Jill Ireland, a British-American actress, is renowned for her captivating portrayal of "Leila Kalomi" in the Star Trek episode "This Side of Paradise" and her numerous supporting roles in the films of Charles Bronson. She is also recognized for her courageous battle with breast cancer, which she wrote about in two books and championed as a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society.
Born on April 24, 1936, in London to Jack Ireland, a wine merchant, and his wife Dorothy, Jill began her entertainment career at 16 as a dancer. She made her screen debut in 1955, starring in Michael Powell's Oh... Rosalinda!!. In 1957, she married actor David McCallum, whom she met on the set of the Stanley Baker action picture Hell Drivers. They moved to the United States in the mid-'60s, where McCallum starred in the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Ireland co-starred with her husband in five episodes of the series in 1964, 1965, and 1967.
The couple had two biological sons and one adopted son, but separated in June 1965, with McCallum filing for divorce in August 1966, which was finalized in February 1967. Ireland then married Charles Bronson, 15 years her senior, on October 5, 1968. They had first met on the set of The Great Escape in 1963. With Bronson, she had two children, a daughter born in 1971, and an adopted daughter. They co-starred in 13 films over the next 17 years, a period during which they rivaled Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke as the most prolific screen couple.
Ireland's acting career slowed down during her marriage to Bronson, with her appearing in only one TV episode, one TV movie, and one theatrical picture that didn't star her husband. However, she was diagnosed with cancer in her right breast in 1984 and underwent a mastectomy. She wrote about her battle and became an advocate for the American Cancer Society, earning the organization's Courage Award and being presented with it by President Ronald Reagan.
Tragically, Ireland lost her battle with the disease after it metastasized and died at her home in Malibu, California, on May 18, 1990, at the age of 54. She was survived by her husband, children, stepchildren, parents, brother, and extended family.
