Forty-four years after her death at 52 in 1982, she continues to serve as a fashion idol – and an exemplar of grace under pressure. Despite the intense spotlight she lived in, “she would do whatever it took to prepare for whatever job she was doing,” said Jay Jorgensen, co-author of Grace Kelly: Hollywood Dream Girl.
Kelly came by her tireless work ethic naturally. Her father, John Kelly, was an Olympic gold medalist in rowing, and she grew up in an affluent Philadelphia family of athletes.
“She was a shy girl – she was the dreamer of the Kellys,” said Jorgensen. “When she became an actress, she gave it her all.”
Before long, the model proved herself a genuine movie star, holding her own at 22 alongside Gary Cooper in High Noon and winning an Oscar for 1954’s The Country Girl. With her high-class bearing, “she could play sophisticated and a bit older,” said Jorgensen.
