Singing-Dancing-Acting Triple Threat Jean Simmons Dies at 80

Award-winning British actress passes away in her California home at 80

By EOL Staff Jan 23, 2010 3:17 PMTags

Jean Simmons, the British-born beauty who won an Emmy for The Thorn Birds and was nominated for two Oscars (The Happy Ending and Hamlet) has died of lung cancer at her Santa Monica home at the age of 80.

An actress of range with diverse talents, she appeared in dozens of films, including cult fave Black Narcissus, musicals like Guys and Dolls (with Marlon Brando in the clip above) and dramas such as Elmer Gantry, The Robe and Spartacus.

She was married twice, first to actor Stewart Granger and later to director Richard Brooks, and is survived by daughters Tracy Granger and Kate Brooks.

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