Jean Simmons, born in London in 1929, was once hailed as the “English rose of Hollywood.” She began her career at just 14, spotted by a casting director while still in school. By 19, she had starred in Great Expectations (1946) and Hamlet (1948), earning an Oscar nomination. Yet behind the glamour, her story carried shadows. Simmons was trapped in a brutal studio contract with Howard Hughes at RKO, who allegedly threatened to ruin her career when she resisted his control. Though she escaped that