Person Biography:
Jill Haworth, born Valerie Jill Haworth on August 15, 1945, in Sussex, was a stunning and stylish actress of British descent. Her father was a textile magnate and sometimes a race car driver, and her mother was an aspiring ballerina. Jill was trained in dance and attended the Corona Stage School, making her acting debut in a few uncredited roles in movies before gaining fame.
Discovered by director Otto Preminger, Jill played the role of Karen in his Oscar-winning film Exodus (1960) and later appeared in The Cardinal (1963) and In Harm's Way (1965). She gained a sympathy vote in Hollywood as many of her ingénues seemed to meet untimely ends.
In 1966, Jill went to Broadway and played the role of Sally Bowles in the musical "Cabaret," which co-starred Bert Convy and Joel Grey. The production was a huge hit, winning numerous Tony awards, including best musical of the 1966-67 season. Although Jill received mixed reviews, she played the role for two years.
After "Cabaret," Jill's star began to dim, and she returned to England, appearing in a few horror films and TV series, including It! (1967),Horror House (1969),and Tower of Evil (1972). She also appeared on several American TV series, such as Mission: Impossible (1966),The F.B.I. (1965),Baretta (1975),and Vega$ (1978).
By the 1980s, Jill was out of sight, but in 2001, she appeared in a support role for the film Mergers & Acquisitions (2001). She was living in New York and reportedly had just finished working on a voiceover YMCA spot in 2011 when she died suddenly in her Manhattan home of "natural causes" at age 65.
