Liliane Rovère () (born 30 January 1933) is a French actress.

Personal life

Liliane Rovère was born Liliane Cyprienne Cukier. Of

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

origin, she hid in Catholic institutions under a fake name during the German occupation of France in World War II. Her parents survived the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

, but many of her family did not. Rovère's lifelong love of jazz began at the age of 12, when she began to frequent jazz clubs. At the age of 18, after a visit to the Club Saint-Germain, Rovère survived a rape by two acquaintances. In 1954, Rovère's parents sent her to live with an uncle in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. She visited Birdland in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, where she met cool jazz trumpeter

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

at the height of his fame and they began a romantic relationship. She lived with Baker and accompanied him on tour for two years, and he introduced her as his wife despite his existing marriage. The couple was frequently photographed together, including in a famous shot by William Claxton where Rovère, with a curly pixie cut and black dress, gazes at the viewer while resting her hand on Baker's head. The photograph appears as part of a collage on the cover of '' Chet Baker Sings and Plays''. While on tour, Rovère caused a stir when she spent time with Black people in racially segregated St. Louis. Baker and Rovère's romance ended in 1956, when Baker informed her by mail that he'd married another woman. A few years later, Rovère married jazz bassist . In 1971, they adopted a daughter, who they named Tina. After taking acting classes, Rovère began appearing as supporting characters on television and worked as a make-up artist in cinema and television. In 1986, Rovère appeared as Madame Queen in '' Round Midnight'', a film which features cameos by real-life jazz figures and stars bebop saxophonist,

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians. Gordon's height was , so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" an ...

. In 1998, Rovère received a Lutin, an award given to short films, for best actress in Christian Rouaud's ''Le Sujet''. In 2015, Rovère appeared as Arlette Azémar, a main character in '' Call My Agent!''. Some of the role’s characteristics, such as a passion for jazz and a youthful romance with Chet Baker, are taken from Rovère's life. Rovère published an autobiography in 2019 titled ''La folle vie de Lili''. In 2022, she supported the candidacy of Jean-Luc Mélenchon for the French presidential election.

Filmography

Theatre

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rovere, Liliane French film actresses 20th-century French actresses 21st-century French actresses Actresses from Paris Living people 1933 births French stage actresses French television actresses Jewish French actresses