Jeanne Moreau, born on 23 January, 1928 in Paris, France is a French actress, and director. Jeanne Moreau had made a mark on Hollywood with her films and was one of the leading stage actresses of France during 1940's. Orson Welles named her "the greatest actress in the world" and till this day, she still remains the one of France's most accomplished and talented actresses.
Early Life
Jeanne Moreau was born in Paris, to a dancer mother and a French barman. She completed her graduation from Conservatoire in Paris in arts. She was amongst the finest 10 students of her batch and had an inclination to become a lawyer. Aparat from her interest in studies, she was always a part of the theatre and drama group at her college.
Career
In 1947, she made her first official theatre debut at the Avignon Festival and by her early twenties she was almost one of France's leading stage actresses at the Comédie-Française.
At such on function, she was spotted by a Hollywood director and offered a small role. In the year 1951, she got a number of small roles to which she did full justice. Her work was appreciated both the by the critics and the people.
By the late 1950s, she was into the mainstream cinema along with other leading actresses of that time. She made "Elevator to the Gallows" with first-time director Louis Malle. It was a first time attempt for both of them and luckily the film did well and Jeanne Moreau went on to work with more established directors.
After 1959's sexy "Les Amants" (The Lovers) the media tagged her as "The New Bardot". It was the film - "Jules et Jim" in 1962, which proved to be the biggest hit for her. The film was an international hit and was centered on her magnetic starring role, and is perhaps her most famous film.
In addition to acting, Moreau has also worked behind the camera, as a writer, director and producer.