Who was Jean Peters?

Elizabeth Jean Peters (October 15, 1926 – October 13, 2000) was an American film actress. She is known as a star of 20th Century Fox in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and as the second wife of Howard Hughes. Although possibly best remembered for her siren role in "Pickup on South Street" (1953), Peters was known for her resistance to being turned into a sex symbol. She preferred to play unglamorous, down-to-earth women.

Late in her career, and after her retirement, Peters occasionally played roles in TV productions, appearing in four between 1973 and 1988.

In 1953 the director Samuel Fuller chose Peters over Marilyn Monroe for the part of Candy in "Pickup on South Street". He said he thought Peters had the right blend of sex appeal and the tough-talking, streetwise quality he was seeking. Monroe, he said, was too innocent looking for the role. Shelley Winters and Betty Grable had previously been considered but both had turned it down. Because of the sexual attractiveness of her character, Peters was not thrilled with the role. She preferred playing more down-to-earth, unglamorous parts as she had done with "Anne of the Indies" (1951), "Viva Zapata!" (1952) and "Lure of the Wilderness" (1952).