Jacqueline "Jackie" Lee Kennedy Onassis (née Bouvier; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American writer, literature editor, photographer, and socialite who became the First Lady of the United States as her husband, John F. Kennedy, became president of the US.
She was well known for her influence on American fashion and for helping decorate the White House with artifacts from previous administrations.
Her marriage to Jack was marked with tragedy of having a stillborn daughter named Arabella and a son, Patrick, who died from illness a few days after birth, and being right next to her husband when he was assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dallas (see also the Zapruder Film page). She remarried in 1968 with Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis; her married name during this time "Jacqueline Onassis" is the reason why she was nicknamed "Jackie O". She was widowed for a second time in 1975 and did not marry again.
Jackie and JFK had two children who lived to adulthood, Caroline and John Jr., the latter of whom died in 1999 in a plane crash.
She died in 1994 from non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Media
Film
- The Butler: She is played by Minka Kelly, as Jackie gave one of JFK's ties to Cecil after her husband's death.
- Jackie: Natalie Portman plays her during the following days after the assassination as she prepares for his funeral.
- Portman later reprised her role when she hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live.
- Love Field: She was portrayed by Rhoda Griffis in the aftermath of the JFK assassination.
- Thirteen Days: She is played by Stephanie Romanov, taking place in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
- Watchmen: She appears twice in the film's opening credits: when JFK publicly meets and congratulates Dr. Manhattan, and in the JFK assassination scene. Played by Carrie Genzel.
- Grey Gardens (2009): She is portrayed by Jeanne Tripplehorn for a single scene, as the film centers more on Jackie's cousin Edith Bouvier Beale, one of the subjects (alongside her mother of the same name) of the 1975 documentary Grey Gardens. Tripplehorn in fact said questions she had about Edith Bouvier Beale that she thought would be answered by being a part of the film remained unsolved.
Live-Action Television
- Killing Kennedy (Made-for-TV Movie): She is portrayed by Ginnifer Goodwin.
- The Kennedys and The Kennedys After Camelot: She is played by Katie Holmes.
- A Woman Named Jackie: She was portrayed by Marianna Bishop, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Roma Downey at different points of her life.
- Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: She is played by Sally Taylor Isherwood, Emily VanCamp, and Joanne Whalley at different points of her life.
- America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story (Made-for-TV Movie): She is portrayed by Jacqueline Bisset.
- Quantum Leap: There is a brief glimpse of her towards the end of the Season Five episode "Lee Harvey Oswald," where Sam failed to stop Oswald from shooting John F. Kennedy. Al makes mention of how in the original timeline Oswald had also killed Jackie: the point of Sam's leap was to save her. The episode ends with a photo montage of Jackie leading the nation in mourning.
- The Crown: She is played by Jodi Balfour.
Music
- Tori Amos's song "Jackie's Strength" from her album From the Choirgirl Hotel references to Jackie's strained marriage to JFK and the tragedy in Dallas.
