Jan Sterling
Active - 1948 - 1988 | Born - Apr 3, 1921 in New York City, NY | Died - Mar 26, 2004 in Woodland Hills, CA | Genres - Drama, Crime | Height: 5', 5"
Born into a prosperous New York family, Jan Sterling was educated in private schools before heading to England, where she studied acting with Fay Compton. Billed as Jane Sterling, she made her first Broadway appearance at the age of fifteen; she went on to appear in such major stage offerings as Panama Hattie, Over 21 and Present Laughter.
In 1947, she made her movie bow--billed as Jane Darian for the first and last time in her career--in RKO's Tycoon. Seldom cast in passive roles, Sterling was at her best in parts calling for hard-bitten, sometimes hard-boiled determination. In Billy Wilder's searing The Big Carnival (1951), she played Lorraine, the slatternly, opportunistic wife of cave-in victim Richard Benedict, summing up her philosophy of life with the classic line "I don't go to church. Kneeling bags my nylons." In 1954, Jan was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Sally McKee, a mail-order bride with a questionable past, in The High and the Mighty.
In a prime example of giving one's all to one's art, Sterling submitted to having her eyebrows shaved off for a crucial scene; her brows never grew back, and she was required to pencil them in for the rest of her career. Also in 1954, Sterling travelled to England to play Julia in the first film version of George Orwell's 1984; though her character was a member of "The Anti-Sex League," Sterling was several months pregnant at the time. Having no qualms about shuttling between films and television, she showed up in nearly all the major live anthologies of the 1950s. She was also a panelist on such quiz programs as You're In the Picture (1961) and Made in America (1964). Married twice, Sterling's second husband was actor Paul Douglas. Jan Sterling retired from films in favor of the stage in 1969; she returned before the cameras in 1976 to portray Mrs. Herbert Hoover in the TV miniseries Backstairs at the White House.
Available Films:
Active - 1948 - 1988 | Born - Apr 3, 1921 in New York City, NY | Died - Mar 26, 2004 in Woodland Hills, CA | Genres - Drama, Crime | Height: 5', 5"
Born into a prosperous New York family, Jan Sterling was educated in private schools before heading to England, where she studied acting with Fay Compton. Billed as Jane Sterling, she made her first Broadway appearance at the age of fifteen; she went on to appear in such major stage offerings as Panama Hattie, Over 21 and Present Laughter.
In 1947, she made her movie bow--billed as Jane Darian for the first and last time in her career--in RKO's Tycoon. Seldom cast in passive roles, Sterling was at her best in parts calling for hard-bitten, sometimes hard-boiled determination. In Billy Wilder's searing The Big Carnival (1951), she played Lorraine, the slatternly, opportunistic wife of cave-in victim Richard Benedict, summing up her philosophy of life with the classic line "I don't go to church. Kneeling bags my nylons." In 1954, Jan was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Sally McKee, a mail-order bride with a questionable past, in The High and the Mighty.
In a prime example of giving one's all to one's art, Sterling submitted to having her eyebrows shaved off for a crucial scene; her brows never grew back, and she was required to pencil them in for the rest of her career. Also in 1954, Sterling travelled to England to play Julia in the first film version of George Orwell's 1984; though her character was a member of "The Anti-Sex League," Sterling was several months pregnant at the time. Having no qualms about shuttling between films and television, she showed up in nearly all the major live anthologies of the 1950s. She was also a panelist on such quiz programs as You're In the Picture (1961) and Made in America (1964). Married twice, Sterling's second husband was actor Paul Douglas. Jan Sterling retired from films in favor of the stage in 1969; she returned before the cameras in 1976 to portray Mrs. Herbert Hoover in the TV miniseries Backstairs at the White House.
Available Films:
Trivia:
In 1941, Jan took over actress Virginia Field's part in the Broadway musical "Panama Hattie" when Field left the show to marry actor Paul Douglas. By 1950 the marriage between Douglas and Field had ended in divorce and Paul married Jan.
Known on stage as "Jane Adriance" until the 1940s. Her stage name was suggested by (Ruth Gordon), whose first suggestion was "Amethyst Adriance" because "you should name yourself after a gem." Instead, Sterling chose to drop the Adriance and shorten her first name to "Jan"; her character's name in the play in which she was appearing.
"I was the original "happy hooker". I've played her in 10 of my 42 movies, and I've played her on television and on the stage."
"It was the longest minute of my life. And when the envelope was opened and it was Eva Marie Saint who had won, my heart sank. I really believed then that my place on earth would be complete if only I could have an Oscar. But Claire Trevor was nominated in the same category and the vote split because we were both up for parts we played in the same picture, The High and the Mighty (1954)."
In 1941, Jan took over actress Virginia Field's part in the Broadway musical "Panama Hattie" when Field left the show to marry actor Paul Douglas. By 1950 the marriage between Douglas and Field had ended in divorce and Paul married Jan.
Known on stage as "Jane Adriance" until the 1940s. Her stage name was suggested by (Ruth Gordon), whose first suggestion was "Amethyst Adriance" because "you should name yourself after a gem." Instead, Sterling chose to drop the Adriance and shorten her first name to "Jan"; her character's name in the play in which she was appearing.
"I was the original "happy hooker". I've played her in 10 of my 42 movies, and I've played her on television and on the stage."
"It was the longest minute of my life. And when the envelope was opened and it was Eva Marie Saint who had won, my heart sank. I really believed then that my place on earth would be complete if only I could have an Oscar. But Claire Trevor was nominated in the same category and the vote split because we were both up for parts we played in the same picture, The High and the Mighty (1954)."