Jean Dorothy Seberg was an American actress who appeared in films like ‘Breathless,’ ‘Paint Your Wagon,’ and ‘Gang War in Naples.’ She began her film career when she was nineteen years old, in Marshalltown, Iowa. ‘Saint Joan,’ a British-American film, was her debut role. The film was based on the life of Joan of Arc, a famous French fighter, and was adapted from Bernard Shaw’s play of the same name. Joan’s title part was played by Seberg. Due to historical inaccuracies, the film garnered a lot of backlash. She went on to star in films like ‘Breathless’ and ‘In the French Style’ during the next few years. She portrayed an adulterous married woman in the film ‘Moment to Moment,’ in which she played the major part. She also starred in the Academy Award-winning picture ‘Airport.’ Her illustrious career was cut short by her unexpected death in 1979, when she was just 40 years old. Her death was declared a suicide by the coroner. She was working on the film ‘La légion saute sur Kolwezi,’ commonly known as ‘Operation Leopard,’ at the time of her death.
Childhood and Adolescence
On November 13th, 1938, Jean Dorothy Seberg was born. Her father Edward Waldemar Seberg was a pharmacist, and her mother Dorothy Arline was a teacher. Her ancestors are Swedish, German, and English. She had two brothers and one sister.
She studied dramatic arts at the University of Iowa before deciding to pursue a career in filmmaking.
Career of Jean Seberg
Jean Seberg was offered the starring role in the 1957 film ‘Saint Joan’ while she was in her late teens. The film was based on the legendary playwright George Bernard Shaw’s play of the same name. Otto Preminger directed and produced the film. The film was panned for a variety of reasons, including not only Seberg’s bad acting, but also historical mistakes.
She then appeared in Otto Preminger’s ‘Bonjour Tristesse’ as a supporting character. Seberg’s performance was once again met with critical acclaim. She did, however, continue her acting career. Her following picture, ‘The Mouse That Roared,’ featured her in a leading role. Jack Arnold directed the film, which was a commercial success.
Seberg received acclaim for her performance in the 1960 film ‘Breathless.’ The film, directed by Jean-Luc Godard, was a big success and received a lot of attention. It was a commercial success as well. She also starred in the American film ‘Let No Man Write My Epitaph’ in the same year.
She rose to prominence in the 1960s thanks to films like ‘Lilith,’ (1964), ‘Moment to Moment,’ (1966), ‘Line of Demarcation,’ (1966), and ‘A Fine Madness,’ among others (1966).
Her lone musical film was ‘Paint Your Wagon,’ which she starred in in 1969. Joshua Logan helmed the film’s direction. Despite its monetary success, the picture garnered generally poor reviews.
She then played a supporting role in the Oscar-winning picture ‘Airport,’ which won her an Academy Award in 1970. George Seaton helmed the film’s direction. It was a commercial triumph and received a slew of accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. The plot revolved around an airport manager who was attempting to keep his airport open during a snowfall while a suicide bomber planned to detonate a bomb on an airliner during a trip.
‘Gang War in Naples’ (1972), ‘The Corruption of Chris Miller’ (1973), ‘The Big Delirium’ (1975), and ‘The Wild Duck’ (1976) were among the films she appeared in throughout the 1970s (1976). She was working on the film ‘La légion saute sur Kolwez,’ commonly known as ‘Operation Leopard,’ when she died in 1979.
Major Projects of Jean Seberg
‘Breathless,’ a 1960 French film, can be considered Jean Seberg’s first successful work. Jean-Luc Godard directed and wrote the film, which followed the lives of a travelling criminal and his girlfriend. The film is regarded as one of the best and most influential examples of ‘French New Wave’ filmmaking. The picture was not only a monetary triumph, but it also received positive reviews from critics. In addition to Jean Seberg, the picture included actors Jean-Paul Belmondo, Daniel Boulanger, and Henri-Jacques Huet. It received two awards.
Another important film in Seberg’s career is the Academy Award-winning film ‘Airport.’ The film was written and directed by George Seaton, and it was based on Arthur Hailey’s novel of the same name. On a budget of $10.2 million, the picture was a commercial triumph, grossing more than $100 million. Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, Jacqueline Bisset, and George Kennedy were among the cast members. Although the picture garnered negative reviews, it was nominated for an Academy Award and won a few other accolades.
Achievements & Awards
Jean Seberg was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture in 1965 for her part in the film ‘Lilith.’
Personal Experiences of Jean Seberg
In September 1958, Jean Seberg married Francois Moreuil, a French lawyer. In 1960, they divorced.
She then married French diplomat, author, and filmmaker Romain Gary. Alexandre Diego Gary was their only child. After two years, they, too, divorced.
Later in life, she had a romantic relationship with Carlos Ornelas Navarra, a student revolutionary. On August 23, 1970, she gave birth to his daughter. The baby, however, died after two days.
Dennis Berry, an American actor and filmmaker, was her third husband in 1972. However, the pair later divorced, and she began a relationship with Ahmed Hasni.
She had given money to a number of civil rights organizations, including the revolutionary communist Black Panther Party. The FBI became suspicious of her and launched a slander campaign against her as a result. They made up various false stories in order to harass and discredit her, which may have led to her suicide.
Death of Jean Seberg
On the night of August 30, 1979, Jean Seberg unexpectedly vanished. Her decomposing body was discovered in her car, wrapped in a blanket, after nine days. A bottle of barbiturates, an empty mineral water bottle, and a suicide note were also discovered by the cops. Despite the fact that her death was deemed a suicide, the police suspected numerous people of being involved in her death.
Her second husband called a news conference shortly after, blaming her suicide on an FBI campaign against her, claiming that her mental health had deteriorated dramatically as a result of the effort.
Jean Seberg Net Worth
Jean is one of the wealthiest movie actresses and one of the most well-known. Jean Seberg’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.