Odette Joyeux

Who was Odette Joyeux?

Odette Joyeux was a French actress, playwright and novelist. She was born in Paris, where she studied dance at the Paris Opera Ballet before taking the stage. Joyeux started her film career in 1931. Her first notable film was Marc Allegret's Entrée des artistes. During the 1940s she established herself as one of France's most popular cinema actresses but made few film appearances after the 1950s.

Joyeux is the author of some plays and essays on dance as well as inventor Nicephore Niepce. She also wrote two novels aimed to inspire dance: L'Âge heureux and Côté jardin. Additionally, Joyeux wrote The Bride Is Much Too Beautiful.

She married actor Pierre Brasseur from 1935 until their divorce in 1945, by whom she had one child, Claude Brasseur, who is the father of Alexandre Brasseur.

In 1958 she married director Philippe Agostini. They remained married until her death in Ollioules, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France from stroke at age 85.