Jean Harlow Biography

Jean Harlow, fondly nicknamed "The Baby" and the "Blonde Bombshell," was a forerunner to Marilyn Monroe as Hollywood’s original sex symbol. She was a trendsetter with her platinum blonde hair and shaved eyebrows, replaced with thin, sharp pencil lines. Jean’s real intention was to remain a wife and mother, but she was pushed into an acting career by her ambitious mother, who aspired to become a Hollywood actress herself. Her blonde, sensual look and comic talents captivated her fans, leading her to star in 36 films in just a decade. She was the first actress ever to appear on the cover of Life magazine. She also wrote a novel, Today Is Tonight, which was posthumously published by a family friend. She wrote the novel during a salary strike against MGM, the major production company under which she had risen to stardom. Harlow suffered from various illnesses since childhood. At the age of five, she had a meningitis attack, and at 15, she suffered from scarlet fever. Serious renal failure took her life at the height of her youth and Hollywood stardom.