars, the César Awards, for her work in La Cérémonie in 1996.
Adding to her intrigue, Bisset has been publicly linked to many men but has never actually married. She is also godmother to current "it-girl" Angelina Jolie.
Refusing to fade from the film scene, Bisset is currently in post-production for Vivaldi. She is slated to co-star with Joseph Fiennes, Lena Headey, Malcolm McDowell, and Gérard Depardieu.
YUDDY
