Jeanne Moreau Biography

The daughter of an English chorus girl and a French barman, Moreau was born in Paris in 1928.

She made her stage debut in 1947, at the Avignon Festival of Theatre, whilst studying at the Conservatoire in Paris. She soon made it to the Comédie-Française, remaining there for four years, appearing in many productions.

In the early 1950s, she left to join the more experimental Théatre Nationale Populaire. She also began her French film career, most notably in 'Gas Oil', starring Jean Gabin. In the late 1950s, she achieved fame when Louis Malle cast her in 'Acenseur Pour L’eschafaud' and 'Les Amants'.

She proved perfect for the emerging New Wave in France, with her moody, sultry, acerbic on-screen persona.

Acclaimed for her performance in Peter Brook’s 'Moderato Cantabile', she achieved international stardom for her acting and singing role as Catherine, in François Truffaut’s masterpiece, 'Jules et Jim'.

'Jules et Jim' proved to be the highlight of Moreau’s career and, with the decline of the New Wave in the mid-1960s, she began to appear in more populist, lightweight material and such films as 'Agent H.21', 'Mata-Hari' and 'Viva Maria!' did little to preserve her legacy.

She rediscovered her propensity for working with experimental new directors in the 1970s, with such films as 'Les Valseuses' by Bertrand Blier and 'Souvenirs d’en France' by André Techiné.

Her own directorial debut came with 'Lumiere' in 1975, and 'L’ Adolescente' in 1979, both of which were well received by the critics.

Moreau was the recipient of a Golden Lion at the 1992 Venice Film Festival for 'Clothes in the Wardrobe' and a 1997 European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. She also presided over the grand jury at Cannes in 1995.