Jan Sterling
| Jan Sterling | |
|---|---|
in Split Second (1953)
|
|
| Born |
Jane Sterling Adriance April 3, 1921 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 26, 2004 (aged 82) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Diabetes and stroke |
| Resting place | St Paul's, Covent Garden |
| Occupation | Actress of stage, film and television |
| Years active | 1947–1988 |
| Spouse(s) |
John Merivale (1941–1948) Paul Douglas (1950–1959, his death) |
| Children |
Celia Douglas (1954-) Adams Douglas (1955–2003) |
Celia Douglas (1954-)
Jan Sterling (April 3, 1921 – March 26, 2004) was an American actress of stage, film and television.
Most active in films during the 1950s (immediately prior to which she had joined the Actors Studio), Sterling received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The High and the Mighty (1954), and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the same performance. Her best performance is often recognized as the "sluttish, opportunistic wife" opposite Kirk Douglas in Billy Wilder's 1951 Ace in the Hole. Although her career declined during the 1960s, she continued to play occasional television and theatre roles.
Sterling was born Jane Sterling Adriance in New York City, the daughter of Eleanor Ward (née Deans 1895-1989) and William Allen Adriance Jr (1894-1953), an architect and advertising executive. She had a younger sister, Ann "Mimi" Adriance, a model and businesswoman. Jane grew up in a wealthy household and was educated in private schools before heading to Europe and South America with her family. She was schooled by private tutors in London and Paris and was enrolled in Fay Compton's dramatic school in London.
As a teenager, she returned to the borough of Manhattan, and with variations of her given name, such as Jane Adriance and Jane Sterling, began her career by making a Broadway appearance in Bachelor Born, and went on to appear in such major stage works as Panama Hattie, Over 21 and Present Laughter. In 1947, she made her film debut in Tycoon, billed as Jane Darian. Ruth Gordon reportedly insisted she change her stage name and they agreed upon Jan Sterling. She played a prominent supporting role in Johnny Belinda (1948). Alternating between films and television, Sterling appeared in several television anthology series during the 1950s, and played film roles in Caged (1950), Mystery Street (1950), The Mating Season (1951), Ace in the Hole (1951), Flesh and Fury (1952) and Female on the Beach (1955).
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