Marie-José Nat

Marie-José Benhalassa (22 April 1940 – 10 October 2019), known professionally as Marie-José Nat, was a French actress. Among her notable works in cinema were the sequel films Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Jean-Marc and Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Françoise, directed by André Cayatte. In 1974, she received a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film Violins at the Ball.

Early life and family Benhalassa was born in Bonifacio, Corse-du-Sud, to a Kabyle Berber father, Abdelkader Benhalassa, and a Corsican mother, Vincentine (Biancarelli).

In 1960, she married the actor Roger Dumas and divorced him in 1962. She then married French director Michel Drach with whom she had three sons, David, Julien and Aurélien. They divorced in 1981. She had a relationship of several years with the actor Victor Lanoux. On 30 September 2005 she married the painter, writer and songwriter Serge Rezvani in her third marriage.

She died in Paris of cancer at age 79.

Training After secondary studies at the Ajaccio high school, Benhalassa entered the cours Simon in Paris.

She was made a chevalier of the Légion d'honneur on 31 December 2004, chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite on 18 November 2002 and promoted to the rank of officer on 14 November 2011, commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of which she was a member from 1 March 2001 until April 2012.

Roles Theatre 1958: Virage dangereux by John Boynton Priestley, directed by Raymond Rouleau, Théâtre Michel 1959: Blaise by , directed by Jacques Mauclair, Théâtre des Nouveautés 1966: Médor by Roger Vitrac, directed by Maurice Jacquemont, with Bernard Noël, studio des Champs-Élysées 1984: Désiré by Sacha Guitry, directed by Jean-Claude Brialy, with Jean-Claude Brialy an Bernadette Lafont, Théâtre Édouard VII 1985: Voisin voisine after Jerome Chodorov directed by Pierre Mondy, with Victor Lanoux, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, then in 1986 at Théâtre Montansier 1990: Avec ou sans arbres by Jeannine Worms, directed by Albert-André Lheureux, with Henri Garcin, Théâtre Hébertot

Film Among her notable works in cinema were the sequel films Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Jean-Marc and Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Françoise (1963), directed by André Cayatte.

Crime and Punishment (1956) - La jeune fille du bal (uncredited) Women's Club (1956) Donnez-moi ma chance (1957) - Rosine Happy Arenas (1958) - Violette Vous n'avez rien à déclarer? (1959) - Lise Secret professionnel (1959) - Elvire Rue des prairies (1959) - Odette Neveux Vive le duc! (1960) - Cécile Love and the Frenchwoman (1960) - The bride (segment "Mariage, Le") The Truth (1960) - Annie Marceau The Menace (1961) - Josépha Amelie or The Time to Love (1961) - Amélie The Seven Deadly Sins (1962) - La jeune femme (segment "Colère, La") Sentimental Education (1962) - Anne Arnoux Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Jean-Marc (1964) - Françoise Dubreuil Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Françoise (1964) - Françoise Dubreuil La bonne occase (1965) - Béatrice A Woman in White (1965) - Claude Sauvage Dacii (1966) - Meda - Decebalus' Daughter Diamond Safari (1966) - Electre Mon amour, mon amour (1967) - Minor Role (uncredited) Le Paria (1969) - Lucia L'Opium et le Bâton (1969) - Farroudja Elise, or Real Life (1970) - Elise Le Tellier Embassy (1972) - Laure Kruiswegstraat 6 (1973) - Françoise Verbrugge Violins at the Ball (1974) - Elle (La femme et la mère de Michel) / Michel's wife Dis-moi que tu m'aimes (1974) - Charlotte Le Royer The Simple Past (1977) - Cécile La disubbidienza (1981) - Mrs. Manzi Anna (1981) - Anna Litan (1982) - Nora Black River (1991) - Mme Ginette Le nombril du monde (1993) - Oumi La nuit du destin (1997) - Mme Slimani Train of Life (1998) - Sura Colette, une femme libre (2004, TV Mini-Series) - Sido Le cadeau d'Elena (2004) - Elena

Nat also worked extensively in television series and dramas.