The most beautiful French actresses of the 20th and 21st centuries. The most famous French actresses

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

At the end of 1895 in France, in a Parisian cafe on the Boulevard des Capucines, world cinema was born. The founders were the Lumiere brothers, the younger one was an inventor, the older one was an excellent organizer. At first, French cinema surprised the audience with stunt films that were practically devoid of a script. It was only after the Second World War that cinema began to take shape as an art form. Directors, screenwriters, French actors and French actresses appeared. Jeanne Moreau, Catherine Deneuve, Brigitte Bardot, Annie Girardot - these actresses began real French cinema.

Start

The names of French actresses were mentioned in newspapers and magazines, were on everyone's lips. People were looking forward to the release of a new movie with a favorite in the title role. Journalists created special headings in their publications, in which already well-known French actresses gave lengthy interviews, thereby gaining popularity. Huge new cinema halls were being built all over France, film studios appeared one after another, competition was already outlined between them. Most beautifulFrench actresses were invited to the main roles, and supporting roles also tried to show their talent and please the public.

Development

French cinema literally before our eyes became a powerful industry, with huge financial opportunities. Without exception, French actresses of the 20th century, without exception, experienced the effect of material incentives when directors tried to win over the most successful movie stars to their side. Stakes rose, roy alties were renegotiated as they went along, and studios even sometimes crashed if a new movie didn't do well at the box office, which happened quite often. Currently, French actresses of the 21st century, such as Vanessa Paradis, Audrey Tautou, Marion Cotillard, Laetitia Casta, are trying to play roles in films of an intellectual nature. The desire of the actress to immediately achieve commercial success is far in the past, today the creative component of the stars of modern cinema is increasingly coming to the fore. French actresses rarely shoot in other countries, as they are not always satisfied with the level of directing in foreign film studios.

Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot (full name Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot) has long been considered a European sex symbol, an analogue of the American film actress Marilyn Monroe. In 1952, Bridget starred in her first role, which went unnoticed by both critics and the public. Success awaited the young actress after the release of the film "And God Created Woman" in 1956. Directorthe picture was the husband of Bridget, director Roger Vadim, whom she married when she was 18 years old. The film made a splash with its defiant frankness, but was banned from showing by the Catholic Church because of the erotic scenes. Of the subsequent works of the actress, the most famous role of Babette in the film "Babette Goes to War", the heroine's hairstyle has become the ultimate dream for hundreds of thousands of girls around the world. On account of Bridget about 50 films, she starred in Hollywood, in the film "Sweet Brigitte", paired with Jimmy Stewart. In 1973, at the age of 40, the actress announced her retirement and took up the noble cause of saving animals.

Annie Girardot

Annie Girardot, the most popular movie actress of the 50s and 60s of the 20th century. In her youth, she dreamed of becoming a nurse, but the desire to sing and play on stage turned out to be stronger. Annie entered the conservatory. After graduation, in 1954, the girl was invited to the Comedie Francaise, and after a while the famous director Jean Cocteau offered Annie a role in the play The Typewriter. Girardot's debut exceeded all expectations, and she was declared the best dramatic actress of all the post-war period. Then a career in cinema began, but the management of the Comedie Francaise, in which the actress was still working, did not like it. Girardot was offered a lucrative contract, but she still left the theater. The peak of fame for the young actress came at the end of the 50s, and in 1960 Annie played the role of Nadia in the film Rocco and His Brothers, where she was also busyRenato Salvatore, who later became her husband. Exactly 10 years later, in 1970, Annie Girardot received the title of the most popular actress in French cinema after the release of the stunningly dramatic film "To Die of Love" on the screen.

Catherine Deneuve

Catherine Deneuve - iconic film actress of the sixties of the last century. Love and recognition of the public brought her the role of Genevieve in the film "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg", created by director Jacques Demy in 1964. The musical melodrama did not leave the screens for a long time, and Catherine Deneuve suddenly became a movie star. The film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Then Catherine played a major role in Roman Polanski's film "Repulsion". In 1967, Deneuve experienced a terrible tragedy - her older sister Francoise Dorléac, also a film actress, died in a car accident. The sisters starred together in the musical "Girls from Rochefort". The popularity of Catherine Deneuve grew, invitations from American producers literally rained down on her. However, the Frenchwoman was in no hurry to accept tempting offers from Hollywood. But many other famous French actresses did not refuse to tour overseas. The personal life of the film actress was closely connected with only two men. This is director Roger Vadim and Italian film actor Marcello Mastroianni, from whom Deneuve has two children, son Christian and daughter Kiara Mastroianni.

Michel Mercier

Film actress Michelle Mercier(full name Jocelyn Yvonne Rene Mercier) is the idol of millions. Fame brought her the role of Angelica in a serial film based on the novel by the Golon couple. As a child, Michelle was fond of dancing, and so seriously that at the age of eighteen she was accepted into the ballet troupe of the Opera House in Nice. However, the success of the young ballerina did not accompany, and the girl began to study acting. Beautiful appearance and natural charm did their job, and Michelle soon made her debut in the film "The Turn of the Knob" - an action-packed detective. This was followed by roles in several films that were not successful. And in 1964, the finest hour of the young beautiful actress came, she was invited to play the role of Angelica. During the period from 1964 to 1968, five films about Angelica were released. These are "Angelica, Marquise of Angels", "Magnificent Angelica", "Angelica and the King", "Indomitable Angelica" and "Angelica and the Sultan". In the Soviet box office, some of these films were ruthlessly censored with the removal of entire episodes, since Goskino considered it impossible to show openly erotic scenes.

Fanny Ardan

One of the most popular actresses in French cinema, Fanny Ardant (Fanny Marguerite Judith Ardant), was born in Saumur on the banks of the Loire. The childhood of the future movie star passed in the usual games and classes at school. Then young Fanny entered the University of Provence and, after successfully completing her studies, received a diploma in political science. But the girl’s soul was already drawn to the theaterart. At the university, Fanny studied acting courses, and this played a decisive role in her future fate. In 1974, she made her debut on the theater stage, and in 1979, the young actress played her first film role. Just two years later, Fanny Ardant played the main role in the psychological drama, the film "The Neighbor". The deeply tragic plot of the film allowed the actress to fully reveal her dramatic talent. Not all French actresses have such abilities. On the set of the film, Ardant became close to director François Truffaut, the result of this love affair was the birth of their daughter Josephine. The creative statistics of the film actress Fanny Ardant includes more than 60 films with her participation. Good knowledge of English opened the way for the French movie star to Hollywood, where she starred in several films.

Audrey Tautou

French film actress Audrey Tautou grew up in a family of doctors. Biology was her main childhood hobby, the girl fiddled with butterflies and bugs for hours. When Audrey grew up, her parents sent her to a theater studio, and after graduating from the lyceum, they organized a course at the Paris Theater School. The future movie star successfully mastered playing the piano, and soon decided to devote herself entirely to cinema. Audrey made her debut in the television film Target Heart. Then she starred in serials, where she had to be content with secondary roles. The actress gained worldwide fame after the release of the film "Amelie", in whichshe played the lead role.

Sophie Marceau

Sophie Marceau, French film actress and singer, is in the top lines of all possible ratings that characterize young talents. Sophie made her film debut at the age of 14 when, out of many thousands of applicants, she was chosen for a role in the movie Boom. The picture was a resounding success, and the girl instantly became famous. From now on, the whole life of the young actress was devoted to cinema. Simultaneously with work on the set, Sophie Marceau tried herself in vocal art. She even released a solo album with her songs, which, however, failed miserably. And today Sophie, like other French actresses, is completely devoted only to cinema.