When people gave Louis Malle credit for making a star of Jeanne Moreau in Frantic immediately followed by The Lovers, he would point out that Moreau by that time had already been "recognized as the prime stage actress of her generation." She had made it to the Comédie Française in her 20s. She had appeared in B-movie thrillers with Jean Gabin and Ascenseur was in that genre. The technicians at the film lab went to the producer after seeing the first week of dailies for Ascenseur and said: "You must not let Malle destroy Jeanne Moreau". Malle explained: "She was lit only by the windows of the Champs Elysées. That had never been done. Cameramen would have forced her to wear a lot of make-up and they would put a lot of light on her, because, supposedly, her face was not photogenic". This lack of artifice revealed Moreau's "essential qualities: she could be almost ugly and then ten seconds later she would turn her face and would be incredibly attractive. But she would be herself".

Moreau has told interviewers that the characters she played were not her. But even the most famous film critic of his generation, Roger Ebert, thinks that she is a lot like her most enduring role, Catherine in François Truffaut's Jules and Jim. Behind those eyes and that enigmatic smile is a woman with a mind. In a review of The Summer House Ebert wrote: "Jeanne Moreau has been a treasure of the movies for 35 years... Here, playing a flamboyant woman who nevertheless keeps her real thoughts closely guarded, she brings about a final scene of poetic justice as perfect as it is unexpected".

Moreau made her debut as a director in Lumiere -- also writing the script and playing Sarah, an actress the same age as Moreau whose romances are often with directors for the duration of making a film. She made several films with Malle.

Still active in international cinema, Moreau presided over the jury of the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.



La vieille qui marchait dans la mer (1991): $400,000
The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964): $70,000
The Train (1964): $60,000
Le journal d'une femme de chambre (1964): $50,000

Orson Welles is the first person Moreau spoke to about directing and the only one who wasn't protective about it. Walked off the set of the TV series "ER" (1994) (January 2000). She is the first woman to enter the Academie des Beaux-Arts of Paris (January 2001). Considered by Orson Welles as "the greatest actress in the world". Has been romantically involved with Louis Malle, Lee Marvin, fashion designer Pierre Cardin and Greek actor Thodoros Roubanis. Signed the manifesto against French abortion laws published by the magazine "Le Nouvel Observateur" on 5 April 1971. Her only son, named Jerome, was seriously injured at a car accident during the shooting of Moderato cantabile (1960); the car driver was Jean-Paul Belmondo, her co-star in the afore-mentioned film. The then-10-year-old Jerome survived the accident and is today a successful painter. Vanessa Redgrave named Moreau as co-respondent in her 1967 divorce from director Tony Richardson on grounds of adultery. Is the president of Equinoxe, an organization which supports new European scriptwriters. Is the only French actress who has been the object of a big retrospective (including 30 films) at the Museum of Modern Art of New York (February - March 1994). Is also a successful singer with a substantial recording career. Has been trained for the stage at the Paris Conservatoire. Attended the Lycee Edgar Quinet, in Paris. Won the Best Actress Molière Award (the French equivalent of a Tony) in 1988 for her acclaimed performance in Hermann Broch's "Le récit de la servante Zerline", a huge theatrical success which toured 11 countries. Offered her Rolls-Royce to a friend of hers who had financial trouble. Has co-produced some of her films, like Jules et Jim (1962), La baie des anges (1963) and Peau de banane (1963). Chosen by the magazine "Esquire" as one of "the 100 Best People in the World" (December 1997). Named Doctor of Arts by the City University of New York (June 1997). Her name has been often associated, both socially and professionally, to that of respected French writer and director Marguerite Duras; apart from their close friendship, Moreau starred in two movies based on Duras' novels, Peter Brook's Moderato cantabile (1960) and Tony Richardson's The Sailor from Gibraltar (1967), was directed by Duras in Nathalie Granger (1972), was the narrator in another Duras screen adaptation, L'amant (1992) and even went on to portray Duras in the biopic Cet amour-là (2001). Was President of the jury at the Berlin Film Festival in 1983. Is particularly fond of reading and cooking. Agreed to be paid in silver plates for her work in Orson Welles's Campanadas a medianoche (1965), because of the limited budget. Was billed in her early films as "pensionnaire de la Comedie Francaise". After the end of her affair with director Louis Malle (1959), she had a long correspondence with Ingmar Bergman, who developed a film project for her, "L'Amour Monstre". The film was never made, because Moreau couldn't learn Swedish and Bergman couldn't learn French. President of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1995 Has supported Lionel Jospin's 2002 presidential campaign. She was made a Fellow of the British Film Institute in recognition of her outstanding contribution to film culture.