Born Jane Sterling Adriance in New York City, her wealthy family afforded her a private education; she trained for the stage at Fay Compton's school in England and made her Broadway debut in 1938 (at 15) and her first motion picture appearance a decade later. A cool blonde, she often played high-class floozies in films. She was nominated for an Oscar® for her work in that vein in THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY (1954). Other notable screen credits include JOHNNY BELINDA (1948), CAGED and MYSTERY STREET (both 1950), RHUBARB (1951), FLESH AND FURY (1952), PONY EXPRESS (1953), THE HARDER THEY FALL (1956), SLAUGHTER ON TENTH AVENUE (1957), THE FEMALE ANIMAL, HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL and MAN WITH A GUN (all 1958), LOVE IN A GOLDFISH BOWL (1961), THE INCIDENT (1967), THE ANGRY BREED (1968), THE MINX (1969), SAMMY SOMEBODY (1976) and FIRST MONDAY IN OCTOBER (1981). The widow of actor Paul Douglas (they married in 1950), Sterling concentrated on television after his death in 1959 and continued to appear on TV until 1985. In the 1970s she entered into a strong personal relationship with actor Sam Wanamaker. They never married but stayed together until his death in 1993. She lived out her days in Los Angeles at the Motion Picture & Television Fund Health Center.  Nominated for Supporting Actress 1954: THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY 1 nomination