A former child actress, Simmons got an early break playing Estella in David Lean’s Great Expectations (1946). Subsequent success in Black Narcissus (1947) and Hamlet (1948) led to Hollywood roles in films such as Desirée (1954), Guys & Dolls (1955), The Big Country (1958), Elmer Gantry (1960) and Spartacus (1960).
- Read Jean Simmons' Guardian Obituary
- Read Jean Simmons' Telegraph Obituary