Janet Leigh – Bio, Spouse, Measurements, Net Worth, Daughter, Death

Quick Facts

Janet Leigh was one of the finest actresses who started playing crucial roles in the entertainment industry at an early age. With her superb acting skills, she wooed movie lovers from the year 1947 to 2004 when death ended her reign as an actress and author of repute.

Janet’s entry into the entertainment circle was made possible by a Canadian-American actress known as Edith Norma Shearer, whose assistance handed her the opportunity to work with the American media company, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Before fame, Leight was a regular guest on the radio dramatic series The Cresta Blanca Hollywood Players, which aired on CBS from 1946 to 1947. Join us as we unveil all you need to know about Janet Leigh.

Janet Leigh – Bio

The late Hollywood star was originally born Jeanette Helen Morrison on the 6th of July 1927, in the United States of America, precisely in Merced, California. Leigh was the only child of her parents Frederick Robert Morrison (father) of German and Scots-Irish descent and Helen Lita (mother); the daughter of Denmark immigrants. She was raised in poverty in Stockton by her family as her dad was a low-income earner who worked in various places to earn more money to feed his family.

After spending many years in Stockton, the actress and her family later moved to Merced in 1941 to take care of her paternal grandfather. She was brought up in a family of the Presbyterian faith and as a child, she ministered with the church’s choir for many years.

About her education, Janet Leight completed her elementary education and was enrolled at Weber Grammar School in Stockton to further her education. From there, she joined Stockton High School, graduating at the age of sixteen. She studied music and psychology at the University of the Pacific (formerly known as the College of the Pacific). She became a student of the institution in September 1943 and was a member of the college’s a cappella choir and Alpha Theta Tau sorority.

Leigh would drop out of college after Hollywood star Norma Shearer showed interest in helping her become an actress. Shearer had come across her pictures while on vacation at a ski resort in the Sierra Nevada mountains called Sugar Bowl in the winter of 1945–1946. She eventually portrayed her first film role in 1947 in the drama film The Romance of Rosy Ridge after taking up acting lessons from popular drama coach Lillian Burns. In the same year, Janet Leigh registered for night school at the University of Southern California.

Some of her professional credit include If Winter Comes (1947), Hills of Home (1948), Act of Violence (1949), Little Women (1949), The Red Danube (1949), Strictly Dishonorable (1951), Houdini (1953; along with her husband), Prince Valiant (1954), Rogue Cop (1954), Blues (1954). Leigh’s television career began in the late 1960s and some of her earliest projects were on anthology programs such as Tales of the Unexpected, The Red Skelton Hour, and Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre.

While her career lasted, she shared screen time with stars such as , Walter Pidgeon, James Stewart, Deborah Kerr, June Allyson, , , Tony Curtis (her husband), (her daughter)  and many others.

Spouse And Daughter 

Janet Leigh was married four times in her lifetime. She entered her first marriage as a teenager; precisely at the age of 15. Her first husband (John Kenneth Carlisle) was 18-years-old when they tied the knot on 1st August 1942, in Reno, Nevada. However, the union was dissolved four months later, on 28th December 1942.

The name of the actress’ second husband is Stanley Reames. Then eighteen-year-old Janet and the U.S. Navy sailor got married in 1945 and divorced four years later.

Two years later, Leigh exchanged her third marital vow in front of wedding guests in Greenwich, Connecticut, where she married Hollywood actor Tony Curtis on June 4, 1951. The duo gave birth to two daughters Kelly Lee Curtis (born 1956) and Jamie Lee Curtis (born 1958). Leigh’s fame skyrocketed following her marriage to Tony, whose career spanned for six decades in the entertainment industry. Sadly, the two divorced in 1962.

Janet Leigh tasted the matrimonial waters for the fourth time with stockbroker Robert Brandt. They tied the knot on September 15, 1962, and remained married until her death forty-two years later.

The actress’s two daughters are both successful actresses. While Kelly has been active since 1983, Jamie (now Jamie Lee Haden-Guest) is an activist, blogger, director, writer, and actress who has won several awards and honors including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a People’s Choice Award and a Golden Globe.

Net Worth

Leigh’s source of income was not only acting, but she also made money through writing, singing, and dancing. From these ventures, she made a net worth of $20 million.

Death 

Janet Leigh gave up the ghost at the age of 77 on the 3rd of October 2004 in her Los Angeles home after a long battle with vasculitis. She was later cremated and her ashes interred at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.

Body Measurements

The late actress had one of the notable bodies in the entertainment circle during her active years. According to records, Janet Leigh was 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighed 54 kilograms. Her body measurements are listed as breasts – 37 inches, waist – 37 inches, and hips – 25 inches.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.