麻豆APP

Jeanne Moreau Photo by By Juliette Binoch.

Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Jeanne Moreau

Jeanne Moreau is a French actress best known for her multifaceted performances in French New Wave films of the 1950s and 鈥�60s, although she continued her prolific film career into the 21st century. She is celebrated for her strong character, sensual, expressive features, and enigmatic air of mystery.

She was born to an English mother and a French father who separated during the world war and eventually divorced. Her mother immigrated back to England with her younger sister briefly before going back to France.

In life, she has been married more than once and has been in more than five other relationships. She has dated within and outside her careers circle.

She was part of the women who prompted France鈥檚 famous Veli Law after the controversial Manifesto of 343, a declaration by three hundred and forty-three women who declare that they have had an illegal abortion.

Below are some of the outstanding facts about this remarkable star in the French film industry;

1.She was Born of a Mixed Race Heritage

Moreau was born in 麻豆APP, the daughter of Katherine popularly known as (n茅e Buckley), a dancer who performed at the Folies Berg猫re (d. 1990), and Anatole-D茅sir茅 Moreau, a restaurateur (d. 1975). Her father was French while her mother was English, a native of Oldham, Lancashire, England, and of part Irish descent.

Moreau’s father was Catholic while her mother was a Protestant and converted to Catholicism upon marriage, this was considered an irreconcilable difference at the time.

2.Her Parents Separated when she was in College

The Moreau marriage was not a happy one her father was a heavy drinker and refused to learn to speak English. His family didn鈥檛 like Katherine, ashamed that he had married a dancer.

Her parents separated  while she was at the conservatory and her mother returned to England with Jeanne鈥檚 sister, Michelle. But retuned later.

During the Second World War, her parents were separated. While her father stayed in the south of France, her mother was obliged to stay in 麻豆APP.

3.She Joined Com茅die-Fran莽aise at 20

Jeanne was a diligent student until the age of 15 when she began to lose interest. Her father had forbidden her to go to the cinema or the theatre but her curiosity was fueled by her school friends who talked of little else.

One day she skipped a Latin class and went to see a performance of Jean Anouilh鈥檚 Antigone. It was the first time she had ever seen actors and seen a real play, and it overwhelmed her.

Over the next weeks, she saw more plays and made up her mind to become an actress. Her father was violently opposed to the idea, slapping her across the face and saying he never wanted to hear her talk about it again. Her mother understood her feelings better and asked the advice of a neighbor, an actor himself, who recommended a drama teacher. The teacher carefully prepared her for an audition at the Conservatoire National d鈥橝rt Dramatique

4.She Made her Theatrical Debut at the Avignon Festival

Avignon Theatre Festival staged at the Palais des Papes,2006.Photo by Jialiang Gao. Wikipedia.

In 1947 a year after joining she made her theatrical debut at the Avignon Festival. She made her debut at the Com茅die-Fran莽aise in Ivan Turgenev’s  play A Month in the Country  and by her 20s, was already one of the leading actresses in the theatre’s troupe.

5.She Made her Debut in the Film Industry in 1949

After 1949, she began appearing in films with small parts but continued primarily active in the theatre for several years 鈥� a year at the Th茅芒tre National Populaire opposite among others G茅rard Philipe and Robert Hirsch, then a breakout two years in dual roles in The Dazzling Hour by Anna Bonacci, then Jean Cocteau’s La Machine Infernale and others before another two-year run, this time in Shaw’s Pygmalion. She made her first movie appearance in Le Dernier Amour (1949; translated as 鈥淭he Last Love鈥�

6.She Rose to Fame in the Late 1950s.

Jeanne after appearing in movies from the late 1950s, she began to work with the emerging generation of French filmmakers.

She appeared in Elevator to the Gallows (1958) with first-time director Louis Malle was followed by The Lovers (Les Amant) which brought her international fame as the embodiment of feminine mystery and sexuality. 

Her first three appearances established her as a remarkable actress with a compelling screen presence.

Her other notable films from the 1960s include Le Journal d鈥檜ne femme de chambre (1964; Diary of a Chambermaid); Viva Maria! (1965) and Campanadas a medianoche (1966; Chimes at Midnight, or Falstaff).

She also turned briefly to directing, most notably with L鈥橝dolescente (1979; 鈥淭he Adolescent鈥�), which starred Simone Signoret.

7.Moreau Starred in More than 130 Films.

In her career lasting over fifty years, she has worked with many of the world鈥檚 greatest directors.

Her career had tremendous growth in the 1980s and 鈥�90s.Her notable tittles include Le Miracul茅 (1987; 鈥淭he Miracle鈥�) 

She even starred in such varied roles as a seductive older woman in the BBC movie Clothes in the Wardrobe (1993)

8.She has been Married to More than One Partner

Throughout her life, Moreau maintained friendships with prominent writers such as Jean Cocteau, Jean Genet, Henry Miller, and Marguerite Duras.

In 1949, she married Jean-Louis Richard who she had first met when they studied together at the Conservatoire.

The day after their wedding, their son, Jerome, was born. Jeanne returned to work a month after the birth, leaving the baby to be brought up by her mother-in-law.

Before J茅rome was a year old, the marriage began to fall apart. 鈥淚 was lost, alone with a husband and son, neither of whom needed me.鈥� After two years of marriage, Richard left, although they remained close friends.

In 1977鈥�1979 she was married to American film director William Friedkin while in 1967 director Tony Richardson left his wife Vanessa Redgrave for her.

She also had relationships with directors Louis Malle and Fran莽ois Truffaut, fashion designer Pierre Cardin, and the Greek actor/playboy Theodoros Roubanis.

9.She was a Signatory of the Controversial Manifesto  343

Simone Veil the Minister During the Manifesto 343.Photo by Rob Bogaerts.

The Manifesto of the 343 was a French petition signed by 343 women who claimed to have had procured abortion.. It was considered an act of civil disobedience since abortion was illegal in France, and by admitting publicly to having aborted, they exposed themselves to criminal prosecution. 

It paved the way to the adoption of the “Veil law which repealed the penalty for voluntary termination of a pregnancy during the first ten weeks and later extended to fourteen weeks.

10.She Died at the Age of 89

Her body was discovered by her cleaning maid and shortly before her death, she said she felt “abandoned鈥�