Geneviève Bujold (; born July 1, 1942) is a Canadian actress. For her portrayal of

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the Wives of Henry VIII, second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and execution, by beheading ...

in the period drama film '' Anne of the Thousand Days'' (1969), Bujold received a nomination for the

Academy Award for Best Actress The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a lead ...

. Her other film credits include ''

The Trojan Women ''The Trojan Women'' (, lit. "The Female Trojans") is a tragedy by the Ancient Greece, Greek playwright Euripides, produced in 415 BCE. Also translated as ''The Women of Troy,'' or as its transliterated Greek title ''Troades, The Trojan Women'' ...

'' (1971), ''

Earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

'' (1974), '' Obsession'' (1976), ''

Coma A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to Nociception, respond normally to Pain, painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal Circadian rhythm, sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate ...

'' (1978), '' Murder by Decree'' (1979), ''

Tightrope Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope ...

'' (1984), '' Choose Me'' (1984), '' Dead Ringers'' (1988), '' The House of Yes'' (1997), and '' Still Mine'' (2012).

Early life

She was born in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Quebec, the daughter of Laurette (née Cavanagh), a maid, and Joseph Firmin Bujold, a bus driver. She is of

French Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French people, French colonists first arriving in Canada (New France), France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of ...

descent, with distant Irish ancestry. Bujold received a strict

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

education for twelve years, which she disliked. She was expelled from the convent for reportedly reading '' Fanny'' by Marcel Pagnol.What Is a Bujold? Hard to Circumscribe Los Angeles Times 1 Dec 1974: o31. She entered the Montreal Conservatory of Dramatic Art, where she was trained in the classics of French theatre.

Career

Early work

Two months before she was to graduate she made her stage debut as Rosine in '' Le Barbier de Séville'' in 1961 with ''Theâtre de Gesù''. She quit the school and was rarely out of work, being in demand for radio, stage, TV and film. Bujold made her TV debut with ''Le square'' (1963), a 60-minute TV film based on a play by

Marguerite Duras Marguerite Germaine Marie Donnadieu (, 4 April 1914 – 3 March 1996), known as Marguerite Duras (), was a French novelist, playwright, screenwriter, essayist, and experimental filmmaker. Her script for the film ''Hiroshima mon amour'' (1959) ea ...

, co-starring Georges Groulx. She was in episodes of ''Jeudi-théâtre'' ("Atout... Meurtre") and ''Les belles histoires des pays d'en haut'' ("La terre de Bidou") and guest starred on ''Ti-Jean caribou''. Her Canadian feature film debut was in '' Amanita Pestilens'' (1963). She was then in an international co production ''La fleur de l'âge, ou Les adolescentes'' (1964) and had a lead role in '' The Earth to Drink (La terre à boire)'' (1964), the first Quebec feature to be privately financed. Bujold starred in two 30 minute shorts, ''La fin des étés'' (1964) and ''Geneviève'' (1964). She toured Canada performing plays also worked steadily in radio and was voted actress of the year in Montreal.

French films

In 1965, she toured Russia and France with the company of the ''Théâtre du Rideau Vert''. While in Paris, Bujold was in a play ''A House... and a Day'' when she was seen by renowned French director Alain Resnais. He selected her for a role in his film '' The War Is Over'', opposite

Yves Montand Ivo Livi (; 13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), better known as Yves Montand (), was an Italian-born French actor and singer. He is said to be one of France's greatest 20th-century artists. Early life Montand was born Ivo Livi in Stignano, a ...

and

Ingrid Thulin Ingrid Lilian Thulin (; 27 January 1926 – 7 January 2004) was a Swedish actress and director who collaborated with filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. She was often cast as harrowing and desperate characters, and earned acclaim from both Swedish and in ...

. She returned home briefly to appear in "Romeo and Jeannette" by Jean Anouilh alongside Michael Sarrazin, for a Canadian TV show ''Festival''.GENEVIEVE BUJOLD: STARDOM-BOUND Gzowski, Peter. Maclean's; Toronto, Canada Vol. 78, Iss. 24, (Dec 15, 1965): 16. Also for that show she did productions of ''The Murderer'' and ''A Doll's House''. She contributed with vocals in ''The Devil's Toy'', a documentary about skateboarding in Montreal, directed by Claude Jutra (1966). She stayed in France to make two more films:

Philippe de Broca Philippe Claude Alex de Broca de Ferrussac (; 15 March 1933 – 26 November 2004) was a French film director. He directed 30 full-length feature films, including the highly successful ''That Man from Rio (''L'Homme de Rio'')'', ''Le Magnifique, ...

's '' King of Hearts'' (1966), with

Alan Bates Sir Alan Arthur Bates (17 February 1934 – 27 December 2003) was an English actor who came to prominence in the Cinema of the United Kingdom#The 1960s, 1960s, when he appeared in films ranging from ''Whistle Down the Wind (film), Whistle Down ...

, and

Louis Malle Louis Marie Malle (; 30 October 1932 – 23 November 1995) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in both French cinema and Hollywood. Described as "eclectic" and "a filmmaker difficult to pin down", Malle made document ...

's '' The Thief of Paris'' (1967), with

Jean-Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward, frequently portraying police officer ...

. Bujold won the Prix Suzanne as the Discovery of the Year and Elle magazine called her The Girl of the Day. Despite having established herself in France, however, she returned to Canada.

Return to Canada

Then-husband Paul Almond directed her in "The Puppet Caravan" for ''Festival'' in 1967. She appeared in Michel Brault's film '' Between Salt and Sweet Water'' (1967), then went to New York to play the title role in a production of '' Saint Joan'' (1967) for ''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas Citybased greeting card company. It is the longest-ru ...

'' on American TV. Although she said she preferred film most and television least out of all the mediums, she received great acclaim for this including an Emmy nomination. In Canada she starred in ''

Isabel Isabel is a female name of Iberian origin. Isabelle is a name that is similar, but it is of French origin. It originates as the medieval Spanish form of ''Elizabeth (given name), Elisabeth'' (ultimately Hebrew ''Elisheba''). Arising in the 12th c ...

'' (1968), written and directed by Almond. It was one of the first Canadian films to be picked up for distribution by a major Hollywood studio.

''Anne of the Thousand Days'' and international stardom

International recognition came in 1969, when she starred as

in Charles Jarrott's film '' Anne of the Thousand Days'', with

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...

. Producer Hal B. Wallis cast her after seeing her in ''Isabel''. For her performance, she received the

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama is a Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe Award that was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951. Previously, there was a single aw ...

, and received a nomination for the

. It was released by Universal who signed her to a three-picture contract. Back in Canada, she did a second feature with her husband, '' The Act of the Heart'' (1970), co starring

Donald Sutherland Donald McNichol Sutherland (17 July 1935 – 20 June 2024) was a Canadian actor. With a career spanning six decades, he received List of awards and nominations received by Donald Sutherland, numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award ...

, which earned her a Best Actress at the Canadian Film Awards. She wrote and starred in a short film, ''Marie-Christine'' (1970), directed by Claude Jutra. Wallis and Universal wanted Bujold to star in ''

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

'' (1971) but she refused so they sued her for $450,000. Instead she played the role of

Cassandra Cassandra or Kassandra (; , , sometimes referred to as Alexandra; ) in Greek mythology was a Trojan priestess dedicated to the god Apollo and fated by him to utter true prophecy, prophecies but never to be believed. In modern usage her name is e ...

, a

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

prophet In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divinity, divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings ...

, in

Michael Cacoyannis Michalis Kakogiannis (; ; 11 June 1922 – 25 July 2011), usually credited as Michael Cacoyannis or Michael Yannis, was a Greek Cypriot filmmaker, theatre director, and playwright. He is best known for writing, directing, producing, and e ...

's film version of ''

'' (1971), opposite

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress. In her career spanning over six decades, she has garnered List of awards and nominations received by Vanessa Redgrave, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony A ...

, and

Irene Papas Irene Papas or Irene Pappas (, ; born Eirini Lelekou (); 3 September 1929 – 14 September 2022) was a Greek actress and singer who starred in over 70 films in a career spanning more than 50 years. She gained international recognition through ...

. It was shot in Spain. In Canada, she made '' Journey'' (1972) with Almond and co-starring John Vernon. Bujold won another

Canadian Film Award The Canadian Film Awards were the leading Canadian cinema awards from 1949 until 1978. These honours were conducted annually, except in 1974 when a number of Quebec directors withdrew their participation and prompted a cancellation. In the 1970s ...

for Best Actress. She starred in Claude Jutra's '' Kamouraska'' (1973), based on a novel by Anne Hébert, for which she received her third

for Best Actress. In the US, she appeared in an adaptation of

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; ; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist and screenwriter whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ...

's ''

Antigone ANTIGONE (Algorithms for coNTinuous / Integer Global Optimization of Nonlinear Equations), is a deterministic global optimization solver for general Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programs (MINLP). History ANTIGONE is an evolution of GloMIQO, a global ...

'' for

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

Great Performances ''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is produced by the PBS member statio ...

in 1974.

Hollywood

In 1973, after her marriage ended, she relocated to Los Angeles. Shortly thereafter, she settled the lawsuit with Universal, agreeing to a three-picture film contract starting with ''

'' (1974), with

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...

. Bujold went to France to make '' Incorrigible'' (1975) with de Broca and Belmondo. For ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'' and the BBC she appeared in '' Caesar and Cleopatra'' (1975) alongside

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the BFI, British Film Institute listing of 1999 of BFI Top 100 British films, the 100 most important British films of the 20th century ...

. At Universal Studios, she was the lead in ''

Swashbuckler A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, and guile, and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, ...

'' (1976) alongside Robert Shaw. In an interview she said, "Robert Shaw is a man worth knowing."At the Movies: Genevieve Bujold on love, marriage and acting. Flatley, Guy. New York Times 11 Nov 1977: 57. In 1976, she appeared in '' Obsession'' (1976) directed by

Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (; born September 11, 1940) is an Americans, American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for work in the suspense, Crime film, crime, and psychological thriller genres. ...

co-starring

Cliff Robertson Clifford Parker Robertson III (September 9, 1923 – September 10, 2011) was an American actor whose career in film and television spanned over six decades. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film ''PT 109 (film), PT 109'', a ...

(1976). Bujold made '' Alex & the Gypsy'' (1976) with

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, he was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in comedy-drama films. He received num ...

and '' Another Man, Another Chance'' (1977), co-starring

James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...

(1977) for

Claude Lelouch Claude Barruck Joseph Lelouch (; born 30 October 1937) is a French film director, writer, cinematographer, actor and producer. Lelouch grew up in an Algerian Jewish family. He emerged as a prominent director in the 1960s. Lelouch gained critical ...

. She was lead with

Michael Douglas Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the ...

in the medical thriller ''

'' (1978), directed by

Michael Crichton John Michael Crichton (; October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008) was an American author, screenwriter and filmmaker. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and over a dozen have been adapted into films. His literary works heavil ...

, which was a box office hit. Bujold returned to Canada to play a key role in the Sherlock Holmes film '' Murder by Decree'' (1979), which won her a Best Supporting Actress Award at the Canadian Film Awards. For

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

she appeared in the fantasy film '' The Last Flight of Noah's Ark'' (1980) with

Elliott Gould Elliott Gould (; né Goldstein; born August 29, 1938) is an American actor. Gould's breakthrough role was in the film ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' (1969), for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The ...

and Charles Jarrott, director of ''Anne of the Thousand Days''. She was directed by Almond once more in the Canadian '' Final Assignment'' (1980). Bujold starred in a TV movie '' Mistress of Paradise'' (1981), then supported

Christopher Reeve Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, activist, director, and author. He amassed Christopher Reeve on stage and screen, several stage and screen credits in his 34-year career, including playin ...

in ''

Monsignor Monsignor (; ) is a form of address or title for certain members of the clergy in the Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" can be abbreviated as Mons.... or Msgr. In some ...

'' (1982), and

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...

in ''

'' (1984).

Alan Rudolph

Bujold starred in '' Choose Me'' (1984), directed and written by

Alan Rudolph Alan Steven Rudolph (born December 18, 1943) is an American film director and screenwriter. Early life Rudolph was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Oscar Rudolph (1911–1991), a television director and actor, and his wife. Care ...

. She promptly made two more films for Rudolph: '' Trouble in Mind'' (1985) and '' The Moderns'' (1988), the latter set in Paris in the 1920s. She was part of his informal company of actors that he repeatedly used in his films, including Keith Carradine. Bujold starred in

David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He is a principal originator of the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation, infectious diseases, and ...

's '' Dead Ringers'' (1988) opposite Jeremy Irons, then made a TV movie ''Red Earth, White Earth'' (1989). She did '' False Identity'' (1990) with

Stacy Keach Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor, active in theatre, film and television since the 1960s. Keach first distinguished himself in Off-Broadway productions and remains a prominent figure in American theatre across his ...

Canada

After a long absence from Quebec, she returned to appear in two more films by Michel Brault: '' The Paper Wedding'' (1989), and '' My Friend Max'' (1994). In between she went to France to make ''Rue du Bac'' (1991), and did another film with Almond, ''The Dance Goes On'' (1991). She had support roles in '' Oh, What a Night'' (1993), and ''An Ambush of Ghosts'' (1993).

''Star Trek''

In 1994, Bujold was chosen to play Captain Nicole Janeway (subsequently renamed Kathryn Janeway), lead character in the ensemble cast of the American television series '' Star Trek: Voyager''. However, she left the project after just two days of filming. Kate Mulgrew was subsequently cast in the role.

Later career

Bujold had supporting roles in ''

The Adventures of Pinocchio ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' ( ; , i.e. "The Adventures of Pinocchio. Story of a Puppet"), commonly shortened to ''Pinocchio'', is an 1883 Children's literature, children's fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischi ...

'' (1995), '' The House of Yes'' (1997), '' Last Night'' (1998), '' You Can Thank Me Later'' (1998), '' Eye of the Beholder'' (1999), ''The Bookfair Murders'' (2000), ''Children of My Heart'' (2001) and '' Alex in Wonder'' (2001) Bujold co-starred with

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...

in ''Dead Innocent'' (1997) and appeared in a short ''Matisse & Picasso: A Gentle Rivalry'' (2001). Bujold was back in Quebec to star in '' Chaos and Desire'' (2002), directed by

Manon Briand Manon Briand (born January 1, 1964, in Baie-Comeau, Quebec)Manon Briand
at

Jericho Mansions'' (2003), ''

Finding Home ''Finding Home'' is a 2003 American romantic drama film starring Geneviève Bujold, Lisa Brenner, Misha Collins, Louise Fletcher and Johnny Messner (actor), Johnny Messner. The film marked the last full-length feature film appearance of actor Jas ...

'' (2004), '' Downtown: A Street Tale'' (2004), '' By the Pricking of My Thumbs'' (2005), '' Disappearances'' (2006), and '' Deliver Me'' (2006). Bujold was also in '' The Trotsky'' (2009), '' For the Love of God'' (2011), and '' Northern Borders'' (2013). In 2012, Bujold played a woman battling dementia in the sleeper romantic drama '' Still Mine''.

Stephen Holden Stephen Holden (born July 18, 1941) is an American writer, poet, and music and film critic. Biography Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963. He worked as a photo editor, staff writer, and eventually be ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' commented: "Ms. Bujold imbues Irene with a starchy tenacity and a sharp sense of humor", while ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' called her performance "superb" and "remarkably detailed". Bujold's later films include '' Chorus'' (2015).

Personal life

In 1967, Bujold married Canadian director Paul Almond. They had a son, Matthew, in 1968. After a separation of approximately two years, the couple divorced in 1974. In 1980, she had a second son, Emmanuel, with Dennis Hastings, a Reno-born carpenter whom she met in 1977 when he was contracted to build her Malibu house. They separated in 2017. Hastings died in 2020."Obituaries". ''Reno Gazette-Journal''. 3 May 2020.

Accolades

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

*
profile at The Canadian Encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bujold, Genevieve 1942 births Living people 20th-century Canadian actresses 21st-century Canadian actresses Actresses from Montreal Best Actress Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Best Supporting Actress Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Canadian film actresses Canadian people of Irish descent Canadian stage actresses Canadian television actresses Canadian voice actresses Francophone Quebec people Governor General's Award winners