Joan Fontaine Biography

Joan Fontaine was an Academy Award-winning British-American actress, famous for films like Rebecca and Suspicion. Beginning her career on stage in the mid-1930s, she soon transitioned to films and emerged as one of the superstars of the 1940s. Born in Japan to British parents, she moved to California with her mother after her parents separated. After completing her education, she pursued acting, following in the footsteps of her elder sister, Olivia de Havilland, who would also become a prominent Hollywood celebrity. Fontaine began her acting career on stage in 1935 and, later that same year, ventured into motion pictures. Initially, she received only minor film roles, but over time, she secured more substantial parts. A chance meeting with producer David O. Selznick changed her fortunes when she was offered the lead role in Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological thriller Rebecca (1940). The film’s resounding success made her a major star in American cinema. She went on to become one of the most famous actresses of her era. When Fontaine won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Suspicion (1941), she became the only actor ever to win an Oscar for a performance in a Hitchcock-directed film. Her long-standing sibling rivalry with her equally famous sister, Olivia de Havilland, was well known in Hollywood.