Jeanne Moreau

In 1948, when she was only 20 years old, she became the youngest full-time member in the history of Comédie Française, France's most prestigious theatrical company.

When people gave Louis Malle credit for making a star of Jeanne Moreau in Elevator to the Gallows (1958) immediately followed by The Lovers (1958), he would point out that Moreau by that time had already been "recognized as the prime stage actress of her generation. " She had made it to the Comédie Française in her 20s. She had appeared in B-movie thrillers with Jean Gabin and Ascenseur was in that genre. The technicians at the film lab went to the producer after seeing the first week of dailies for Ascenseur and said: "You must not let Malle destroy Jeanne Moreau". Malle explained: "She was lit only by the windows of the Champs Elysées. That had never been done. Cameramen would have forced her to wear a lot of make-up and they would put a lot of light on her, because, supposedly, her face was not photogenic". This lack of artifice revealed Moreau's "essential qualities: she could be almost ugly and then ten seconds later she would turn her face and would be incredibly attractive. But she would be herself". Moreau has told interviewers that the characters she played were not her.

After the end of her affair with director Louis Malle (1959), she had a long correspondence with Ingmar Bergman, who developed a film project for her, "L'Amour Monstre". The film was never made, because Moreau couldn't learn Swedish and Bergman couldn't learn French.

Her only son, Jerome, was seriously injured in a car accident during the shooting of Moderato cantabile (1960); the driver was Jean-Paul Belmondo, her co-star in that film. The then-ten-year-old Jerome survived the accident to become a successful painter.

Was considered for the female lead in El Cid (1961), eventually played by Sophia Loren.

But even the most famous film critic of his generation, Roger Ebert, thinks that she is a lot like her most enduring role, Catherine in François Truffaut's Jules and Jim (1962). Behind those eyes and that enigmatic smile is a woman with a mind.

Her teaming with Brigitte Bardot in Louis Malle's Viva Maria! (1965) was one of the major media events of 1965. Thanks to the on-screen chemistry between the two top French female stars of the period, the film became an international hit.

Vanessa Redgrave named her as co-respondent in her 1967 divorce from director Tony Richardson on grounds of adultery.

Signed the manifesto against French abortion laws published by the magazine "Le Nouvel Observateur" on 5 April 1971.

Is the only actress who has presided twice over the jury of the Cannes Film Festival (in 1975 and 1995).

Moreau made her debut as a director in Lumiere (1976) -- also writing the script and playing Sarah, an actress the same age as Moreau whose romances are often with directors for the duration of making a film. She made several films with Malle.

President of the "Official Competition" jury at the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival in 1983.

Despite her important singing career, she has rather avoided concerts. One notable exception was a Carnegie Hall concert opposite Frank Sinatra in July 1984.

In a review of Screen Two: The Clothes in the Wardrobe (1993) Ebert wrote: "Jeanne Moreau has been a treasure of the movies for 35 years. . . Here, playing a flamboyant woman who nevertheless keeps her real thoughts closely guarded, she brings about a final scene of poetic justice as perfect as it is unexpected".

Is the only French actress to have been the object of a major retrospective of her work (including 30 films) at the Museum of Modern Art of New York (February-March 1994).

In 1995 she was chosen #76 by "Empire" magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history.

In February of 1997 was one of many French film personalities who co-signed a petition calling for civil disobedience in the face of a xenophobic immigration law.

Is a close friend of Sharon Stone, who presented a 1998 American Academy of Motion Pictures life tribute to her.

In 1999 there was a tribute to her at the Créteil International Women's Film Festival, France.

In January of 2000 she walked off the set of the TV series ER (1994).

In January 2001 she was the first woman to enter the Academie des Beaux-Arts of Paris.

During the 2002 presidential elections in France she supported Socialist candidate and former Prime Minister Lionel Jospin.

In September of 2003 she was robbed of $432,000 in cash and jewels by a bandana-wearing intruder who broke into her Paris apartment.

In 2006 her performance as Catherine in Jules and Jim (1962) was ranked #80 on "Premiere" Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time.