Shirley Jones | 31/3/1934 | 87
Shirley Jones has been an accomplished musical actress since the 1950s. Born in Pennsylvania to a Methodist family, she expressed interest in music by performing in her church’s choir at a young age. After being discovered by the casting director for the highly influential musical team, Rodgers and Hammerstein, she began her career in theater. Her first acting credit was in South Pacific back in 1949. Impressed by her voice, Rodgers and Hammerstein cast Jones as the female lead in the film adaptation of Oklahoma! in 1995, which was her debut on the big screen. The film was quite successful and made many familiar with Jones’s character as a wholesome and kind one.
Despite the typecasting, Jones can efficiently perform more serious roles, such as her performance in Elmer Gantry in 1960. She won an Oscar for her performance. Her other notable work was The Partridge Family, where the actress starred as Shirley Partridge, the matriarch of the eponymous family. Today, Jones remains active in the industry, albeit slowing down on the number of works and roles she has been doing in recent times.
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