Jan Sterling was an American actress who had a successful career in film, television, and theater. She was known for her roles as icy tramps, hard-bitten dames, and lethal schemers in films such as The High and the Mighty, Ace in the Hole, and Johnny Belinda. She received a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar nomination for her performance in The High and the Mighty, and was praised for her comic flair in Rhubarb. She was also a Broadway star who replaced Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday. But what was Jan Sterling’s cause of death? How did she die and when did she die? In this article, we will explore the life and legacy of Jan Sterling, and reveal the details of her death.
Early Life and Career
Jan Sterling was born Jane Sterling Adriance on April 3, 1921, in New York City. She came from a wealthy and socially prominent family. Her father was an advertising executive who divorced her mother when Jan was eight years old. Her mother remarried an oilman, and Jan moved with her family to Europe and South America. She was educated by private tutors in London and Paris, and attended Fay Compton’s dramatic school in London.
Jan returned to New York as a teenager, and began her acting career on Broadway using variations of her given name, such as Jane Adriance and Jane Sterling. She made her debut in 1938 in Bachelor Born, playing a young British lady. She appeared in several other Broadway productions during the 1940s, such as When We Were Married, This Rock, and The Rugged Path. She also worked with the legendary Ruth Gordon in 1942 in Gordon’s first play Over 21.
In 1947, she made her film debut in Tycoon, billed as Jane Darian. Ruth Gordon reportedly insisted she change her stage name to Jan Sterling. She played a prominent supporting role in Johnny Belinda (1948), as the wife of a man who raped a deaf-mute woman played by Jane Wyman, who won an Oscar for her role.
