Short Biography

American actress and Sex Icon of the 1950s and 1960s, Jayne Mansfield was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Dallas, Texas, after the death of her father. She attended the University of Dallas and participated in little-theatre productions. She won minor beauty contests (such as "Miss Magnesium Lamp") and attended the University of Texas in Austin, taking drama classes. In 1954 she arrived in Los Angeles, where she studied acting at UCLA and worked in bit parts in television. She landed a small but sexy role in Pete Kelly`s Blues (1955), which led to roles that were more prominent in several ways. A job in the Broadway production of "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" brought her a good deal of attention for her scantily clad appearance, and she repeated the role in the film version. Her high-pitched squeal of delight and the studied ease with which she flaunted her more than obvious pulchritude led to a succession of roles as sex kittens and dumb blonde bimbos. She occasionally appeared in films of some quality, but though she apparently aspired to respectability as an actress, her public persona was too extreme to be taken seriously, and she became a sort of poor man`s Marilyn Monroe, without the vulnerability and ability that Monroe possessed. By the 1960s Mansfield`s career had declined into cheesy sexploitation and hokey and somewhat embarrassing guest appearances. While traveling between nightclub engagements she was killed in a highway accident in 1967, when the car in which she was riding slammed into a semi-tractor trailer truck.

Miscellaneous Information

Measurements

Bust: 40" D  Waist: 21"  Hips: /2"

Friends and Family

Mariska Hargitay [Mother]

Who's Dated Who content is contributed and edited by our readers. Please report errors or omissions on this page.