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- Jacqueline Bisset: Gallery
- Birth name: Winnifred Jacqueline Fraser-Bisset
- Date of birth: 13 September 1944
- Place of birth: Weybridge, Surrey, England, UK
- Category: Actress
Her Family and Early Life
Born September 13, 1944, in England; named Winifred Jacqueline
Fraser Bisset. Her father, Max Fraser Bisset, was a doctor; her mother,
Arlette Alexander, had been a lawyer
in France before getting married. She has an older brother, also named Max.
Her last name (it is usually said) rhymes with
"Kiss it" or "illicit".
She was born in Weybridge, Surrey; her mother and brother had been evacuated there because of a wartime bombing in their village. Her father was working in a hospital in Iceland at the time.
She grew up in a 400-year old cottage in Tilehurst, near Reading. She and her brother played together - sometimes roughly (she mentions once breaking a stool over his head!). She took ballet classes, but her cramped feet convinced her to give it up.
When Jacqueline was 15, her mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. This required Jacqueline to take a great deal of responsibility for her mother's care. She credits this experience for developing much of her inner strength. Her parents eventually divorced. (Jacqueline has never been married, and has no children.)
At 16, Jacqueline was enrolled in the Lycée Français;
the intention was to learn French before going to university.
Instead of going to college, Jacqueline became interested in the cinema.
In order to earn the money for acting lessons, she became a model.
Her Career
Jacqueline started modelling in London at age 18. She worked with
some of the top photographers of the day: Terry Donovan, David Bailey,
etc. She got her first unbilled bit part in Richard Lester's
The Knack...and How To Get It (1965).
She quickly moved on to small supporting roles (1967) and then bigger
supporting roles in "big" movies, and starring roles in lesser movies
(1968-69). She had two sudden bursts of fame: in 1968, because she
replaced Mia Farrow in The Detective,
opposite Frank Sinatra; and in 1977, when her role in
The Deep put her on magazine covers
around the world.
See the Filmography for more details about her film career.
Her Romances
Jacqueline has never been married.
But she has spoken publicly about at least five long-term
romantic involvements: Michael Sarrazin, Victor Drai, Alexander
Godunov, Vincent Perez, and, most recently, Emin Boztepe.
(Of course, since she is a movie
star, Hollywood gossip has linked her romantically with several of
her co-stars over the years, but all such rumors must be taken with
a large grain of salt.)
She met Michael Sarrazin in 1968, making The Sweet Ride. They soon moved in together. They originally lived in a cottage that had started out as a packing crate for a piano. They later starred together in Believe in Me (and bought a more substantial house). They went their separate ways in 1974.
Jacqueline then began a relationship with Victor Drai. He ran a clothing company in Paris. Their involvement lasted several years, before they parted. Drai went on to produce several movies in Hollywood.
In 1981, Jacqueline met Alexander Godunov, who had defected from Russia in 1979. Their relationship lasted into the mid-1980's, by which time Godunov had given up ballet for acting. He died in 1995.
While filming 1987's Le Maison de Jade, Jacqueline became
romantically involved with her co-star, Vincent Perez. This
relationship lasted a few years, until the frequent long-distance
separations brought it to an end.
Since 1997, Jacqueline has often been seen and photographed with Emin Boztepe, a martial arts instructor. The photo at left is from a 1997 post-Oscar party. As of 2000, they were still happily involved.
Jacqueline has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards. The first time was for the 1969 award for New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture - Female for her appearance in The Sweet Ride (Michael Sarrazin was also nominated in the corresponding male category).
She was nominated for the 1979 award in the category Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical for Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?.
Her performance in Under the Volcano earned her a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Motion Picture in 1985.
In 1996, Jacqueline was nominated for a "César" award, the
French equivalent of the Oscar. This was for Best Actress in
a Supporting Role for
La Cérémonie.
Most recently, she was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries for her work in Joan of Arc.
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