At 82, 'Diamonds Are Forever' Star Jill St. John Stuns As She Ages Beautifully

Jun 07, 2023

Hollywood's Jill St. John was the ultimate screen diva during the classic movie era, and she's lived a fulfilled, glamorous life, constantly tapping into her feminine aura. Starting her journey through showbiz as a child actress, St. John bloomed before the public and gained prominence in her adult years. She was one of the actresses that turned heads and made pivotal moves in her career. It is safe to say that she never shied away from owning her spotlight recognition through it all. 

Through the 1970s, St. John was one of the It actresses taking up movie and TV roles, and her most notable role was in 1971's spy movie, “Diamonds Are Forever.” St. John had taken up the role of Tiffany Case alongside Sean Connery’s James Bond. The role not only gave her widespread fame, but it was also a history-making one. St. John became known as the first Bond girl in the James Bond franchise.  

Besides being famous for being on the big screen, she was also known for her peculiar lifestyle, which was all about living life to the fullest. Months after wrapping up filming on the set of "Diamonds Are Forever" in 1971, St. John granted an interview with Miami News, where she let fans in on her lifestyle. Speaking about the hustle and bustle of life, St. John made it known that she survived in style. 

Whenever she was away from work, she would often indulge herself at her luxurious hilltop home in Beverly Hills. The actress made it known that she led a “great life” and would not have it differently. 

Jill St. John was born as Jill Arlyn Oppenheim on Aug. 19, 1940, in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were a restaurateur from New York and a philanthropist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although she is an only child, St. John grew up with many of her cousins, as her mother came from a large family. At the age of 13, St. John’s stage mother decided it was time for her to adopt a more marketable name, dropping Oppenheim and instead adopting St. John.

St. John was raised in the Encino area and was a member of the Children’s Ballet Company alongside Natalie Wood and Stefanie Powers. The women seemed to share a lot in common in later years, including their careers and love life.

Wood went on to become an actress as well, appearing in films such as “Miracle on 34th Street,” “Rebel Without a Cause” and “West Side Story,” prior to her untimely death. Powers also went on to become an actress, and she is best known for her role on the mystery television series “Hart to Hart.”

Interestingly enough, St. John, Wood and Powers all also had a relationship with actor Robert Wagner, whether it be professional working alongside him or romantic and marrying him. St. John had been seen with Wood a few times over the course of her career.

“The three of us were very friendly,” St. John told Closer Weekly. However, she admitted that she had felt jealous of Wood’s gold ballet slippers during their time at the ballet company together. A friend of St. John said, “They were never best friends, but they respected each other.”

But before she became the star she is known as today, St. John was just starting out like any other hopeful actor or actress. She began acting on the radio when she was just 6 years old before making her screen debut at the age of 9 with “The Christmas Carol.” In a historical moment, it was the first full-length TV movie. Also in 1949, St. John joined the cast of the TV show “Sandy Dreams.”

Over the next few years, St. John continued adding on to her acting resume, as she appeared in “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show,” “Thunder in the East,” “Sky King,” “Fireside Theatre” and “Cavalcade of America.”

St. John also continued on with her academics as she attended the Powers Professional School, receiving her high school diploma from Hollywood Professional School when she was just 14 years old. The following year, the actress enrolled at UCLA’s Extension School. On top of it all, St. John was still finding and acquiring work, including the radio show “One Man’s Family.”

In May 1957, St. John signed a seven-year contract with Universal Pictures, with her pay starting at $200 a week. She found work both on the big screen and on the small screen, starring in “Summer Love” with John Saxon, as well as “The Christophers,” “Schlitz Playhouse” and “The DuPont Show of the Month.”

The actress later signed with 20th Century Fox, a company that continued trying to build on St. John’s potential and make her the star she deserved to be. With the company, St. John appeared in “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker” in 1959, “Holiday for Lovers” also in 1959 and “The Lost World” in 1960.

St. John worked alongside some of the best of the best during her career, as her talents were quite eclectic and notable. She starred opposite Frank Sinatra in “Come Blow Your Horn” in 1963, and also worked with Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Robert Morse and Nancy Kwan throughout the 1960s. She also appeared in several variety specials alongside Bob Hope.

In 1966, St. John appeared in the TV movie “Fame Is the Name of the Game.” The following year, she acted in a supporting role in “How I Spent My Summer Vacation,” which also featured Wagner, who would become her husband later in life. St. John and Wagner teamed up again in 1967 for “Banning.”

Finally, the 1970s brought a long-lasting star power to St. John, as she achieved one of her greatest roles as the diamond smuggler Tiffany Case in the 1971 James Bond film “Diamonds Are Forever.” She played a Bond girl opposite Sean Connery and made history as the first American actress to play a Bond girl. 

While most Bond girls were known for being more on the demure side, St. John’s portrayal was quite the change as she was loud, brash and argumentative. She fully showed off even more sides of her acting chops in the role.

St. John continued to have a bustling career in the years that followed, and she continued to act until 2014. She worked with Wagner again around the time of their marriage and in the years that followed in films including “Around the World in 80 Days,” “Something to Believe In” and “The Player.” They also worked together during the stage touring production of “Love Letters” and in an episode of “Seinfeld.”

Outside of acting, St. John had a love for several hobbies. She enjoys cooking and eventually became a culinary personality on “Good Morning America” and wrote a column in the USA Weekend magazine. She also released “The Jill St. John Cookbook” in 1987, which featured a collection of recipes alongside personal anecdotes.

The actress has never shied away from opening up about her personal life and personal feelings. Back in 1983, she spoke with UPI about her love of life. “What's the point of not enjoying the way you live?” she had asked rhetorically.

St. John delved into how she has lived in several different places across the world, including Hollywood, Paris, Aspen, London and Honolulu. To top it off, she was brash about admitting how she traveled with the men in her life.

“Glamour is a great commodity. I enjoy looking good and feeling good and alluring,” St. John added. “More women should feel that way about themselves and not be apologetic about it.”

Even when she was in the thick of it with her career, St. John always made sure to prioritize herself. “I took time off just to enjoy living,” the actress said. “I worked once a year so my name wouldn't be forgotten. And I launched my Smith-St. John sweater company. I made some investments and I traveled all over.”

She said the “respite” was “good” for her. After her short break, she went on to appear in “Magnum, P.I.” alongside Tom Selleck, despite never having watched the show beforehand.

In 2011, St. John opened up about how she participates in extracurricular activities like skiing and globetrotting. Being the girl that had it all, she did not leave out the negative part of such a life. St. John noted that her female friends were not accepting. She revealed that it was very difficult to be friends with her. 

She recalled once organizing a soiree with her female friends, but the occasion was interrupted by great things like a gig call and admirers calling in. Her friends ultimately turned to her and said, "We hate you." The star actress said she had almost everything she needed except for "solid marriages and a flock of children." "The Concrete Jungle" actress was married five times when she reached the peak of her career. 

One of her high-profile marriages was to millionaire Lance Reventlow. She was also the center of attraction for several lovers, including David Frost, Henry Kessinger, and Francisco Pignatari, among others. Even as she reveled in the peak of her enviable life, St. John got tired of glamor. She stated in her Miami News interview:

"Glamor isn't something worthwhile to strive for. It's almost a 1940 word... Any kind of glamor starts with health - physical and emotional health. I do yoga and meditate... My entire goal in life is to achieve peace of mind and inner happiness."

By the 1980s, she craved a quieter life and became scarce in the Hollywood sphere. St. John also got her wish for a solid marriage in the later years. She and fellow actor Robert Wagner started a relationship in 1982, one year after his wife, Natalie Wood, passed away from drowning. 

St. John's love life with Wagner faced several challenges, including the speculations surrounding Wagner's connection to Wood's mysterious death. The late actress' remains were found one day after she drowned off the waters on Catalina Island. She and Wagner had three daughters, and when St. John came into their life, they needed her the most. 

Wagner and St. John first met in the 1960s when they both worked for 20th Century Fox. However, they remained friends through the years before kindling a romance in the 1980s. The actors married in 1990 and continued working together in the movie industry. Their last known joint role was in "Northpole," where they played Santa Claus and Mrs Claus. 

Other challenges they faced as a couple had to do with Natalie's sister, Lana Wood, who was quite critical of Wagner and the controversy involving her sister's death. Lana also had some personal issues with St. Jill that dated back to their days in the James Bond franchise. However, all of these did not deter their love life. 

Speaking with Closer Weekly in 2022, Wagner talked about his relationship with St. John and their life together in Aspen, Colorado. There, the couple views elk, deer and fox on their property.

“As Jill says: ‘There are only so many front-row seats, and we are fortunate to have one,” Wagner shared. 

A friend spoke with the outlet about how the couple has been able to get through much of their lives together, whether it was romantic or simply as working stars alongside each other. “It’s a cliché, but their love has definitely stood the test of time,” the friend stated.

After St. John had heard about Wood’s death, she “reached out and sent Robert a nice note and flowers.” The pair reconnected and “found comfort in each other.” St. John shared:

“I’ve had friendships with some truly outstanding men, and I believe one of the things they like about me is that I never talk about them.”

These days, Wagner and St. John are living out their retirement days at their home in Aspen, having been married for over 30 years. St. John settled into a private in the Aspen home she shared with Wagner. “I really feel that being immersed in nature like this prolongs your life,” St. John said.

She does not have social media pages, but fans have been able to catch up with her through Wagner's official media pages. The actor shared family moments and milestones. 

In August 2022, he celebrated his wife's 82nd birthday with a sweet post. He captioned it, “Please join me in wishing my wonderful wife, Jill a very happy 82nd birthday.” Wagner also included the hashtag “#Diamondsareforever.”

Wanger also celebrated their 33rd anniversary in May 2023 with a post that read, “Happy 33rd anniversary to my incredible wife, Jill. I love you. You are my rock, my Magic.” Again, Wagner highlighted St. John’s past work as a Bond girl, showing that he has been supportive of her for a long time.

Being part of a couple that has one of the most celebrated marriages in Hollywood, along with looking effortlessly beautiful, it’s easy to see how St. John is enjoying her twilight years.

Isn't it admirable that Jill St. John went from being a celebrated Bond girl to living out her retirement days with her beloved husband? Do you recall any of her iconic roles? Let us know, and pass this piece on to other St. John fans.