Jayne Mansfield certainly left her mark on Hollywood before being taken away from the world far too soon. The actress knew she was destined for stardom since she was just a little girl and was willing to do whatever it took to make it in the cut-throat entertainment industry. It didn’t take her long to figure out that sex sells, and the bombshell started showing off her stunning figure to make a name for herself… and it worked. In fact, she was the first American actress to ever appear nude in a movie.
Photo by 20th Century Fox / Kobal / Shutterstock (all)
Mansfield quickly turned herself into a sex symbol, and people failed to see her as anything else. She was extremely intelligent and had raw talent, but that was overshadowed by her skimpy outfits and tabloid stories. What’s interesting is that after three husbands and five children, this woman remained a gorgeous sex symbol. You’ll never guess which Law & Order star is Mansfield’s daughter. This is the incredible life of Jayne Mansfield before her untimely death.
Blonde vs. Blonde
With the nickname “The Cleavage Queen,” it doesn’t come as a surprise that Jayne Mansfield was the first starlet to be featured nude in a big American sound film. Promises… Promises! Came out in 1962 and showed the actress in her birthday suit. Of course, it was also banned in certain cities in America.
Photo by 20th Century Fox / Kobal / Shutterstock
Mansfield’s career was notoriously fueled by a rivalry with a fellow bombshell, the iconic Marilyn Monroe. Both starlets were often typecast as ditzy blondes with voluptuous bodies. Fox studios tried to get Monroe to come back and finish her contract by calling Jayne Mansfield a “Marilyn Monroe king-sized.” Yikes! It’s sad to see the studios pin women against each other and encourage the rivalry between them.