Jeanne Moreau (; 23 January 1928 – 31 July 2017) was a French actress, singer, screenwriter, director, and socialite. She made her theatrical debut in 1947, and established herself as one of the leading actresses of the
Comédie-Française. Moreau began playing small roles in films in 1949, later achieving prominence with starring roles in
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's filmogr ...
's ''
Elevator to the Gallows'' (1958),
Michelangelo Antonioni
Michelangelo Antonioni (, ; 29 September 1912 – 30 July 2007) was an Italian filmmaker. He is best known for directing his "trilogy on modernity and its discontents"—''L'Avventura'' (1960), ''La Notte'' (1961), and ''L'Eclisse'' (1962 ...
's ''
La Notte
''La Notte'' (; en, "The Night") is a 1961 drama film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and starring Marcello Mastroianni, Jeanne Moreau and Monica Vitti (with Umberto Eco appearing in a cameo). Filmed on location in Milan, the film is the ...
'' (1961), and
François Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut ( , ; ; 6 February 1932 – 21 October 1984) was a French film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave. After a career of more th ...
's ''
Jules et Jim'' (1962). Most prolific during the 1960s, Moreau continued to appear in films into her 80s.
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
called her "the greatest actress in the world".
She won the
Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for ''
Seven Days... Seven Nights'' (1960), the
BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress for ''
Viva Maria!'' (1965), and the
César Award for Best Actress for ''
The Old Lady Who Walked in the Sea
''The Old Lady Who Walked in the Sea'' (French: ''La vieille qui marchait dans la mer'') is a 1991 French crime Comedy drama, comedy-drama film directed by Laurent Heynemann and based on the novel by San Antonio (Frédéric Dard.) Jeanne Moreau wo ...
'' (1992). She was also the recipient of several lifetime achievement awards, including a
BAFTA Fellowship in 1996, a Cannes Golden Palm in 2003, and another César Award in 2008.
Early life and education
Moreau was born in Paris, the daughter of Katherine (née Buckley), a dancer who performed at the
Folies Bergère (d. 1990), and Anatole-Désiré Moreau, a restaurateur (d. 1975).
Moreau's father was French; her mother was English, a native of
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, w ...
, Lancashire, England
and of part Irish descent.
Moreau's father was Catholic and her mother, originally a Protestant, converted to Catholicism upon marriage.
[Stated in interview at '' Inside the Actors Studio''] When Jeanne was a young girl, "the family moved south to
Vichy
Vichy (, ; ; oc, Vichèi, link=no, ) is a city in the Allier department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France, in the historic province of Bourbonnais.
It is a spa and resort town and in World War II was the capital of ...
, spending vacations at the paternal ancestral village of
Mazirat, a town of 30 houses in a valley in the
Allier. "It was wonderful there", Moreau said. "Every tombstone in the cemetery was for a Moreau". During World War II, the family was split, and Moreau lived with her mother in Paris. Moreau ultimately lost interest in school and, at age 16, after attending a performance of
Jean Anouilh's ''
Antigone
In Greek mythology, Antigone ( ; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is the daughter of Oedipus and either his mother Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene.Roman, L., ...
'', found her calling as an actor. She later studied at the
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...
. Her parents separated permanently while Moreau was at the conservatory and her mother, "after 24 difficult years in France, returned to England with Jeanne's
[ Farrell, Barry]
"Actresses: Making the Most of Love"
''Time'' cover story pp. 4–5, 5 March 1965. Retrieved 22 December 2010. sister, Michelle."
Career
In 1947, Moreau made her theatrical debut at the
Avignon Festival
The ''Festival d'Avignon'', or Avignon Festival, is an annual arts festival held in the French city of Avignon every summer in July in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes as well as in other locations of the city. Founded in 1947 by Jean Vila ...
. She debuted at the
Comédie-Française in
Ivan Turgenev's ''
A Month in the Country''
and, by her 20s, was already one of the leading actresses in the theatre's troupe.
After 1949, she began appearing in films with small parts but continued primarily active in the theatre for several years — a year at the
Théâtre National Populaire
The Théâtre national populaire (French for ''People's National Theater'') is a theatre now at Villeurbanne, France. It was founded in 1920 by Firmin Gémier in Paris.
Today, the TNP has a company of ten resident actors and the building is cur ...
opposite among others
Gérard Philipe
Gérard Philipe (born Gérard Albert Philip, 4 December 1922 – 25 November 1959) was a prominent French actor who appeared in 32 films between 1944 and 1959. Active in both theatre and cinema, he was, until his early death, one of the main ...
and
Robert Hirsch, then a breakout two years in dual roles in ''The Dazzling Hour'' by Anna Bonacci, then
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the s ...
's ''
La Machine Infernale'' and others before another two-year run, this time in
Shaw's ''
Pygmalion''.
From the late 1950s, after appearing in several successful films, she began to work with the emerging generation of French film-makers. ''
Elevator to the Gallows'' (1958) with first-time director
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's filmogr ...
was followed by Malle's ''
The Lovers
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (''Les Amants'', 1959).
Moreau went on to work with many of the best known
New Wave and avant-garde directors.
François Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut ( , ; ; 6 February 1932 – 21 October 1984) was a French film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave. After a career of more th ...
's New Wave film ''
Jules et Jim'' (1962), her biggest success internationally, is centered on her magnetic starring role.
She also worked with a number of other notable directors such as
Michelangelo Antonioni
Michelangelo Antonioni (, ; 29 September 1912 – 30 July 2007) was an Italian filmmaker. He is best known for directing his "trilogy on modernity and its discontents"—''L'Avventura'' (1960), ''La Notte'' (1961), and ''L'Eclisse'' (1962 ...
(''
La notte
''La Notte'' (; en, "The Night") is a 1961 drama film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and starring Marcello Mastroianni, Jeanne Moreau and Monica Vitti (with Umberto Eco appearing in a cameo). Filmed on location in Milan, the film is the ...
'' and ''
Beyond the Clouds''),
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
(''
The Trial'', ''
Chimes at Midnight'' and ''
The Immortal Story
''The Immortal Story'' (french: Une histoire immortelle) is a 1968 French film directed by Orson Welles and starring Jeanne Moreau. The film was originally broadcast on French television and was later released in theatres. It was based on a shor ...
''),
Luis Buñuel (''
Diary of a Chambermaid''),
Elia Kazan (''
The Last Tycoon''),
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Fassbinder (; 31 May 1945 – 10 June 1982), sometimes credited as R. W. Fassbinder, was a German filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the major figures and catalysts of the New German Cinema movement.
Fassbinder's mai ...
(''
Querelle''),
Wim Wenders (''
Until the End of the World
''Until the End of the World'' (german: Bis ans Ende der Welt; french: Jusqu'au bout du monde) is a 1991 science fiction adventure drama film directed by German filmmaker Wim Wenders. Set at the turn of the millennium in the shadow of a world- ...
''),
Carl Foreman (''
Champion
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...
'' and ''
The Victors''), and
Manoel de Oliveira ''(
Gebo et l'Ombre
''Gebo and the Shadow'' (Portuguese: ''O Gebo e a Sombra'', French: ''Gebo et l'Ombre'') is a 2012 Portuguese-French drama film directed by Manoel de Oliveira. It is based on a play by Raul Brandão. It was shown at the 69th Venice International F ...
)''.
In 1983, she was head of the jury at the
33rd Berlin International Film Festival
The 33rd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 18 February to 1 March 1983. The festival opened with the out of competition film, ''Tootsie'' by Sydney Pollack.
The Golden Bear was awarded to the British film '' Ascendancy'' d ...
.
In 2005, she was awarded with the
Stanislavsky Award
Stanislavsky Award (Full title of the prize: "I Believe. Konstantin Stanislavski") is a special prize awarded since 2001 at the Moscow International Film Festival for the outstanding achievement in the career of acting and devotion to the principl ...
at the
27th Moscow International Film Festival.
Moreau was also a vocalist. She released several albums and once performed with
Frank Sinatra at
Carnegie Hall in 1984.
In addition to acting, Moreau worked behind the camera as a writer, director and producer.
Her accomplishments were the subject of the film ''Calling the Shots'' (1988) by
Janis Cole
Janis Cole (born 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker, producer, writer, editor and professor. She has directed several films over the span of her career. Most of these films were done in cooperation with her friend and professional partner, Holly Dale. ...
and
Holly Dale. She appeared in
Rosa von Praunheim's film ''
Fassbinder's Women'' (2000).
Personal life
Throughout her life, Moreau maintained friendships with prominent writers such as
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the s ...
,
Jean Genet,
Henry Miller
Henry Valentine Miller (December 26, 1891 – June 7, 1980) was an American novelist. He broke with existing literary forms and developed a new type of semi- autobiographical novel that blended character study, social criticism, philosophical re ...
, and
Marguerite Duras, (an interview with Moreau is included in Duras's book ''Outside: Selected Writings''). She formerly was married to
Jean-Louis Richard
Jean-Louis Richard (17 May 1927 – 3 June 2012) was a French actor, film director and scriptwriter.
Biography
Born as Jean Marius Richard in Paris, Richard was Jeanne Moreau's first husband from 1949 to 1951.
Partial filmography
*1960: ''À ...
(1949–1964, separated in 1951), and then to American film director
William Friedkin (1977–1979). She and Richard had a son, Jérôme. Director
Tony Richardson left his wife
Vanessa Redgrave for her in 1967, but they never married. She also had relationships with directors
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's filmogr ...
and
François Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut ( , ; ; 6 February 1932 – 21 October 1984) was a French film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave. After a career of more th ...
, fashion designer
Pierre Cardin
Pierre Cardin (, , ), born Pietro Costante Cardino (2 July 1922 – 29 December 2020), was an Italian-born naturalised-French fashion designer. He is known for what were his avant-garde style and Space Age designs. He preferred geometric sh ...
,
and the Greek actor/playboy Theodoros Roubanis.
In 1971, Jeanne Moreau was a signatory of the
Manifesto of the 343 which publicly announced that she had obtained an illegal abortion.
Moreau was a close friend of
Sharon Stone, who presented a 1998
American Academy of Motion Pictures life tribute to Moreau at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, academy headquarters, in Beverly Hills.
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
called her "the greatest actress in the world",
and she remained one of France's most accomplished actresses.
In 2009, Moreau signed a petition in support of director
Roman Polanski
Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a ( né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, tw ...
, who had been detained while traveling to a film festival in relation to his 1977
sexual abuse charges, which the petition argued would undermine the tradition of film festivals as a place for works to be shown "freely and safely", and that arresting filmmakers traveling to neutral countries could open the door "for actions of which no-one can know the effects."
Moreau died on 31 July 2017 at her home in Paris at the age of 89.
Her body was discovered by her cleaning maid and shortly before her death, she said she felt "abandoned".
Filmography
Actress
Director
* ''
Lumière'' (1976)
* ''
L'Adolescente'' (1979)
* ''
Lillian Gish'' (1983, TV documentary)
Awards and nominations
Films
Theater
References
External links
Jeanne Moreau Biography on newwavefilm.com*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moreau, Jeanne
1928 births
2017 deaths
BAFTA fellows
Best Foreign Actress BAFTA Award winners
Best Actress César Award winners
French television actresses
French people of English descent
French people of Irish descent
European Film Awards winners (people)
Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress winners
César Honorary Award recipients
Honorary Golden Bear recipients
French women film directors
French women singers
French film actresses
French film directors
Actresses from Paris
Members of the Académie des beaux-arts
Musicians from Paris
French women screenwriters
French screenwriters
Conservatoire de Paris alumni
20th-century French actresses
21st-century French actresses
Troupe of the Comédie-Française
French National Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni
Burials at Montmartre Cemetery
Because Music artists
Signatories of the 1971 Manifesto of the 343