French actress as well as an occasional singer, model, and producer, considered one of the greatest European actresses. Internationally known as an exquisite blonde beauty, she gained recognition for her portrayal of icy, aloof, and mysterious beauties for various directors, including Jacques Demy, Luis Buñuel, François Truffaut, and Roman Polanski. A 14-time César Award nominee, she won for her performances in Truffaut’s Last Metro (1980) and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1992 for her role in Indochine.
She was born and raised in a French acting family. Her father acted in French films and dubbed American films into French and her mother left the acting profession after their first child was born. Deneuve was the third of four daughters. Her childhood in Paris was relatively happy. She was too young to remember WWII but remembers the food shortages after the war. At the age of eight, Deneuve’s mother contracted tuberculosis and moved to the French mountainside to recuperate under doctor’s orders. When Deneuve and her sisters were not told the reason for their mother’s leaving, the young girl suspected that her mother was never coming back home. Her happiest childhood memory was when her mother returned the following year. To this day, Deneuve never wants to be confronted with unexpected or unpleasant news.
She followed her parent’s career path and at the age of 13 made her film debut in Les Collegiennes. At 18, she met Roger Vadim, the man responsible for making young Brigitte Bardot an international film goddess. Deneuve as well became his protégé and lived with Vadim from 1961 to 1964. She gave birth to their son, Christian in 1963. She left Vadim the following year and married British photographer David Bailey in 1965; they divorced in 1970. In 1971, Deneuve started a relationship with Italian actor, Marcello Mastroianni. Their daughter, Chiara-Charlotte was born in 1972. The paparazzi rented a room across from Deneuve at the clinic and covertly took photos of the actress and her newborn daughter. She developed health problems because she left the clinic two days after giving birth rather than remaining a full week due to the invasion of the paparazzi on her privacy. She won an invasion of privacy suit against French magazine, Paris-Match on July 1987 and was awarded damages of $16,000. Her relationship with Mastroianni ended in 1975 but they remained close friends, jointly raising their daughter.
Deneuve’s first big film break was in Jacques Demy’s popular musical, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) with further acclaim in surrealist Luis Bunuel’s Belle de Jour (1967). Her films also included Mayerling (1968), The April Fools (1969) and Francois Truffaut’s The Last Metro (1980).
An exquisitely beautiful woman, she is often cast in cool, calm, self-assured roles. Her aloof and detached film image has been compared to the late Grace Kelly. Deneuve delivers the strongest impact when cast in probing, dramatic parts that show an inner turmoil.
Deneuve is fiercely protective of her personal life. Independent, she does not like to go out to cocktail parties and spend an evening with a group of strangers, preferring the company of a small group of close friends. Her friendships are based on loyalty, fidelity and intellect. Her home is her sanctuary from the film business, work and the media. She owns an apartment in Paris designed in the Art Deco style and a weekend country home furnished with eighteenth-century Provincial antiques. It is in the country where the actress plants her garden and strolls in nature. She paints and reads the newspapers to stay current with world events and politics. Her favorite activity is to sit for long periods in a chair and daydream. She has been loyal to her favorite French fashion designer, Yves Saint Laurent. Her face is now on the bust of Marianne, the female symbol of the French Republic.
In 1987, Deneuve started publicity on her new line of perfume called “Deneuve.” She has designed and created a jewelry line as well. She promoted the perfume in the U.S. by taking a car trip with her daughter and visited the West Coast, New Orleans, Memphis, and New York. She was enchanted by the U.S. and admires its literature and history. She is envious of the strong American woman who is not afraid of pursuing success in career and marriage.
Deneuve quit smoking in 1985. She walks and loves to swim for exercise, needing the regimen to keep a few pounds off her figure. She drinks lots of water, avoids sugar, and drinks alcohol occasionally. Her beauty secret is plenty of sleep. She had broken her back in a fall and must be careful when she exercises.
Hospitalized in November 2019 for a mild stroke, there was no damage to her motor functions. On 1 September 2022 she received a lifetime achievement award at Venice Mostra.
Link to Wikipedia biography