Anouk Aimée

Who is Anouk Aimée?

Anouk Aimée is a French film actress, who has appeared in 70 films since 1947, having begun her film career at age 14. In her early years she studied acting and dance besides her regular education. Although most of her films were French, she also made a number of films in Spain, Great Britain, Italy and Germany, along with some American productions.

Among her films are Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, after which she was considered a "rising star who exploded" onto the film world. She subsequently acted in Fellini's 8 1/2, Jacques Demy’s Lola, George Cukor’s Justine, Bernardo Bertolucci’s Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man and Robert Altman’s Ready to Wear. Because of her acting in A Man and a Woman, for which she was Oscar nominated, the film "virtually reignited the lush on-screen romance in an era of skeptical modernism," and brought her international fame.

She was noted for her "striking features" and beauty, and considered "one of the hundred sexiest stars in film history," according to a 1995 poll conducted by Empire Magazine. In her style of acting, she often portrayed a femme fatale with a melancholy aura. In the 1960s, Life magazine wrote that "after each picture her enigmatic beauty lingered" in the memories of her audience, and called her "the Left Bank's most beautiful resident."