Mireille Darc
Mireille Darc | |
|---|---|
Darc in 1968 | |
| Born | Mireille Christiane Gabrielle Aimée Aigroz 15 May 1938 Toulon, France |
| Died | 28 August 2017 (aged 79) Paris, France |
| Resting place | Montparnasse Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1960–2012 |
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)[1] |
| Spouse |
Pascal Desprez (m. 1996) |
| Partner | Alain Delon (1968–1983) |
| Website | mireille-darc.com |
Mireille Darc (French: [miʁɛj daʁk]; 15 May 1938 – 28 August 2017)[2] was a French actress, director, photographer, singer and model.[3][4] She appeared as a lead character in Jean-Luc Godard's 1967 film Weekend. Darc was a Knight of the Legion of Honour and Commander of the National Order of Merit. Alain Delon was her longtime co-star and companion.
Early years
Born Mireille Christiane Gabrielle Aimée Aigroz in Toulon,[2] she attended the Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in Toulon and moved to Paris in 1959.
Career
Darc's debuted in Claude Barma's television drama Du côté de l'enfer (aka, La Grande Brétèche, 1960). Her first leading role came in another production for French television, Jean Prat's Hauteclaire (1961). She starred in Jean-Luc Godard's film Weekend (Week-end, 1967)[5] as Corinne, her highest profile role for international critics; as Christine in The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (Le Grand Blond avec une chaussure noire, 1972) and The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (Le retour du grand blond, 1974) and alongside Alain Delon and Louis de Funès in several films: Pouic-Pouic (1963), High Lifers (How to Keep the Red Lamp Burning (1965), Jeff (1969), Borsalino (uncredited, 1970), The Love Mates (Madly, 1970), Icy Breasts (Les Seins de glace, 1974), Death of a Corrupt Man (Mort d'un pourri, 1977), Man in a Hurry (L'Homme pressé, 1977), and the television series Frank Riva (2003).
Darc had a heart condition from childhood, which required open-heart surgery in 1980.[6] She was seriously injured in a car accident on 7 July 1983, in a tunnel in the Aosta Valley, Italy, suffering a fractured spine and other injuries that required three months of immobilization in a hospital in Geneva, Switzerland.[7]
Although they had recently separated about two weeks prior to the accident after a fifteen-year relationship, Delon rushed to Aosta when he heard about the accident, and left separately for Geneva by automobile during the night.[8][9][10]
She quit her film career, but she returned to television in the 1990s. In 2006, French President Jacques Chirac awarded Darc the Legion of Honour.[11]
Health and death
In 2013, Darc underwent further open heart surgery, and during 2016 she suffered several hemorrhages. She died on 28 August 2017 in Paris in a coma at the age of 79.[12]
Theatre
| Year | Play | Author | Director | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Sur la route de Madison | Robert James Waller | Anne Bourgeois | Théâtre Marigny |
| 1984 | Chapitre II | Neil Simon | Pierre Mondy | Théâtre Édouard VII |
| 1965 | Pieds nus dans le parc | Neil Simon | Pierre Mondy | Théâtre de la Madeleine |
| 1964 | Photo-Finish | Peter Ustinov | Peter Ustinov | Théâtre des Ambassadeurs |
| 1962 | Les Femmes aussi ont perdu la guerre | Curzio Malaparte | Raymond Gérôme | Théâtre des Mathurins |
Filmography
Feature films
| Year | Title | Director | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Les distractions | Jacques Dupont | Maïa | |
| 1961 | Please, Not Now! | Roger Vadim | Marie-Jeanne | |
| Mourir d'amour | José Bénazéraf, Dany Fog | Mariette | ||
| Les Nouveaux Aristocrates | Francis Rigaud | Milou Rivoire | ||
| ¿Pena de muerte? | José María Forn | Lina | ||
| 1962 | The Devil and the Ten Commandments | Julien Duvivier | Une amie de Mauricette | (deleted segment "L'oeuvre de chair ne désireras qu'en mariage seulement"), Uncredited |
| Virginie | Jean Boyer | Brigitte | ||
| 1963 | People in Luck | Philippe de Broca, Jean Girault, Jack Pinoteau | Jacqueline | (segment "Le manteau de vison") |
| Pouic-Pouic | Jean Girault | Patricia Monestier | ||
| 1964 | Monsieur | Jean-Paul Le Chanois | Suzanne | |
| Salad by the Roots | Georges Lautner | Rockie La Braise | ||
| Les Durs à cuire | Jack Pinoteau | Josette | ||
| Male Hunt | Edouard Molinaro | Georgina | ||
| The Great Spy Chase | Georges Lautner | Amaranthe | ||
| 1965 | How to Keep the Red Lamp Burning | Gilles Grangier, Georges Lautner | Marie Cruchet known as "Eloise" | (segment "Bons vivants, Les") |
| 1966 | Galia | Georges Lautner | Galia | |
| The Upper Hand | Denys de La Patellière | Lili Princesse | ||
| Balearic Caper | José María Forqué | Polly | ||
| Ne nous fâchons pas | Georges Lautner | Eglantine Michalon | ||
| Living It Up | Pierre Gaspard-Huit | Eva Ritter | ||
| 1967 | La Grande Sauterelle | Georges Lautner | Salene | |
| Casino Royale | John Huston | Jag | Uncredited | |
| The Blonde from Peking | Nicolas Gessner | Christine Olsen | ||
| Fleur d'oseille | Georges Lautner | Catherine | ||
| Weekend | Jean-Luc Godard | Corinne Durand | ||
| 1968 | Summit | Giorgio Bontempi | Annie | |
| 1969 | Jeff | Jean Herman | Eva | |
| Monte Carlo or Bust! | Ken Annakin | Marie-Claude | ||
| 1970 | Elle boit pas, elle fume pas, elle drague pas, mais... elle cause ! | Michel Audiard | Francine | |
| Borsalino | Jacques Deray | Prostitute | Uncredited | |
| Madly | Roger Kahane | Agatha | ||
| 1971 | Fantasia chez les ploucs | Gérard Pirès | Caroline | |
| Laisse aller... c'est une valse | Georges Lautner | Carla | ||
| 1972 | Il était une fois un flic | Georges Lautner | Christine | |
| L'Humeur vagabonde | Édouard Luntz | |||
| Le Grand Blond avec une chaussure noire | Yves Robert | Christine | ||
| 1973 | Il n'y a pas de fumée sans feu | André Cayatte | Olga Leroy | |
| La Valise | Georges Lautner | Françoise | ||
| 1974 | OK patron | Claude Vital | Mélissa | |
| Les Seins de glace | Georges Lautner | Peggy Lister | ||
| Borsalino & Co | Jacques Deray | prostitute in the street | Uncredited | |
| Dis-moi que tu m'aimes | Michel Boisrond | Victoire Danois | ||
| Le retour du grand blond | Yves Robert | Christine | ||
| 1975 | The Pink Telephone | Édouard Molinaro | Christine | |
| 1976 | L'Ordinateur des pompes funèbres | Gérard Pirès | Charlotte | |
| 1977 | The Passengers | Serge Leroy | Nicole | |
| Man in a Hurry | Édouard Molinaro | Edwige | ||
| Mort d'un pourri | Georges Lautner | Françoise | ||
| 1978 | Les Ringards | Robert Pouret | Annie Garmiche | |
| 1981 | Pour la peau d'un flic | Alain Delon | La Grande sauterelle | Uncredited |
| 1982 | Jamais avant le mariage | Daniel Ceccaldi | Elisabeth | |
| 1983 | L'Été de nos 15 ans | Marcel Jullian | Hotel customer | Uncredited |
| Si elle dit oui... je ne dis pas non | Claude Vital | Catherine | ||
| 1984 | Réveillon chez Bob | Édouard Molinaro | Madeleine | |
| 1986 | La Vie dissolue de Gérard Floque | Georges Lautner | Jocelyne Domange |
Short films
| Year | Title | Director | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Lettres de Provins | Jean Dasque | Voice only |
| 1960 | La Revenante | Jacques Poitrenaud |
As director
| Year | Title | Featuring |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | La Barbare | Murray Head |
Documentary works
1. La Deuxième Vie [1992] [France 2]
The Second Life
2. Brève Rencontre [1996] [France 2]
Brief Encounter
3. Le Doute et L'espérance [1996] [France 3]
Doubt and Hope
4. De L'ombre a La Lumière [2002] [France 3]
From Darkness to Light
5. Jeunesse Éternelle [2004] [France 2]
Eternal Youth
6. Une Nuit Sous Les Mers [2004] [France 2]
A Night Under the Sea
7. L'ostéoporose [2005]
Osteoporosis
8. Une Vie Classée X [2005] [France 3]
A Life Rated X
9. Les Liserons d'Eau [2006] [France 2]
10. Vivre d'Amour [2006] [France 5]
Living on Love
11. Voyage Vers L'inconnue [2008] [France 2]
Journey Towards the Unknown
12. Pas Sur La Bouche [2011] [France 3]
Not on the Lips
13. Pardonner [2012] [France 2]
Forgive
14. Elles sont des dizaines de milliers sans abri [2015] [France 2]
They number in tens of thousands and they are homeless.
15. Excision, Le Plaisir Interdit [2017] [France 2]
Excision, The Forbidden Pleasure
French-language dubbing
| Year | Title | Actress |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | L’Ile aux Filles Perdues | Marisa Belli |
| 1963 | Foudres sur Babylone | Jose Greci |
| 1962 | L’Effroyable secret du Dr Hichcock | Barbara Steele |
| 1961 | Soliman le Magnifique | Georgia Moll |
| 1961 | Les Vikings Attaquent | Franca Bettoja |
| 1961 | Le Boucanier des Iles ( Il Giustiziere dei Mari ) | Marisa Belli |
| 1960 | L'Esclave du Pharaon | Vira Silenti |
| 1960 | Les Légions de Cléopâtre | Linda Cristal |
| 1960 | Le Géant de Thessalie | Ziva Rodann |
| 1960 | Toryok la furie des Barbares | Ljubica Jovic |
| 1958 | La Charge des Cosaques | Georgia Moll |
Bibliography
- 2008: Mon Père
- 2005: Tant que battra mon coeur (Autobiography)
- 1982: Jamais avant le mariage
Decorations
- Officer of the Legion of Honour (2015),[13] (Knight in 2006)
- Commander of the National Order of Merit (2009)[14]
References
- ^ "Mireille Darc Biography". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Mireille Darc". AlloCiné. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ EXPOSITION PHOTOGRAPHIQUES BY MIREILLE DARC - SOON MAGAZINE LUXURY FASHION ART CULTURE (in French), 2 January 2016, retrieved 13 August 2025
- ^ Gainsbourg, Xavier R. fan de. "Gainsbourg.net". Gainsbourg.net (in French). Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ "Week End - Jean-Luc Godard Film Movie Review". www.metalasylum.com. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ "Death of Mireille Darc at the age of 78 - Interview". entrevue.fr. 3 February 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ "Mireille Darc Injured (Published 1983)". 8 July 1983. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ "Foreign News Briefs - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ gourdon, Clara Gaillot (15 May 2024). "LOVE STORY - Mireille Darc et Alain Delon : entre eux, la flamme ne s'est jamais éteinte". Gala (in French). Retrieved 26 August 2025.
- ^ Accident de Mireille Darc | INA (in French). Retrieved 26 August 2025 – via www.ina.fr.
- ^ "Biography". Mireille DARC. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ "French film star Mireille Darc is dead". Spiegel Online (in German). 28 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ "ORDRE NATIONAL DE LA LÉGION D'HONNEUR : Décret du 31 décembre 2015 portant élévation à la dignité de grand'croix et de grand officier" (PDF). Legiondhonneur.fr. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ Décret du 15 mai 2009
External links
- Mireille Darc at IMDb
- Mireille Darc Official Site (in French)