The work of American actress Lois Chiles, a former model, is most known for appearing in movies like “Moonraker,” the eleventh James Bond film. A “Glamour” magazine editor who was looking for a young woman to appear on the magazine’s annual college issue cover discovered her while she was still completing her college degree. She began acting in movies after a successful modeling career. She had a major role in the Oscar-winning British mystery film “Death on the Nile” during her early acting career. She soon played the leading lady in the James Bond movie “Moonraker.” The movie was a big commercial success and received an Oscar nomination. She has also been in TV movies including “Burning Bridges” and “Dark Mansions.” She last appeared on the big screen in the romantic comedy “Kettle of Fish,” and since then, she hasn’t been in any other movies or television shows. She just started painting, and she has even displayed her creative works in well-known galleries.
Early Childhood & Life
On April 15, 1947, Lois Cleveland Chiles was born in Houston, the largest city in Texas, in the United States. Marion Clay Chiles and Barbara Wayne Kirkland Chiles were her parents. Oil tycoon Eddie Chiles was her uncle. William Edmonds Chiles and Clay Kirkland Chiles were her two brothers. Their upbringing was in Alice, Texas.
She received her schooling at the University of Texas before pursuing further studies at Finch College in New York City. She was found at this time by a “Glamour” magazine editor who was looking for a young woman to appear on the cover of the publication. Eventually, she began to be offered jobs by modeling firms like Wilhelmina Models and Elite Models.
The career of Lois Chiles
Following a prosperous modeling career, Lois Chiles made her acting debut in the 1972 movie “Together for Days.” The Michael Schultz-directed movie focused on the relationship between an African-American man and a white woman, as well as how their families dealt with it.
She had a significant part in Sydney Pollack’s movie “The Way We Were,” which was released the year after. The movie enjoyed tremendous success at the box office and was nominated for numerous honors, including six Oscars, two of which it went on to win. She appeared in a supporting part in the romantic drama movie “The Great Gatsby” the following year. The movie was a box office hit and took home two Oscars.
She portrayed the main character in the thriller “Coma” in 1978. The movie, which was directed by Michael Crichton, was based on the same-titled Robin Cook book. The movie had a successful box office run, earning almost twelve times what it cost. She appeared in the John Guillermin-helmed British film “Death on the Nile” that same year. The movie was a box office hit and garnered numerous accolades, including an Oscar.
She made an appearance in Lewis Gilbert’s 1979 James Bond movie “Moonraker.” The movie was a commercial hit and at the time had the biggest box office earnings for a James Bond movie. Additionally, the movie received an Oscar nomination.
She has also appeared in a number of TV movies throughout the years, including “Wish Upon a Star,” “Obsessed,” “Lush Life,” and “Dark Mansions,” as well as guest roles on shows like “Hart to Hart” and “Dallas” (1996).
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, she appeared in numerous feature films, primarily in supporting roles. Sweet Dreams (1986), Broadcast News (1987), Twister (1989), Diary of a Hitman (1991), The Babysitter (1995), and Black Cat Run are among the movies Chiles appeared in during this time (1998).
Her final television appearance was in an episode of the crime drama “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” and her final big-screen appearance was in the 2006 movie “Kettle of Fish” as a supporting character.
Major Works of Lois Chiles
Lois Chiles had a significant role in the American drama movie “The Way We Were.” Other performers who appeared in the Sydney Pollack-helmed movie included Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Bradford Dillman, and Patrick O’Neal. The film focused on Katie Morosky and Hubbel Gardiner, two college students who are attracted to one another despite holding quite opposite political opinions. The movie received numerous honors, including an Oscar.
She also had a prominent part in the 1978 British mystery movie Death on the Nile, which was adapted from Agatha Christie’s book of the same name. The movie, which also included co-producer John Guillermin as its director, starred performers including Peter Ustimov, Jane Birkin, Mia Davis, and Jon Finch. The movie did well financially, making around twice what it cost. Both the BAFTA Award and the Oscar for “Best Costume Design” went to the movie.
In the James Bond movie “Moonraker” from 1979, Lois Chiles portrayed the “Bond Girl.” The movie, which was directed by Lewis Gilbert, was based on the Ian Fleming James Bond book of the same name. Chiles played Holly Goodhead, a CIA spy, while Roger Moore played James Bond, the M16 agent. Michael Lonsdale, Richard Kiel, and Corinne Clery also acted in the movie. Along with three Saturn Award nominations, the movie received an Oscar nomination. Additionally, it was a commercial success.
Individual Life of Lois Chiles
Richard Gilder, an investor and philanthropist, and Lois Chiles have been wed since 2005.
She was given a breast cancer diagnosis in 2001, and she beat it. She is healthy and cancer-free as of 2018.
Estimated net worth
As of 2022, her net worth is predicted to be around $2 million, and she obtained that number through her professional career. She also received a percentage of her wealth from various sponsorships, endorsements, commercials, and advertisements. She receives about $35,000 per episode of TV shows.