Michèle Morgan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michèle Morgan
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A publicity photo for The Chase
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| Born |
Simone Renée Roussel
29 February 1920 |
| Died | 20 December 2016 (aged 96) Meudon, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France
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| Resting place | Montparnasse Cemetery, Paris, France |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1935–1999 |
| Spouse(s) |
William Marshall
(m. 1942; div. 1948)Henri Vidal
(m. 1950; died 1959) |
| Children | Mike Marshall |
| Relatives | Sarah Marshall (granddaughter) |
Michèle Morgan (born Simone Renée Roussel; 29 February 1920 – 20 December 2016) was a very famous French actress. She starred in movies for over 30 years, both in France and Hollywood. Many people think she was one of the greatest French actresses of the 1900s. Michèle Morgan was the first person ever to win the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1992, she received a special César Award to honor her amazing work in French movies.
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Early Life and Beginnings
Michèle Morgan was born Simone Renée Roussel in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a rich suburb near Paris, France. She grew up in a town called Dieppe.
When she was just 15 years old, Michèle decided she wanted to be an actress. She left home and moved to Paris. To pay for her acting lessons, she worked as an extra in several films. It was around this time that she chose her stage name, "Michèle Morgan." She felt 'Simone' didn't sound like a movie star, and 'Morgan' sounded more exciting for Hollywood.
Becoming a Star
A director named Marc Allégret first noticed Michèle Morgan. He gave her a big role in the movie Gribouille (1937). After that, she starred in other important French films. These included Le Quai des brumes (1938) with Jean Gabin, and Remorques (1941).
When Germany invaded France in 1940, Michèle Morgan moved to the United States. She signed a contract with RKO Pictures in Hollywood. Her movies there weren't as successful as she hoped. However, she did star in Joan of Paris (1942) with Paul Henreid and Higher and Higher (1943) with Frank Sinatra. She was considered for the main female role in the famous movie Casablanca. But her studio, RKO, wouldn't let her go for the money Warner Bros. offered. She did work for Warner Bros. later in Passage to Marseille (1944) with Humphrey Bogart.
After World War II, Michèle Morgan went back to France. She quickly started making movies again. Her film La Symphonie Pastorale (1946) won her the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. Some of her other well-known films from this time include The Fallen Idol (1948) and Les Grandes Manœuvres (1955). She continued acting in films throughout the 1960s. In the 1970s, she mostly stopped acting, only appearing in a few movies, TV shows, and plays.
Awards and Other Talents
Michèle Morgan has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to movies. In 1969, the French government gave her the Légion d'Honneur, a very high award. In 1992, she received an Honorary César Award for her long career in French cinema. She also received the Career Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1996 for her lifetime achievements.
Besides acting, Michèle Morgan also loved to paint. She started painting in the 1960s. She even had her own art show in Paris in 2009. In 1977, she wrote a book about her life called With Those Eyes.
Family Life and Later Years
While she was in Hollywood, Michèle Morgan married William Marshall in 1942. They had a son named Mike Marshall. Michèle and William divorced in 1948.
In 1950, she married French actor Henri Vidal. They stayed together until he passed away in 1959. After that, she lived with film director and writer Gérard Oury until his death in 2006.
Michèle Morgan passed away on 20 December 2016, in Meudon, France. She was 96 years old. Her funeral was held in Neuilly-sur-Seine, and she was buried in the Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris. Even though she lived to be 96, she technically only had 24 birthdays because she was born on 29 February, a leap day.
Selected Filmography
Here are some of the movies Michèle Morgan starred in:
- Gribouille (1937)
- Port of Shadows (1938)
- Joan of Paris (1942)
- Higher and Higher (1943)
- Passage to Marseille (1944)
- Pastoral Symphony (1946)
- The Fallen Idol (1948)
- The Proud and the Beautiful (1953)
- The Grand Maneuver (1955)
- Marie Antoinette Queen of France (1955)
- Lost Command (1966)
- Cat and Mouse (1975)
Fun Fact
The former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet was named after Michèle Morgan!
See also
In Spanish: Michèle Morgan para niños
