ALL PHOTOS ARE AI AND THE RESEARCH TOO.

INTRO

Jane Russell was one of Hollywood’s most paradoxical and enduring symbols. Discovered by eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, she shot to fame as a dark, sultry brunette who confidently held her own against the reigning blonde starlets of the 1940s and 50s.

Yet behind her hyper-sexualized screen image was a deeply religious, iron-willed, and down-to-earth woman who practically invented her own rules for Hollywood survival.

Backstory

Born Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell in Bemidji, Minnesota, in 1921, she was the only daughter among five children. Her father was a U.S. Army lieutenant, and her mother was a former road-company actress. The family eventually relocated to California's San Fernando Valley. After her father passed away when she was 15, Jane worked as a receptionist and a photographer's model to help support her family while studying acting with Max Reinhardt's theatrical group.

In 1940, her striking looks caught the attention of aviation mogul and film producer Howard Hughes. He signed her to an exclusive contract and cast her in the western The Outlaw (1943), launching a massive, multi-year publicity campaign centered entirely around her bustline.

Vitals

AttributeProfile & Data

Height 5' 7"

Weight 130 to 140 lbs (Athletic, statuesque, and naturally solid)

Measurements 38D - 24 - 36 (Howard Hughes famously designed a cantilevered underwire bra for her, though she secretly hated it and never wore it on set)

Body Type Tall, athletic, exceptionally full-figured with powerful shoulders

Looks Rich raven-dark hair, smoldering hazel eyes, straight jawline, and a cool, knowing expression

Age Lived to be 89 years old (June 21, 1921 – February 28, 2011)