The Magnificent Jacqueline Bisset
Jacqueline Bisset is magnificent—in so many ways! With a career spanning 58 years and around 50 films, the 80-year-old actress continues to shine brightly, showing no signs of slowing down.
Since I was a little girl, Jacqueline has been one of my role models. My parents adored her, and I can see why. To me, she truly embodies the glamour that Hollywood once had. I admire how she ages naturally, embracing her beauty and sex appeal without layers of makeup. Her look is all about simplicity and grace.
This stunning actress, with her high cheekbones and striking green eyes, has shown her incredible versatility throughout her career. She’s played a variety of characters, from the sultry seductress Miss Goodthighs in the spy parody Casino Royale (1967) to the devoted mother in Sleepy Time Gal (2001).
She even portrayed First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in America’s Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story (2003) and took on the iconic role of Anna Karenina in the sweeping love story Anna Karenina (1985), starring alongside the charming Christopher Reeve.
Bisset made her first on-screen appearance in Roman Polanski’s Cul-de-Sac (1966), but she truly gained fame in 1968, when she starred in three major films back-to-back:
Detective with the legendary Frank Sinatra, Bullitt with the Hollywood bad boy Steve McQueen, and her Golden Globe-nominated role in The Sweet Ride, which featured Tony Franciosa and Bob Denver, known for his role as Gilligan on Gilligan’s Island.
You’ll also recognize her from memorable performances in films like Day for Night (1973), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Deep (1977), and Wild Orchid (1990). She earned a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination for her role in Joan of Arc (1999) and won a Golden Globe for her performance in the miniseries Dancing on the Edge (2013).
More recently, she appeared in Miss You Already (2015) and Birds of Paradise (2021).
In 2010, Bisset received the Legion of Honor, the highest state order in France, celebrating her contributions to cinema. Fast forward to 2023, when the Sedona International Film Festival honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing her enduring legacy.
Despite her many on-screen romances with some of Hollywood’s hottest stars, Bisset has never married. She caught the eye of Frank Sinatra, and there were whispers of a romance with her Bullitt co-star Steve McQueen. However, Bisset described their differences in a candid interview with the Daily Mail, saying, “He was attractive, but a little scary.
I was very English, and he was a hip American. The way he talked would have driven me mad—I didn’t know what a dude or a soul chick was!”
Jacqueline has had long-term relationships with Canadian actor Michael Sarrazin, ballet dancer Alexander Godunov, and actor Vincent Pérez, but she believes she is too independent for anything permanent. In an interview with the Independent, she shared, “I’ve had some very interesting men in my life. They have been a handful.
I don’t choose easy men, I’m told.” She went on to explain, “Sometimes you get too much information when you spend time with people. You start to see things—bad habits. You start to discover them, and then you have to marry bad habits, and I’m not sure I can cope with them. I don’t ever have bad relationships. I haven’t broken up angry. I’ve just moved out of situations that have been overwhelming.”
Even as the godmother to Angelina Jolie, Bisset hasn’t made headlines for wild relationships, but she certainly made waves when she won the Golden Globe for her portrayal of Lady Cremone in the BBC series Dancing on the Edge. Her acceptance speech was unforgettable.
As the background music began to play, signaling her time was up, she expressed genuine gratitude, stating how special it was to finally win after waiting 47 years since her first nomination for best newcomer.
Since that big moment, she took on the role of a sassy femme fatale in the French thriller The Lodger (2020). Most recently, she starred in Loren & Rose (2022), playing the lead character Rose, a legendary actor trying to revive her career, battling a reputation for being “a little zany and a bit unreliable.”
The film’s director, Russell Brown, shared insight about her role, saying, “Viewers often assume that Jacqueline is ‘like she is in the movie.’ But this really isn’t the case. As an actress and a woman, I think she is quite different from Rose, and it’s a testament to her skill that the transformation feels so seamless.”
Jacqueline Bisset is a timeless beauty who embraces aging with grace. In her famous Golden Globes speech, she shared her secret to looking good: “I believe, if you want to look good, you’ve got to forgive everybody. It’s the best beauty treatment.”
She has also been honest about her past insecurities, stating, “I had lots of complexes,” but she was never tempted by plastic surgery. “I don’t think it makes you look younger. It makes you different,” she said.
Jacqueline is not just an extraordinary actress; she is an honest, beautiful, and generous woman—a shining light in the world of celebrity! She seems so down-to-earth, which makes her even more admirable. What a classy woman and one of my all-time favorite actresses!
What do you think? Share your memories of Jacqueline Bisset and her remarkable 58-year career as one of Hollywood’s greatest stars in the comments!
