Jean Peters

One of many photogenic young women recruited by Hollywood during the 1940s, Jean Peters jumped right into lead roles her first time out via the Technicolor epic "Captain from Castile" (1947). Gifted with the sort of face that prompted studio executives to offer instant movie contracts, Peters was never very comfortable with the sort of beauty queen image Fox wanted and was essentially a tomboy off-screen. While Peters often expressed disdain for the parts Fox assigned, she was almost invariably able to fulfill their requirements and registered favorably in pictures as varied as the comedic "It Happens Every Spring" (1949), Elia Kazan's superb biopic "Viva Zapata!" (1952), the film noir classic "Pickup on South Street" (1953), and the picturesque romantic drama "Three Coins in the Fountain" (1954). Ultimately, however, she decided to retire from acting in the mid-1950s at the young age of 29, despite having many more viable years as a leading lady. She eventually resurfaced after more than two decades out of the spotlight, but only appeared in a handful of television projects before retreating back into private life.