Jill St. John, a stunning redhead, emerged as a prominent actress in the 1960s, captivating audiences with her radiant presence in lightweight comedies, spirited adventures, and spy thrillers. She worked alongside some of Hollywood's most dashing male leads, often playing the role of a sassy, playful, and tantalizing femme fatale.
Born Jill Oppenheim in 1940 in Los Angeles, Jill began her career in show business at a young age, appearing on stage and radio from the age of five. Her early start was largely due to her stage mother's prodding. Jill made her TV debut in "The Christmas Carol" (1949) and later signed with Universal Pictures at 16, making her film debut in "Summer Love" (1958) alongside John Saxon.
Throughout the 1960s, Jill filled the bill as a love interest in various innocuous films, including "The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker" (1958),"Holiday for Lovers" (1959),"Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?" (1963),"Who's Minding the Store?" (1963),and "Honeymoon Hotel" (1964). Despite her photogenic looks and charming on-screen presence, talent seemed to be secondary to her physical appearance when it came to casting decisions.
By the late 1960s, Jill had matured into a classy, ravishing redhead, equipped with a knockout figure and sly, suggestive one-liners that left her co-stars and audiences alike more than interested. She co-starred with Anthony Franciosa in the TV pilot "The Name of the Game" (1968) and played the iconic role of Tiffany Case, a Bond girl, in "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971) opposite Sean Connery.
Jill's off-screen life was marked by her connections to Hollywood's elite, including Frank Sinatra, with whom she worked on "Come Blow Your Horn" (1963) and "Tony Rome" (1967). She also dated notable figures such as Jack Nicholson, David Frost, Joe Namath, Bill Hudson, Roman Polanski, and Henry Kissinger. Of her four marriages, her most enduring relationship was with Robert Wagner, whom she married in 1990 after an eight-year courtship.
After retiring from acting, Jill returned to the screen only occasionally, playing against type as a crazed warden in "The Concrete Jungle" (1982) and appearing in cameos alongside Wagner in films like "The Player" (1992) and TV shows like "Seinfeld" (1989). She has also written a cookbook and appeared as a TV chef and food columnist.
