Stéphane Audran

Stéphane Audran (born Colette Suzanne Jeannine Dacheville; 8 November 1932 – 27 March 2018) was a French film actress. She was known for her performances in the films of her husband Claude Chabrol, including Les Biches and Le Boucher (1970), Luis Buñuel's The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972), and Gabriel Axel's Babette's Feast (1987). The role she was mostly associated with was that of the haughty bourgeois woman.

Biography Audran was born in Versailles and raised by her mother after her father, a doctor, died when she was six years old. A graduate of the Lycée Lamartine, she studied drama at the Ecole de théâtre Charles Dullin in Paris. She first appeared on stage, though with little success, and gave her film debut in the 1957 short film Le jeu de la nuit. Her first collaboration with director Chabrol was the 1959 Les Cousins, with whom she would make a total of 25 films. Having previously been married to actor Jean-Louis Trintignant, she married Chabrol in 1964. The couple had one son, actor Thomas Chabrol.

Audran's major films with Chabrol include Les Biches, which earned her the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 18th Berlin International Film Festival, Le Boucher, Just Before Nightfall (1971), and Violette Nozière (1978), for which she won the César Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also starred in Eric Rohmer's 1959 debut film Le Signe du Lion (released in 1962), The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, for which she received the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role (together with Just Before Nightfall), Bertrand Tavernier's 1981 Coup de Torchon, and her internationally best known film, Babette's Feast. In addition, Audran had supporting roles in three films directed by Samuel Fuller. On TV, she appeared in productions like Brideshead Revisited (1981) and The Sun Also Rises (1984).

Audran and Chabrol divorced in 1980, although she continued to appear in supporting roles in his films. She remained active as a character actress until the late 2000s. She died on 27 March 2018, aged 85, following a long illness. Her son Thomas reported that his mother had been in hospital for ten days before she returned home, where she died.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes / English title 1957 Le jeu de la nuit short film 1958 La bonne tisane Aline Monnier Montparnasse 19 Girl on the terrace uncredited 1959 Les Cousins Françoise 1960 Les Bonnes Femmes Ginette Présentation ou Charlotte et son steak Charlotte short film 1961 Wise Guys Xavière, the dancer Saint Tropez Blues Lucie short film 1962 Le Signe du lion Landlady The Sign of Leo The Third Lover Hélène also titled The Eye of Evil 1963 Landru Fernande Segret Bluebeard 1964 Les Durs à cuire ou Comment supprimer son prochain sans perdre l'appétit Rika Lormond Le Tigre aime la chair fraîche Opera singer Code Name: Tiger, uncredited 1965 Six in Paris Mother segment "La Muette" Marie-Chantal contre le docteur Kha Olga Blue Panther 1966 Line of Demarcation Wife of Dr. Lafaye 1967 The Champagne Murders Jacqueline Belling / Lydia 1968 Les Biches Frédérique The Does 1969 The Unfaithful Wife Hélène Desvallées 1970 Le Boucher Hélène The Butcher Children of Mata Hari Dominique Krestowitz The Breach Hélène Régnier The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun Anita Caldwell 1971 Just Before Nightfall Hélène Masson Sans mobile apparent Hélène Vallée Aussi loin que l'amour Michel's wife 1972 Un meurtre est un meurtre Marie Kastner / Anne The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Alice Sénéchal 1973 Wedding in Blood Lucienne Delamare 1974 Comment réussir quand on est con et pleurnichard Cécile Malempin Le Cri du cœur Claire, Alexandre's mother And Then There Were None Ilona Morgan Vincent, François, Paul and the Others Catherine, Vincent's wife 1975 Hay que matar a B. Susana The Black Bird Anna Kemidov 1976 Chi dice donna, dice donna Mimì / Chantal segment "Donne d'affari" The Twist Claire Brandels 1977 Silver Bears Shireen Firdausi The Devil's Advocate Anne, Contessa di Sanctis Mort d'un pourri Christiane 1978 Blood Relatives Mrs. Lowery Violette Nozière Germaine Nozière 1979 Eagle's Wing Widow Le Gagnant Hélène Dupré-Granval 1980 Le Soleil en face Geneviève The Big Red One Underground Walloon Fighter at Asylum Le Cœur à l'envers Jeanne La Cage aux folles 2 1981 The Plouffe Family Mme Boucher Coup de torchon Huguette Cordier 1982 Boulevard des assassins Francine Le Choc Jeanne Faulques The Shock, uncredited Paradis pour tous Edith 1983 Deadly Circuit Grey lady Deadly Circuit La Scarlatine Minon Palazzi 1984 Thieves After Dark Isabelle's mother The Blood of Others Gigi The Bay Boy Blanche uncredited 1985 Cop au Vin Madame Cuno Night Magic Janice La Cage aux Folles 3: The Wedding Matrimonia 1986 La Gitane Brigitte Suivez mon regard Wife of TV addict 1987 Babette's Feast Babette Hersant Faceless Madame Sherman The Cry of the Owl Cinématon episode #926 short film 1988 Les Saisons du plaisir Bernadette Corps z'a corps Edna Chabert Il Nido del ragno Mrs. Kuhn 1989 Manika, une vie plus tard Sister Ananda 1990 La Messe en si mineur Marie-Laure Villegrain Quiet Days in Clichy Adrienne Sons Florence 1992 Betty Laure The Turn of the Screw Mrs. Grose 1995 Le Fils de Gascogne Herself Gascogne's Son Au petit Marguery Joséphine 1996 Maximum Risk Chantal Moreau 1997 Arlette Diane 1998 Madeline Lady Covington 1999 Belle maman Brigitte 2000 Le Pique-nique de Lulu Kreutz Lulu Kreutz 2001 J'ai faim !!! Gaby, Lily's mother I'm Hungry 2002 Ma femme s'appelle Maurice Jacqueline Boisdain My Wife's Name Is Maurice 2008 The Girl from Monaco Édith Lassalle 2018 The Other Side of the Wind as herself filmed 1970–1976

Television Year Title Role Notes 1973 Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street Dr. Bogdanovich episode of Tatort series 1979 Orient-Express Baroness Maria von Pallberg segment "Maria" 1981 Le Marteau piqueur Marianne Bernejoul Le Beau monde Ariane TV movie Brideshead Revisited Cara 1982 Elective Affinities Charlotte TV movie La Marseillaise Juliette Poussin TV movie 1984 Mistral's Daughter Paula Deslandes The Sun Also Rises Georgette 1986 Isola, Un Signora Lecoq 1987 Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story Pauline de la Rochelle TV movie 1989 Champagne Charlie Thérèse TV movie 1990 TECX Isabelle Souverain 1992 Weep No More, My Lady Minna TV movie Le Droit à l'oubli TV movie 1994 L'Évanouie Claire TV movie 1996 Petit Françoise TV movie 1997 Un printemps de chien Geneviève TV movie 2000 La Bicyclette bleue 2004 Sissi, l'impératrice rebelle Sophie 2005 La Battante Edwige Fournier Trois femmes… un soir d'été Louise Bonnier