Joan Fontaine
Biography
Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was an English‑American actress active during Hollywood’s Golden Age. She was born in Tokyo, Japan, within the International Settlement, to a British patent‑attorney father and a mother whose name is not specified. Because of recurring health problems affecting Joan and her older sister Olivia de Havilland, the family relocated to California, where the mother and the two daughters settled in Saratoga while the father returned to his practice in Japan. The parents divorced shortly thereafter. Fontaine’s career encompassed 84 credited acting roles, and she is recorded in TMDB as a female performer.
Career overview
Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland, who worked under the name Joan Fontaine, was an English‑American actress whose career was defined by starring roles in Hollywood films of the industry’s “Golden Age.” Born on 22 October 1917 in Tokyo, Japan, within the International Settlement, she later moved with her family to California, where she settled in Saratoga while her father returned to his legal practice in Japan. Her parents’ divorce followed shortly after the relocation. Throughout her professional life Fontaine amassed a substantial body of work, with the Motion Picture Database recording eighty‑four credited performances across film and television. Recognised for her contributions to acting, she remained active in the entertainment field long enough to be noted for a significant number of roles, reflecting a sustained presence in mid‑century American cinema. Fontaine passed away on 15 December 2013 at the age of ninety‑six, leaving behind a legacy tied to the classic era of Hollywood filmmaking.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
89 titles- Becoming Cary Grant (2017) as Self (archive footage)
- Talking Pictures (2013) as Self (archive footage)
- Vito (2011) as Self (archive)
- The Making of 'Rebecca' (2008) as Self (archive footage)
- Before the Fact: Suspicious Hitchcock (2004) as Self (archive footage)
- Howard Hughes: His Women and His Movies (2000) as Self (archive footage)
- Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood (1999) as Self (archive footage)
- The World of Hammer (1994) as Self (archive footage)
- Good King Wenceslas (1994) as Queen Ludmilla
- Crossings (1986) as Alexandra Markham
- Dark Mansions (1986) as Margaret Drake
- Hotel (1982)
- Showbiz Ballyhoo (1982) as Self (archive footage)
- All by Myself: The Eartha Kitt Story (1982) as Self
- Aloha Paradise (1981)
- The Users (1978) as Grace St. George
- The Love Boat (1977) as Jennifer Langley
- Songs for After a War (1976) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Cannon (1971)
- Film '72 (1971) as Self
- The Witches (1966) as Gwen Mayfield
- The Bing Crosby Show (1964)
- The Paragon (1963) as Alice Pemberton
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) as Alice Pemberton
- Tender Is the Night (1962) as Baby Warren
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self - Co-Host
- Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961) as Dr. Susan Hiller
- Hollywood: The Selznick Years (1961) as Self (uncredited)
- One Step Beyond (1959) as Ellen Grayson
- Startime (1959) as Julie Forbes
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958)
- A Certain Smile (1958) as Françoise Ferrand
- Until They Sail (1957) as Anne Leslie
- Island in the Sun (1957) as Mavis Norman
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Presenter
- Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956) as Susan Spencer
- Serenade (1956) as Kendall Hale
- The 20th Century Fox Hour (1955)
- Casanova's Big Night (1954) as Francesca Bruni
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- Letter to Loretta (1953) as Self - Guest Host
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Countess Irene Forelli
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Melanie Langdon
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Laurel Chapman
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Judith
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Linda Stacey
- The Bigamist (1953) as Eve Graham
- Decameron Nights (1953) as Fiametta / Bartolomea / Ginevra / Isabella
- Flight to Tangier (1953) as Susan Lane
- Four Star Playhouse (1952) as Trudy
- Ivanhoe (1952) as Rowena
- Something to Live For (1952) as Jenny Carey
- Othello (1951) as Page
- Darling, How Could You! (1951) as Alice Grey
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self - Panelist
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self
- Born to Be Bad (1950) as Christabel
- September Affair (1950) as Manina Stuart
- The Art Director (1949) as Self / Jane Eyre (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) as Lisa Berndle
- You Gotta Stay Happy (1948) as Dee Dee Dillwood
- The Emperor Waltz (1948) as Johanna Augusta Franziska
- Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (1948) as Jane Wharton
- Ivy (1947) as Ivy
- From This Day Forward (1946) as Susan
- The Affairs of Susan (1945) as Susan Darell
- Frenchman's Creek (1944) as Dona St. Columb
- Jane Eyre (1943) as Jane Eyre
- The Constant Nymph (1943) as Tessa Sanger
- Breakdowns of 1942 (1942) as Self
- This Above All (1942) as Prudence Cathaway
- Suspicion (1941) as Lina McLaidlaw Aysgarth
- Rebecca (1940) as Mrs. de Winter
- The Women (1939) as Peggy Day
- Gunga Din (1939) as Emmaline "Emmy" Stebbins
- Man of Conquest (1939) as Eliza Allen
- Joan Fontaine Wardrobe Test (1939) as Self
- Joan Fontaine, "Rebecca" Screen Test (1939) as Self
- Blond Cheat (1938) as Julie Evans
- Maid's Night Out (1938) as Sheila Harrison
- The Duke of West Point (1938) as Ann Porter
- Sky Giant (1938) as Meg Lawrence
- Quality Street (1937) as Charlotte Parratt
- The Man Who Found Himself (1937) as Doris King
- You Can't Beat Love (1937) as Trudy Olson
- A Damsel in Distress (1937) as Alyce Marshmorton
- Music for Madame (1937) as Jean Clemens
- A Million to One (1936) as Joan Stevens
- No More Ladies (1935) as Caroline Rumsey
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Joan Fontaine best known for?
Joan Fontaine is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Due West: Our Sex Journey (2012), Crossings (1986), Hotel (1982), The Love Boat (1977).
When and where was Joan Fontaine born?
Joan Fontaine was born on October 22, 1917 in Tokyo, Japan. They passed away on December 15, 2013.
How many credits does Joan Fontaine have?
Joan Fontaine has accumulated over 89 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1935 to 2017.
What is Joan Fontaine's background in cinema and television?
Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was an English‑American actress active during Hollywood’s Golden Age. She was born in Tokyo, Japan, within the International Settlement, to a British patent‑attorney father and a mother whose name is not specifi...
Joan Fontaine by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Rebecca (1940) as Mrs. de Winter — aged about 22
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) as Alice Pemberton — aged about 44
- Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) as Lisa Berndle — aged about 30
- Othello (1951) as Page — aged about 33
- Suspicion (1941) as Lina McLaidlaw Aysgarth — aged about 23
- The Oscars (1953) as Self — aged about 35
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