Who is Lois Chiles? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Lois Cleveland Chiles

Age: 77 Years, 77 Year Old Females

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Richard Gilder (m. 2005)

father: Marion Clay Chiles

mother: Barbara Wayne Kirkland

Models Actresses

Height: 5'8" (173 cm), 5'8" Females

City: Houston, Texas

U.S. State: Texas

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Childhood & Early Life

Lois Cleveland Chiles was born on 15th April 1947 in Houston, the most populous city in Texas, in the US. Her parents were Marion Clay Chiles and Barbara Wayne Kirkland Chiles. Her uncle Eddie Chiles was an oil tycoon. She had two brothers named Clay Kirkland Chiles and William Edmonds Chiles. They were raised in Alice, Texas.

She studied at the University of Texas, after which she continued her education at the Finch College in New York City. It was during this time that she was discovered by a ‘Glamour’ magazine editor looking for a young woman to feature on the magazine’s cover. She eventually started receiving contracts from modeling agencies such as Wilhelmina Models and Elite models.

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Career

After having a successful career in modeling, Lois Chiles made her film debut with a role in the 1972 film ‘Together for Days’. Directed by Michael Schultz, the film told the story of a romance between an African-American man and a Caucasian woman and how their families react to it.

The following year, she played an important role in the film ‘The Way We Were’ which was directed by Sydney Pollack. The film was a huge success commercially and was also nominated for several awards including six Oscars out of which it won two. The next year, she played a supporting role in the romantic drama film ‘The Great Gatsby’. The film was a commercial success and also won two Oscars.

In 1978, she played the lead role in the suspense film ‘Coma’. Directed by Michael Crichton, the film was based on a novel of the same name by Robin Cook. The film was a commercial success grossing nearly twelve times its budget. The same year, she was seen in the British movie ‘Death on the Nile’, which was directed by John Guillermin. The film was a commercial success, and also won many awards including an Oscar.

In 1979, she appeared in the James Bond film ‘Moonraker,’ which was directed by Lewis Gilbert. The film was successful commercially and became the highest earning James Bond film till that time. The film was nominated for an Oscar as well.

Over the years, she has also made guest appearances in TV shows, such as ‘Hart to Hart’ and ‘Dallas’ and acted in several TV movies like ‘Dark Mansions (1986), ‘Obsessed’ (1992), ‘Lush Life’ (1993), and ‘Wish Upon a Star’(1996).

She acted in many feature films throughout the 1980s as well as the 1990s, mostly in supporting roles. The films Chiles starred in during this period include ‘Sweet Dreams’ (1986), ‘Broadcast News’ (1987)’, ‘Twister’ (1989)’, ‘Diary of a Hitman’ (1991), ‘The Babysitter’ (1995) and ‘Black Cat Run’ (1998).

Her last work on TV was in an episode of the detective series ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ and her last work on the big screen was a supporting role in the 2006 film ‘Kettle of Fish’.

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Major Works

‘The Way We Were’ is an American drama film wherein Lois Chiles played an important role. The film, which was directed by Sydney Pollack, starred several other actors such as Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Bradford Dillman, and Patrick O Neal. The movie told the story of Katie Morosky and Hubbel Gardiner who study in the same college and are drawn to each other despite their completely different political views. The film won several awards including an Oscar.

She also played a significant role in the 1978 British mystery film ‘Death on the Nile’ which was based on the novel of the same name by Agatha Christie. Directed by John Guillermin who was also a co-producer, the film starred actors such as Peter Ustimov, Jane Birkin, Mia Davis and Jon Finch. The film did well commercially, earning around twice its budget. The film won the Oscar as well as the BAFTA Award, both in the category of ‘Best Costume Design’.

Lois Chiles played the “Bond Girl” in the 1979 James Bond film ‘Moonraker’. Directed by Lewis Gilbert, the film was based on the James Bond novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. Roger Moore played the M16 Agent James Bond while Chiles portrayed a CIA agent named Holly Goodhead. Other actors in the film were Michael Lonsdale, Richard Kiel and Corinne Clery. The film was nominated for an Oscar as well as three Saturn Awards. It was a commercial success as well.

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Personal Life

Lois Chiles has been married to Richard Gilder, an investor and philanthropist, since 2005.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001 which she successfully battled. As of 2018, she is healthy and cancer-free.

Lois Chiles Biography