Joan
Fontaine

Biography

A British American actress who was born in Tokyo, Japan, Joan Fontaine was born Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland however, she chose to use the same stage name used by her mother ("Fontaine") who was also an actress. Her older sister Olivia de Havilland was also a well known actress and together the two are the last remaining female stars of Hollywood who appeared in films during the 1930's. It is said that upon entering the business, Joan's mother who favoured her older sister forbid Joan from using the family name of de Havilland. The two sisters would also become notorious for their life long feud, which would eventually stop them speaking to one another.

Joan has received many accolades throughout her career including receiving an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in Alfred Hitchcock's film Suspicion (1941). She is also the only actor to ever win an Academy Award for a performance in one of Hitchcock's films. This award was also a milestone along Joan's path of feuding with her sister as both were nominated (de Havilland for Hold Back The Dawn) and Joan’s win would lead to a deeper resentment among the sisters.

Some of Joan's other well known roles include Rebecca (1940) alongside Laurence Olivier, Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) staring with Louis Jourdan, and Sir Walter Scott's classic Scottish tale Ivanhoe (1952) alongside Robert Taylor and Elizabeth Taylor.