Catherine Deneuve facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Catherine Deneuve
Deneuve in 2017
Born	Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (1943-10-22) 22 October 1943 (age 81) Paris, France
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1957–present
Spouse(s)	David Bailey ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1972)​
Partner(s)	Roger Vadim (1961–1964) Marcello Mastroianni (1970–1974) Hugh Johnson (1982–1983) Pierre Lescure (1984–1991)
Children	Christian Vadim Chiara Mastroianni
Parent(s)	Maurice Dorléac Renée Simonot
Relatives	Françoise Dorléac (sister)

Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born October 22, 1943), known as Catherine Deneuve, is a famous French actress. Many people consider her one of the best European film actresses. In 2020, The New York Times even called her one of the greatest actors of the 21st century.

Catherine Deneuve started acting in movies in 1957 when she was 13. She became a big star during the French New Wave film movement. Like other famous French artists such as Brigitte Bardot and Alain Delon, she became known worldwide.

Over nearly 70 years, she has acted in more than a hundred films. She is especially famous for her roles in musical films. Some of these include The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Young Girls of Rochefort, and 8 Women. Early in her career, she was known for playing cool and mysterious characters. She worked with famous directors like Luis Buñuel and François Truffaut.

Her movies have attracted almost 99 million viewers in France. This makes her the working actress with the most movie tickets sold in France. In 1985, she became the official face of Marianne. Marianne is France's national symbol of freedom.

Catherine Deneuve has won many awards. These include two César Awards (like the French Oscars) and the Venice Film Festival's Volpi Cup for Best Actress. She was also nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. She has received special honors too, like the Berlin International Film Festival's Golden Bear in 1998. In 2005, she got the Cannes Film Festival's Honorary Palme d'Or. And in 2022, she received the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion.

Early Life and Family

Catherine Fabienne Dorléac was born in Paris, France. Her parents, Maurice Dorléac and Renée Simonot, were both stage actors. She has two sisters, Françoise Dorléac and Sylvie Dorléac. She also has an older half-sister named Daniele.

Catherine chose to use her mother's maiden name, Deneuve, for her stage name. This helped her stand out from her sisters. She went to Catholic schools when she was growing up.

Film Career Highlights

Starting Out: 1957–1970

Deneuve in 1969

Catherine Deneuve first appeared in the film Les Collégiennes (1957). She had a small role alongside her younger sister Sylvie. She then acted in several films for director Roger Vadim.

Her big break came when Jacques Demy cast her in the musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964). This movie made her a star. It won the top prize, the Palme d'Or, at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival. Critics praised her natural performance in the film.

In 1965, she made her first English-language film, Repulsion. She played a cold character in this psychological thriller. This role earned her the nickname "ice maiden." She was nominated for an award for her acting.

She reunited with Jacques Demy for another musical, The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967). In this film, she played a twin sister to her real-life older sister, Françoise Dorléac. This was their only movie together. Sadly, Françoise died in a car accident soon after the film opened.

That same year, Deneuve starred in Luis Buñuel's Belle de Jour (1967). This role earned her a nomination for a BAFTA Award. Many consider this one of her most famous performances.

In 1969, she starred with Jack Lemmon in the American romantic comedy The April Fools. She also acted with Jean-Paul Belmondo in François Truffaut's Mississippi Mermaid. A film critic from The New York Times praised Truffaut's ability to show the value of joy, even with sadness.

She worked with director Luis Buñuel again in Tristana (1970). Her work with Buñuel is very well-known. She also reunited with Jacques Demy for the musical fantasy Donkey Skin (1970). This film was based on a fairy tale by Charles Perrault.

Becoming an Established Star: 1971–1989

Catherine Deneuve in 1983

In the 1970s, Catherine Deneuve continued to star in many films. She appeared in It Only Happens to Others (1971) with Marcello Mastroianni. She also acted in Liza (1972) and Un flic (1972).

She starred with Burt Reynolds in the crime film Hustle (1975). A critic from the Chicago Tribune gave it a perfect rating. He said it was the kind of movie you didn't want to end.

In the 1980s, Deneuve's films included Le Dernier métro (1980) with Gérard Depardieu. For this role, she won her first César Award for Best Actress. She also won the David di Donatello Award for Best Actress.

She gained a lot of attention for her role as a vampire in The Hunger (1983). She starred alongside David Bowie and Susan Sarandon in this film. She received more César Award for Best Actress nominations during this time. These were for films like Hotel America (1981) and Agent trouble (1987).

Later Career: 1990–Present

Deneuve in 1995

In the early 1990s, Deneuve had important roles in films like Indochine (1992). For this movie, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She also won her second César Award for Best Actress.

In 1997, she was the main character in the music video for Joe Cocker's song N'Oubliez Jamais. In 1998, she won an award at the Venice Film Festival for her role in Place Vendôme. She continued to appear in many films in the late 1990s.

Deneuve starred in Lars von Trier's musical drama Dancer in the Dark (2000) with singer Björk. This film was chosen for the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. She also acted in the Hollywood film The Musketeer (2001).

In 2002, she won an award for Best Ensemble Cast at the Berlin International Film Festival for her role in 8 Women. In 2005, Deneuve published her diary, A l'ombre de moi-meme. In it, she wrote about filming Indochine and Dancer in the Dark. She also voiced the mother in the animated film Persepolis (2007).

Her 100th film role was in Un conte de Noël (2008). Later, she appeared in Potiche (2010) with Gérard Depardieu again. She also starred in Beloved (2011) and the comedy Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia (2012). More recent films include On My Way (2013) and The Midwife (2017).

Career Outside Film

Modeling Work

Deneuve in 1999

Catherine Deneuve's image was used to represent Marianne, France's national symbol, from 1985 to 1989. In the late 1970s, she was the face of Chanel No. 5 perfume. Her popularity caused perfume sales to greatly increase in the United States. The American press called her the world's most elegant woman.

In 1983, she promoted a cosmetics line called Youth Garde. She famously said, "Look closely. Next year, I will be 40." She is seen as a muse (inspiration) for designer Yves Saint Laurent. He designed her clothes for many of her films. In 1992, she became a model for his skincare line.

In 2001, she became the new face of L'Oréal Paris. In 2006, she worked with M•A•C Cosmetics on a special makeup collection. Deneuve also started appearing in Louis Vuitton luggage ads in 2007. In 2017, she was in a Louis Vuitton video campaign for their Tambour Horizon smartwatch.

Business Ventures

In 1986, Catherine Deneuve launched her own perfume called Deneuve. She also designs glasses, shoes, jewelry, and greeting cards. In 2005, she created a limited-edition makeup collection for MAC Cosmetics.

Charity Work

Catherine Deneuve has been involved in many charity efforts.

• From 1994 to 2003, she was a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. She worked to protect film history.
• She asked for money she earned from representing Marianne to be given to Amnesty International.
• Louis Vuitton made a donation to The Climate Project on her behalf. This project was led by Al Gore.
• Deneuve supports groups like Children Action and Reporters Without Borders.
• In 2003, she recorded a radio ad for Douleur sans frontiers (Pain Without Borders). This encouraged donations to help people suffering from pain, especially landmine victims.
• In 2005, she lent her voice to ads for Handicap International. These ads spoke out against the use of cluster bombs.
• She also supported "Voix de femmes pour la démocratie" (Voice of women for democracy). She read a text for a CD sold to help women affected by war.
• Deneuve has also helped charities fighting against AIDS and cancer.

Political Involvement

Deneuve at the 2011 César Awards

Catherine Deneuve has used her voice to support important causes.

• She works with Amnesty International to end the death penalty.
• In 2001, she delivered a petition against the death penalty to the U.S. Embassy in Paris.
• In 2007, she signed a petition protesting unfair treatment of a female presidential candidate.
• In 2011, she signed a petition asking France's future president to support a vote at the United Nations General Assembly. This vote would make homosexuality legal worldwide.

Personal Life

Besides French, Catherine Deneuve speaks Italian and English fluently. She also knows some Spanish. Her hobbies include gardening, drawing, photography, reading, music, cinema, fashion, antiques, and decorating. She is a practicing Roman Catholic.

For many years, Deneuve has had an apartment in Paris. She also owned a large house called Château de Primard for a long time.

Marriage and Family

Deneuve has been married once to photographer David Bailey. They were married from 1965 to 1972. She has two children:

• Her son, Christian Vadim, was born in 1963. His father is director Roger Vadim.
• Her daughter, Chiara Mastroianni, was born in 1972. Her father is actor Marcello Mastroianni.

She has five grandchildren.

Health Update

On November 6, 2019, Catherine Deneuve had a mild stroke. She recovered in a Paris hospital. Luckily, there was no damage to her ability to move. She was released from the hospital five weeks later and continued her recovery at home.

Filmography

Key

Denotes works that have not yet been released

Film

Television

Awards and Honors

Catherine Deneuve has won many awards throughout her career. She received two César Award for Best Actress awards. These were for her roles in The Last Metro (1980) and Indochine (1992). She was nominated for a César Award 14 times! For The Last Metro, she also won the David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actress.

She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for Indochine. She also received a BAFTA Award for Best Actress nomination for Belle de Jour (1968). She won the Venice Film Festival's Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her part in Place Vendôme (1998).

Deneuve has also received special honorary awards. These include the Golden Bear in 1998. In 2022, she received the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion.

In 2000, she got a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in California. In 2013, she was honored for her lifetime achievements at the 26th European Film Awards. In 2015, she received the Lifetime Achievement Golden Orange Award in Turkey. In 2020, The New York Times listed her as number 21 on their list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century.

Music and Audiobooks

Discography (Songs)

• 1980:
  • Dieu fumeur de havanes – with Serge Gainsbourg (from the film Je vous aime)
  • Quand on s'aime – a duet with Gérard Depardieu
• 1981: Her only album, Souviens-toi de m'oublier, written by Serge Gainsbourg

1. Digital delay
2. Depression au-dessus du jardin
3. Epsilon
4. Monna Vanna et Miss Duncan
5. Marine bond tremolo
6. Ces petits riens (duet with Serge Gainsbourg)
7. Souviens-toi de m'oublier (duet with Serge Gainsbourg)
8. Overseas telegram
9. What tu dis qu'est-ce tu say
10. Oh Soliman
11. Alice helas

• 1993: Paris Paris – with Malcolm McLaren
• 1997: Allo maman bobo – with Alain Souchon, Jean-Jacques Goldman, and Laurent Voulzy
• 1999: Joyeux anniversaire maman – by Stomy Bugsy (from the film Belle-maman)
• 2000: Cvalda – with Björk (from the soundtrack for Dancer in the dark)
• 2001: Toi jamais – from the film Huit Femmes
• 2006: Ho capito che ti amo – from the film Le héros de la famille
• 2010: C'est beau la vie by Jean Ferrat – from the film Potiche
• 2011: Tout est si calme with Clara Couste, Ludivine Sagnier, and Chiara Mastroianni. Also Une fille légère in duet with Chiara Mastroianni, and Je ne peux vivre sans t'aimer – all from the film Beloved

Audiobooks (Voice Work)

Catherine Deneuve has also narrated several audiobooks for Éditions des Femmes:

• Cendrillon by Charles Perrault
• Bonjour tristesse by Françoise Sagan
• Les Petits Chevaux de Tarquinia by Marguerite Duras
• Les Paradis aveugles by Duong Thu Huong
• La Marquise d'O by Heinrich von Kleist
• Lettres à un jeune poète by Rainer Maria Rilke
• Letters Home by Sylvia Plath

Images for kids

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  Deneuve in 1969

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  Catherine Deneuve in 1983

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  Deneuve in 1995

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  Deneuve in 1999

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  Deneuve at the 2011 César Awards

Error: no page names specified (help). In Spanish: Catherine Deneuve para niños

• Cinema of France
• History of cinema