FABIAN, FRANÇOISE

(1933- )

   Actress. Françoise Fabian was born Michèle Cortès de Leone y Fabianera in Touggourt, Algeria, to a Polish-Jewish mother and Spanish father. She studied piano at the Conservatoire de musique of Algiers and later moved to Paris, where she entered the Conservatoire d'art dramatique. She debuted in cinema in Pierre Foucaud and André Hunébelle's 1955 Mémoires d'un flic. She subsequently acted in Michel Boisrond's Cette sacré gamine (1956), Jean Boyer's Le Couturier de ces dames (1956), Alex Joffé's Les Fanatiques (1957), Henri Decoin's Le Feu aux poudres (1957), Clause Boissol's Chaque jour a son secret (1958), and Henri Calef's Les Violents (1958).In 1957, she married director Jacques Becker.

   In the 1960s, she played in Alexandre Astruc's L'Éducation sentimentale (1962), Gilles Grangier's Maigret voit rouge (1963), and Louis Malle's Le voleur (1967). Her international fame soared with her performance in Luis Bunuel's Belle de jour (1967), and especially with her starring role in Éric Rohmerl's Ma nuit chez Maud (1969). She was highly active in the early 1970s, with leading roles in Yves Boisset's Un condé (1970), Michel Deville's Raphaël ou le débauché (1971), Juan Luis Bunuel's Au rendez-vous de la mort joyeuse (1973), Claude Lelouch's La Bonne année (1973), François Leterrier's Projection privée (1973), and Yves Robert's Salut l'artiste (1973). She also appeared in Czech director Zbynek Brynych's German-language feature Die Weibchen (1970) and Jacques Rivette's Out 1: Spectre (1972).

   Fabian has also worked with several Italian directors, among them Sergio Corbucci in Gli Specialisti (1971), Carlo Lizzani in Torino nera (1972), Romolo Guerrieri in Un Uomo, una città (1974), Damiano Damiani in Perché si uccide un magistrato (1974), Mauro Bolognini in Per le antiche scale (1975), and Marco Leto in Al piacere di rivederla (1976). Later in the 1970s, she starred in Françoise Sagan's Les Fougères bleues (1977) and Just Jaeckin's Madame Claude (1977). She also played in a number of television productions directed by Nina Companeez.

   In the 1980s and 1990s, Fabian acted again for Lelouch in Partir, revenir (1985) and for Rivette in Secret défense (1998). In the 1980s, she also appeared in André Delvaux's Benvenuta (1983), Pierre Granier-Deferre's L'Ami de Vincent (1983), Jean-Claude Guiguet's Faubourg Saint Martin (1986), Jacques Demy's Trois places pour le 26 (1988), for which she received a César nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and American director Jerry Schatzberg's Reunion (1989). In the 1990s, she acted in the films of prominent women directors: Nelly Kaplan's Plaisir d'amour (1991) and Danièle Thompson's La Bûche (1999). More recently, she had a supporting role in François Ozon's 5x2 (2004).

   Historical Dictionary of French Cinema by Dayna Oscherwitz & Mary Ellen Higgins

(1933- )

   Actress. Françoise Fabian was born Michèle Cortès de Leone y Fabianera in Touggourt, Algeria, to a Polish-Jewish mother and Spanish father. She studied piano at the Conservatoire de musique of Algiers and later moved to Paris, where she entered the Conservatoire d'art dramatique. She debuted in cinema in Pierre Foucaud and André Hunébelle's 1955 Mémoires d'un flic. She subsequently acted in Michel Boisrond's Cette sacré gamine (1956), Jean Boyer's Le Couturier de ces dames (1956), Alex Joffé's Les Fanatiques (1957), Henri Decoin's Le Feu aux poudres (1957), Clause Boissol's Chaque jour a son secret (1958), and Henri Calef's Les Violents (1958).In 1957, she married director Jacques Becker.

   In the 1960s, she played in Alexandre Astruc's L'Éducation sentimentale (1962), Gilles Grangier's Maigret voit rouge (1963), and Louis Malle's Le voleur (1967). Her international fame soared with her performance in Luis Bunuel's Belle de jour (1967), and especially with her starring role in Éric Rohmerl's Ma nuit chez Maud (1969). She was highly active in the early 1970s, with leading roles in Yves Boisset's Un condé (1970), Michel Deville's Raphaël ou le débauché (1971), Juan Luis Bunuel's Au rendez-vous de la mort joyeuse (1973), Claude Lelouch's La Bonne année (1973), François Leterrier's Projection privée (1973), and Yves Robert's Salut l'artiste (1973). She also appeared in Czech director Zbynek Brynych's German-language feature Die Weibchen (1970) and Jacques Rivette's Out 1: Spectre (1972).

   Fabian has also worked with several Italian directors, among them Sergio Corbucci in Gli Specialisti (1971), Carlo Lizzani in Torino nera (1972), Romolo Guerrieri in Un Uomo, una città (1974), Damiano Damiani in Perché si uccide un magistrato (1974), Mauro Bolognini in Per le antiche scale (1975), and Marco Leto in Al piacere di rivederla (1976). Later in the 1970s, she starred in Françoise Sagan's Les Fougères bleues (1977) and Just Jaeckin's Madame Claude (1977). She also played in a number of television productions directed by Nina Companeez.

   In the 1980s and 1990s, Fabian acted again for Lelouch in Partir, revenir (1985) and for Rivette in Secret défense (1998). In the 1980s, she also appeared in André Delvaux's Benvenuta (1983), Pierre Granier-Deferre's L'Ami de Vincent (1983), Jean-Claude Guiguet's Faubourg Saint Martin (1986), Jacques Demy's Trois places pour le 26 (1988), for which she received a César nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and American director Jerry Schatzberg's Reunion (1989). In the 1990s, she acted in the films of prominent women directors: Nelly Kaplan's Plaisir d'amour (1991) and Danièle Thompson's La Bûche (1999). More recently, she had a supporting role in François Ozon's 5x2 (2004).