Jill Esmond (born Jill Esmond Moore; 26 January 1908 – 28 July 1990) was an English stage and screen actress. She was the first wife of

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage o ...

Early life

Esmond was born in London, the daughter of stage actors Henry V. Esmond and Eva Moore. Dramatist

W.S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most ...

and actress Maxine Elliott were her godparents. One of her maternal aunts was Decima Moore. She had a brother Jack (an actor) and a sister, Lynette, who did not survive infancy.Joannou, Maroula
"Moore, Eva (1868–1955)"
''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'', Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 10 February 2011 While her parents toured with theatre companies, Esmond spent her childhood in boarding schools until she decided at the age of 14 to become an actress. She made her stage debut playing Wendy to Gladys Cooper's

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

, but her success was short-lived. When her father died suddenly in 1922, in Paris, due to

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

, Esmond returned to school and at the time considered abandoning her ambition to act. After reassessing her future and coming to terms with her father's death, she studied with the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sena ...

in London, and returned to the

West End West End most commonly refers to: * West End of London, an area of central London, England * West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England West End may also refer to: Pl ...

stage in 1924. In 1925, she starred with her mother in a play ''Mary, Mary Quite Contrary'', and after a few more successful roles, won critical praise for her part as a young suicide in ''

Outward Bound Outward Bound (OB) is an international network of outdoor education organizations that was founded in the United Kingdom by Lawrence Holt and Kurt Hahn in 1941. Today there are organizations, called schools, in over 35 countries which are att ...

''.

Marriage and career

In 1928, Esmond (billed as Jill Esmond Moore) appeared in the production of ''Bird in the Hand'', where she met fellow cast member

for the first time. Three weeks later, he proposed to her. In his autobiography Olivier later wrote that he was smitten with Esmond, and that her cool indifference to him did nothing but further his ardour. When ''Bird in the Hand'' was being staged on Broadway, Esmond was chosen to join the American production – but Olivier was not. Determined to be near Esmond, Olivier travelled to New York City where he found work as an actor. Esmond won rave reviews for her performance. Olivier continued to follow Esmond, and after proposing to her several times, she agreed and the couple were married on 25 July 1930 at All Saints', Margaret Street, London. Within weeks, the couple regretted their marriage. They had one son, Tarquin Olivier (born 21 August 1936). Returning to the United Kingdom, Esmond made her film debut with a starring role in an early

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

film '' The Skin Game'' (1931), and over the next few years appeared in several British and ( pre-Code) Hollywood films, including '' Thirteen Women'' (1932). She also appeared in two Broadway productions with Olivier, '' Private Lives'' in 1931 with

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combina ...

and

Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End Theatre, West End of London and on Broadway theatre, Broadway in New York. ...

and '' The Green Bay Tree'' in 1933. Esmond's career continued to ascend while Olivier's own career languished, but after a couple of years, when his career began to show promise, she began to refuse roles. Esmond had been promised a role by

David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca'' (1940), both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture. E ...

in '' A Bill of Divorcement'' (1932) but at only half-salary. Olivier had discovered that

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

had been offered a much greater salary, and convinced Esmond to turn down the role. Esmond and Olivier starred together in one film, '' No Funny Business'' (1933), a British comedy film directed by Victor Hanbury. In 1937, Esmond played together with Olivier in Shakespeare's ''"Twelfth Night"'' at London's Old Vic theater. During this period, their marriage was disintegrating, as Olivier had started a relationship with Vivien Leigh.

Later years

Esmond starred in the Broadway production of

Emlyn Williams George Emlyn Williams, CBE (26 November 1905 – 25 September 1987) was a Welsh writer, dramatist and actor. Early life Williams was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family at 1 Jones Terrace, Pen-y-ffordd, Ffynnongroyw, Fl ...

' play ''The Morning Star'' in 1942, a production which featured the acting debut of

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...

. Her acting appearances grew more sporadic with the passage of time, and she made her final film appearance in 1955, around the time she made her two appearances as

Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor ( – 1 April 1204; french: Aliénor d'Aquitaine, ) was Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II, and Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right from ...

in the TV series ''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Technicolor swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and stars Errol Flynn, Olivia ...

''.

Personal life

Esmond was married to Olivier between 1930 and 1940; they had one son, Tarquin Olivier (born 21 August 1936). During their marriage, Olivier had affairs with Ann Todd and

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in ''Gon ...

, the latter to whom he was married from 1940 to 1960. Olivier later said that "I couldn't help myself with Vivien. No man could. I hated myself for cheating on Jill, but then I had cheated before, but this was something different. This wasn't just out of lust. This was love that I really didn't ask for but was drawn into." Esmond withstood the publicity of Olivier's affair with Vivien Leigh and did not seek a divorce. Pressed by Olivier, who was anxious to marry Leigh, she eventually agreed and they were divorced on 29 January 1940.Beckett 2005, p. 30.Madsen 2002, p. 80. During the war years, she stayed in the United States, where she appeared mostly in

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to ...

roles in several films, and her son also was briefly a

child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated t ...

. Among the films she appeared are '' Journey for Margaret'', '' The Pied Piper'' and '' Random Harvest'', all in 1942, ''

My Pal Wolf ''My Pal Wolf'' is a 1944 American drama film directed by Alfred L. Werker from a screenplay by Lillie Hayward, Leonard Praskins and John Paxton based on a story by Frederick Hazlitt Brennan. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, the fi ...

'' (1944), ''

The White Cliffs of Dover The White Cliffs of Dover is the region of English coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliff face, which reaches a height of , owes its striking appearance to its composition of chalk accented by streaks of black flint, deposi ...

'' (1944) and ''

The Bandit of Sherwood Forest ''The Bandit of Sherwood Forest'' is a 1946 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Henry Levin & George Sherman and starring Cornel Wilde, Anita Louise, Jill Esmond and Edgar Buchanan. Plot Robin Hood's son (Cornel Wilde) returns to ...

'' (1946). In 1946, she returned to the UK where she resumed her acting; her last stage appearance was in 1950, and her last film in 1955. To the end of his life, Olivier continued alimony payments to Esmond. Esmond kept in touch with Olivier, and in a letter to their son Tarquin, said "It's funny after all that time how I can still love him so much." Frail and in a wheelchair, she attended Olivier's memorial service in October 1989 at

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

Death

Esmond was 82 years old when she died on 28 July 1990 in

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its name ...

, London."Deaths England and Wales 1984–2006."
findmypast.com. Retrieved 28 January 2015.

Complete filmography

* '' The Chinese Bungalow'' (1930) - Jean * '' The Skin Game'' (1931) - Jill Hillcrist * '' The Eternal Feminine'' (1931) - Claire Lee * '' Once a Lady'' (1931) - Faith Penwick the Girl * '' Ladies of the Jury'' (1932) - Mrs. Yvette Gordon * ''

State's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a ...

'' (1932) - Lillian Ulrich * '' Is My Face Red?'' (1932) - Mildred Huntington * '' Thirteen Women'' (1932) - Jo Turner * ''

F.P.1 Doesn't Answer ''F.P.1'' ( ger, F.P.1 antwortet nicht) is a 1932 German film directed by Karl Hartl. The film was based on the 1931 novel of the same name by Kurt Siodmak. The plot concerned a permanent air station in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The film ...

'' (1933) - Claire Lennartz * '' No Funny Business'' (1933) - Anne * ''On the Spot'' (1938, version of the 1938 TV movie) - Minn Lee * ''Prison Without Bars'' (1939, TV Movie) - Carol Linden, Superintendent * '' On the Sunny Side'' (1942) - Mrs. Aylesworth * ''

This Above All ''This Above All'' (1941) is a novel by English writer Eric Knight. It was adapted into an Academy Award-winning movie in 1942. Title The title of the novel is derived from a quote by Polonius in William Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'' (Act 1, scene 3) ...

'' (1942) - Nurse Emily Harvey * '' Eagle Squadron'' (1942) - Phyllis * '' The Pied Piper'' (1942) - Mrs. Cavanaugh * '' Journey for Margaret'' (1942) - Susan Fleming * '' Random Harvest'' (1942) - Lydia * ''

'' (1944) - Rosamund * '' Casanova Brown'' (1944) - Dr. Zernerke * ''

'' (1944) - Miss Elizabeth Munn * ''

'' (1946) - The Queen Mother * '' Bedelia'' (1946) - Nurse Harris * '' Escape'' (1948) - Grace Winton * ''

Private Information Privacy (, ) is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively. The domain of privacy partially overlaps with security, which can include the concepts of a ...

'' (1952) - Charlotte * '' Night People'' (1954) - Frau Schindler * '' A Man Called Peter'' (1955) - Mrs. Findlay

Selected stage appearances

* ''

Gertie Maude ''Gertie Maude'' is a dramatic play by the British writer John Van Druten. It is set before the First World War, the plot about a chorus girl who begins an affair with an upper-class man only to kill herself when he marries someone of his own cla ...

'' by

John Van Druten John William Van Druten (1 June 190119 December 1957) was an English playwright and theatre director. He began his career in London, and later moved to America, becoming a U.S. citizen. He was known for his plays of witty and urbane observation ...

(1937) * '' Party Manners'' by Val Gielgud (1950)

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Barker, Felix. ''Laurence Olivier: A Critical Study''. Speldhurst, Kent, UK: Spellmount, 1984. . * * * Cottrell, John. ''Laurence Olivier''. New York: Prentice-Hall, 1975. . * * Madsen, Axel. ''The Sewing Circle: Sappho's Leading Ladies''. London: Kensington Books, 2002. . * * Olivier, Tarquin. ''My Father Laurence Olivier''. London: Headline Books, 1992. . * Spoto, Donald. ''Laurence Olivier: A Biography''. London: Cooper Square Press, 2001. .

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Esmond, Jill English film actresses English stage actresses LGBT actors from England Actresses from London 1908 births 1990 deaths 20th-century English actresses Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Spouses of life peers 20th-century LGBT people