Biography for
Jill St. John More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

19 August 1940, Los Angeles, California, USA

Birth Name

Jill Arlyn Oppenheim

Nickname

Magic

Height

5' 6" (1.68 m)

Mini Biography

An incredible piece of eye candy, Jill St. John absolutely smoldered on the big screen, a trendy presence in lightweight comedy, spirited adventure and spy intrigue, and perhaps best known for her bikini-clad, sexpot roles that she began playing in the early 1960s and later becoming a standout "Bond girl" in the 1970s. Although she was not called upon to do much more than frolic in the sun and playfully taunt and tempt as needed, this tangerine-topped stunner managed to do her job very, very well. A remarkably bright woman in real life, she was smart enough to play the Hollywood game to her advantage and did so for nearly two decades before looking elsewhere for fun and contentment.

Jill St. John was actually born Jill Oppenheim on August 19, 1940 in Los Angeles. On stage and radio from age 5, she was pretty much prodded by a typical stage mother. Making her TV debut in a production of "A Christmas Carol," Jill began blossoming and attracting the right kind of attention in her late teens. She signed with Universal Pictures at age 16 and made her film debut as a perky support in Summer Love (1958) starring then-hot John Saxon. Moving ahead, she filled the bill as a slightly dingy love interest in such innocuous fun as The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (1959), Holiday for Lovers (1959), Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963), Who's Minding the Store? (1963) and Honeymoon Hotel (1964). Whether the extremely photogenic Jill had talent or not was never a fundamental issue with casting agents. In the late 1960s she matured into a classy, ravishing redhead who not only came equipped with a knockout figure but some sly, suggestive one-liners as well that had her male co-stars (and audiences) more than interested. She co-starred with Bob Hope in the dismal Eight on the Lam (1967), but she would be included in a number of his NBC specials over the years. She was also a part of Frank Sinatra's "in" crowd and co-starred with him in both Come Blow Your Horn (1963) (for which she received a Golden Globe nomination) and Tony Rome (1967). She skillfully traded sexy quips with Anthony Franciosa in the engaging TV pilot to the hit series "The Name of the Game" (1968). But Jill's most famous role came in 1971 when she played seductive jewel smuggler Tiffany Case, a ripe and ready Bond girl, in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever (1971) opposite Sean Connery's popular "007" character. On camera her glossy femme fatales had a delightfully brazen, tongue-in-cheek quality to them. Off-camera, Jill lived the life of a jet-setter.

Jill has married four times, first to millionaire Neil Dublin when she was 16 (they split after one year), then at 19 to the late sports car racer Lance Reventlow, son of Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton. They divorced after three years, although since his death she has referred to him as her "late husband". After a third divorce in her twenties from popular crooner Jack Jones, Jill would remain single for thirteen years, dating such famous men as Sinatra, Connery, Jack Nicholson and even Henry Kissinger. She seems to have found her soul mate in present husband actor Robert Wagner, whom she married in 1990 after eight years together. She is stepmother to Wagner's two daughters from previous marriages. Jill met Wagner when she was a teen and worked with him in the soapy film drama Banning (1967) as well as "Around the World in 80 Days" (1989/I), where Jill also starred opposite the later James Bond, Pierce Brosnan. Abandoning acting out of boredom, she has returned on rare occasions. She played against type as a crazed warden in the prison drama The Concrete Jungle (1982) and has had some fun cameos alongside Wagner both on film (The Player (1992), The Calling (2002/I)) and even TV ("Seinfeld" (1990) in 1997). In the late 1990s they started touring together in A.R. Gurney's popular two-person stage reading of "Love Letters." Jill's lifelong passion for cooking (her parents were restaurateurs) has turned profitable over the years. She has written several cookbooks and actually appeared as a TV chef and "in house" cooking expert on morning TV. She also served as a food columnist for the USA Weekend newspaper.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net

Spouse

Robert Wagner	(26 May 1990 - present)
Jack Jones	(14 October 1967 - 1 March 1969) (divorced)
Lance Reventlow	(24 March 1960 - 30 October 1963) (divorced)
Neil Dubin	(23 May 1957 - 3 June 1958) (divorced)

Trade Mark

Short red hair

Voluptuous figure

Bikini-clad, sexpot roles

Trivia

In same ballet class as youngster with Natalie Wood and Stefanie Powers, the three women all later had long term relationship with Robert Wagner.

Former daughter-in-law of Woolworth heiress, Barbara Hutton.

Has an IQ of 162.

Measurements: 36-22-35 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

5 February 2005 - Injured in a skiing accident and required hospitalization.

She and Wagner spend their recreational time skiing, horseback riding and golfing.

Her stage mother changed Jill's name from Oppenheim to St. John when Jill was 11 and later gave her daughter a turned-up nose job so she would photograph better.

She and husband Robert Wagner have homes in Aspen and L.A.'s Pacific Palisades where Jill keeps a number of horses.

Once appeared in a production of "Annie Get Your Gun" at age 11.

With an IQ of 162, she studied at UCLA starting at the age of 14, leaving after two years when she signed with Universal Pictures.

1958 Deb Star.

Was offered the role of Plenty O'Toole in Diamonds Are Forever (1971); however, after the directors saw her, she was offered the role as the bond girl: 'Tiffany Case'.

Has a cat named Terminator.

Has known her husband Robert Wagner since she was 14 years old.

It took her German Shepherd "Larry" approx. 4 months to bark. When Larry did, Jill and Robert Wagner jumped out of their skin.

Recently sold her Los Angeles home, that she shares with Robert Wagner for a reported 15 million.

Favorite state in the United States is Colorado.

Stepmother of Katie Wagner, and Courtney Wagner. Father is Robert Wagner.

Became the first American Bond Girl when she took on the role of Tiffany Case in Diamonds Are Forever (1971).

Was given the nickname 'magic' by her husband Robert Wagner.

In the early 1970s, Jill had a relationship with Frank Sinatra. During the same time, her now-husband Robert Wagner was in a relationship with Frank's daughter Tina Sinatra.

She and husband Robert Wagner have appeared in six movies together: Banning (1967), How I Spent My Summer Vacation (1967) (TV), "Around the World in 80 Days" (1989/I), The Player (1992), Something to Believe In (1998), and The Calling (2002/I). They also appeared together in episodes of "Hart to Hart" (1979) and "Seinfeld" (1990).

Her three ideal dinner guests would be: Oscar Wilde, Dorothy Parker and Robert Wagner.

Her favorite beverage is cappuccino.

Her idol is Kay Kendall.

Was one of the few redhead sex symbols during the 1960s, along with Raquel Welch and Ann Margaret.

Taught her stepdaughter Courtney Wagner how to ski.

In the 1980s, her fantasy was to downhill ski faster than any Olympic team.

If she was not an actress, she would be a marine biologist.

Personal Quotes

We sit in bed and eat cookies just like anyone else. (on marriage to Robert Wagner )

No one ever wants to give up the mantle of being a Bond girl, and if they say they do, they're lying" - Bond Girls Are Forever (2002) (TV) documentary.

I believe that personal happiness is still greater than any career.

I know who I am and those who care about me know who I am.

Sean Connery was very much like James Bond. He was very protective.

I love the idea of belonging to one man, and having one man belong to me.

Diamonds are forever, my youth is not.

I didn't marry my husband to be away from him! (when asked if she and Robert Wagner spend a lot of time apart)

You can't look in those eyes and see that smile and not smile yourself. (on husband, Robert Wagner.)