Michèle Girardon

Michèle Girardon (9 August 1938 – 25 March 1975), sometimes credited as Michele Girardon, was a French actress.

Early life and career Born in Lyon, France, Girardon began acting as early as 1956, and had a small but noticeable role as a deaf-mute beauty in director Luis Buñuel's La mort en ce jardin (Death in the Garden) (1956). She soon became prominent in a host of films, including those of notable directors of the French New Wave. She is probably best known as an actress for her work in director Louis Malle's Les Amants (The Lovers) in 1958, and the 1961 Howard Hawks production of Hatari! starring John Wayne and Hardy Krüger; for the latter, as she spoke no English when cast in the role, she taught herself English while on the set, according to a July 1961 Life magazine profile of the actress. The same article stated she was signed to a five–year contract with Paramount Studios. 1963 proved to be her most active year, with several avant garde films to her credit including Pierre Kast's Vacances Portugaises (Portuguese Vacations), André Cayatte's experimental 'paired' films Jean-Marc ou La vie conjugale (Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Jean-Marc), and Françoise ou La vie conjugale (Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Françoise), and director Éric Rohmer's La Boulangère de Monceau (The Girl at the Monceau Bakery).

Girardon also worked in television. In 1967, she played Nicole in the first season of Les Chevaliers du ciel. The success of this series brought her a very high level of popularity.

Personal life and suicide During the 1960s, Girardon became romantically involved with a married Spanish nobleman and occasional actor, José Luis de Vilallonga, whom she had first met on the set of Les Amants. The couple lived together throughout much of the 1960s.

By 1971, Girardon's acting career was over and after finally obtaining his divorce in 1972, de Vilallonga ended their relationship to marry another woman, Ursula Dietrich. Girardon never married or had children and became increasingly despondent. She committed suicide via an overdose of sleeping pills at the age of 36 in Lyon on 25 March 1975. She is interred near Lyon in the Cimetière de Sarcey, Rhône.

Filmography + Film Year Title Role Notes 1956 Death in the Garden María Castin French title: La mort en ce jardin 1958 Vive les vacances Graziella 1958 The Lovers The secretary French title: Les amants 1959 Vous n'avez rien à déclarer? Paulette 1960 Il principe fusto Susan Burton 1961 La Proie pour l'ombre Anita 1961 White Slave Ship Anna Italian title: L'ammutinamento 1962 The Seven Deadly Sins Héloïse – la maîtresse (segment "L'Orgueuil") 1962 Le Signe du Lion Dominique Laurent 1962 Hatari! Brandy de la Court Credited as Michele Girardon 1962 Virginie Betty 1963 The Adventures of Scaramouche Diana – Souchil's ward 1963 Portuguese Vacation Geneviève 1963 The Bakery Girl of Monceau Sylvie ShortFrench title: La Boulangère de Monceau 1964 Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Jean-MarcPatricia 1964 Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Françoise 1964 Devil of the Desert Against the Son of Hercules Princess Soraya Alternative titles: Anthar l'invincibileAnthar the InvincibleSoraya Reina Del Desierto 1964 The Magnificent Cuckold Cristiana Italian title: Il magnifico cornuto 1965 The Treasure of the AztecsJosefa 1965 The Pyramid of the Sun God 1965 The Hour of Truth Chérie 1966 Tender Scoundrel Girl at the Ritz 1968 Drôle de jeu Chloé 1968 Red Roses for Angelica Antoinette La Fleche 1968 I'll Sell My Skin Dearly Georgina Bennett Italian title: Vendo cara la pelle 1971 Good Little Girls Madame de Fleurville French title: Les Petites Filles modèles 1971 Mais qui donc m'a fait ce bébé? (final film role)