A Cinema Legend Who Can't Be Said "No": Anouk Aimée - Muse of Outstanding Directors (13 photos)

An icon of 1960s European cinema, French actress Anouk Aimée, best known for her leading role in the film "A Man and a Woman," died on June 18, 2024, at the age of 92.





Anouk Aimée dedicated over 60 years of her life to cinema. The actress won a Golden Globe for her role in A Man and a Woman and a Cannes Palme d'Or for Leap into the Void, and was also nominated for an Oscar, Bafta, and César award. Anouk Aimée was the muse of many renowned directors, including Federico Fellini, Claude Lelouch, and Jacques Demy.

It's always better to star in a small number of films by good directors than in numerous films by mediocre directors.

Anouk Aimée

Françoise Soria Dreyfus—that was the name under which Anouk Aimée was born on April 27, 1932, in Paris. Her parents were actors, but fame never quite caught up with them. Geneviève Soria, the future actress's mother, performed on stage, and her father, Henry Dreyfus, appeared in several films under the stage name Murray.



Anouk Aimée in the film "House by the Sea"

Despite coming from a creative family, Françoise had a different career in mind as a child. The small and graceful girl dreamed of becoming a ballerina and devoted all her time to this pursuit. But at 13, she grew rapidly, and many of her teachers said that with her figure, she was unlikely to have a bright career in ballet.

However, her appearance proved ideal for film. That same year, director Henri Calef, a friend of her father, offered Françoise a role in his film "House by the Sea." Thus, she first adopted the name Anouk, which was also credited.

The name Anouk, quite rare in France, comes from the Persian root "anika," meaning "graceful, admirable." As a child, the actress had Arab friends, and one of the boys called her Anouk. Perhaps this enamored boy also coined the second part of her stage name—Aimée, which means "beloved" in French. And when André Cayatte offered the 16-year-old actress the role of Juliet in "The Lovers of Verona," she introduced herself to him as Anouk Aimée.

Anouk Aimée began to gain fame at an early age. Her secret was that she always sought to work only with talented and acclaimed directors. She had a strong instinct for roles and films, and she knew that the offers she accepted would never harm her career.





Anouk Aimée as Juliet in "The Lovers of Verona"

Unfortunately, Anouk only displayed such insight in her professional life. In her personal life, she was far too promiscuous. At 17, the actress married the very same childhood friend who gave her her catchy stage name. But, realizing the haste of her decision, Anouk Aimée filed for divorce a year later.

Also in 1950, she remarried, to Greek producer Nikos Papatakis, who was 15 years her senior. This marriage also didn't last long. Rumor has it that their family life didn't work out because of her husband's bisexuality. Their daughter, Manuela, born in 1953, didn't save the marriage either. Almost immediately after this, Anouk and Nikos divorced.



Anouk Aimée with her daughter Manuela

The young actress was helped to overcome these profound personal upheavals by her work, into which she immersed herself. In 1958, she played the role of Jeanne Hébuter in Jacques Becker's Montparnasse 19, where she was spotted by Federico Fellini. Upon seeing her, the director offered the actress a role in his new film, La Dolce Vita, and later in the legendary 8 1/2.

After their collaboration, Fellini awarded Anouk Aimée the title of "the best actress of all time." Although they highly valued each other's talent, this didn't stop them from constantly bickering. Only Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk's co-star at the time, was able to moderate their two temperaments.



Anouk Aimée in "8 1/2"

"It was the happiest time of my life. Surprisingly, I still miss both Federico and Marcello," Anouk Aimée remembered her late colleagues 40 years later at the 53rd Berlin International Film Festival.



Anouk Aimée and Marcello Mastroianni in "La Dolce Vita"

But Mastroianni and Anouk Aimée had something more than friendship in common. The actor proposed to Anouk Aimée several times:

"For thirty-five years, from the day we first met, I promised her unearthly bliss, but she never accepted…"

Anouk Aimée also starred twice with another renowned director, Jacques Demy. She played a cabaret dancer and single mother in "Lola" and an abandoned model in "Atelier des Modèles."



Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimée, and Federico Fellini

But the director who made Anouk Aimée a true, all-time star was Claude Lelouch. In 1966, he invited her to star in the melodrama "A Man and a Woman." Back then, Lelouch's name was still unknown, and he was still only mulling over the plot and the score, but even so, he knew:

"This is the film of my life." He had neither money nor creative support, but from the very beginning, he wanted two stars of French cinema in his film: Jean-Louis Trintignant and Anouk Aimée—no one else.



Anouk Aimée in the film "Lola"

Anouk Aimée really liked the script, and she immediately agreed to star, although the director had to spend money on a rather expensive hairdresser and makeup artist, which the actress insisted on.

"I agreed because no one says 'no' to her," Lelouch said.

But that wasn't the only reason. Like many others, Claude Lelouch was succumbing to the actress's charm and secretly fell in love with her. The director planned to confess his feelings to her, but was just a day late. They were filming at the Hotel Normandie. The director decided to shoot two sex scenes back-to-back: first with her lover, played by Jean-Louis Trintignant, and then with her husband, played by Pierre Baruch. In his book, "The Spoiled Child of Fortune," Claude Lelouch wrote:

"What happens in this bed is not scripted. Naturally, this is no longer a movie. Anouk and Pierre have fallen in love... Oh, that Baruch! He easily steals the heart of the one with whom I am secretly in love. It's time to confess: I couldn't resist Anouk's charm. What man could resist her?" But out of shyness and a desire to appear a gentleman, I waited two days before confessing my feelings to her…”



Anouk Aimée in the film "A Man and a Woman"

Years later, Lelouch stopped regretting his delay, as by 1970, Anouk Aimée had left Pierre Baruch for the English actor Albert Finney. Perhaps it was this story that inspired Lelouch to write one of his most beautiful sayings:

"The most beautiful love stories are those we didn't have the time to live."

Regardless of the romances behind the scenes, "A Man and a Woman" became the centerpiece of Anouk Aimée's filmography and brought her international recognition. For her role in 1967, the actress received the Palme d'Or, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and an Oscar nomination. Following this success, Anouk Aimée was invited to Hollywood, where in 1969 she starred in three films: Sidney Lumet's "Rendezvous," George Cukor's "Justine," and Jacques Demy's "The Model Shop."



Anouk Aimée in "A Man and a Woman"

But at the height of her fame, the actress decided to take a break and left filmmaking for seven years. She devoted herself to her home and her 16-year-old daughter. Unfortunately, even this decision didn't help her improve her personal life. Her marriage to Finney ended in 1977. Some believe that Anouk's affair with French director Elie Chouraqui, who, along with Lelouch, invited her to star in "If You Start Over," was to blame. She and Chouraqui lived together for several years in a civil marriage, but soon separated.



Anouk Aimée and Omar Sharif in "Rendezvous"

In the 1980s, Anouk Aimée's acting career declined. Claude Lelouch attempted to resurrect his masterpiece with "A Man and a Woman 20 Years Later," starring the same actors, but the film was a flop.



Anouk Aimée and Catherine Deneuve in "If You Start Over"

Despite this failure, Anouk Aimée collaborated with Lelouch throughout her life. Their last collaboration was "A Woman and Men," released in 2010. This film is currently the last in Anouk Aimée's filmography. In total, the actress starred in 80 films. Anouk Aimée recalled:

"Lelouch was wrong. He assumed audiences were interested in what happened to the characters twenty years later. They're not interested; many directors have fallen for this myth and made sequels. Do you know a single sequel that's better than the film itself?"



Anouk Aimée at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival

Despite everything, Anouk Aimée will always remain for her fans the 30-year-old beauty from Lelouch's film "A Man and a Woman" – magnificent, captivating, and mysterious.