French icon Anouk Aimée, star of ‘La Dolce Vita’, dead at 92
Anouk Aimée, the French icon who starred in movies like La Dolce Vita, 8 ½, Lola and Une homme et une femme, has passed away at the age of 92.
The news was announced by her daughter, Manuela Papatakis, who posted a photo of her mother on Instagram with the caption, “With my daughter, Galaad, and my granddaughter, Mila, we are extremely sad to announce the departure of my mother Anouk Aimée.”
She added, “I was close to her when she passed away this morning, at her home in Paris.” Her cause of death has not been revealed, but she was 92 years old. The actor is survived by Papatakis, her only child, whom she gave birth to in 1951.
Aimée, real name Nicole Françoise Florence Dreyfus, started her career as a teenager. She changed her name in the ‘40s after she starred in her first film, The House Under the Sea, playing a character called Anouk.
From there, she starred in various European films, including French, German and British productions, before landing one of her first significant roles in the Italian comedy-drama La Dolce Vita, directed by Federico Fellini.
In 1961, she played the loveable titular character in Jacque Demy’s early French New Wave romantic comedy, Lola, where she performed a memorable musical number. She reunited with Demy for Model Shop in 1969, playing the same character. She later collaborated with Demy’s wife, Agnes Varda, in One Hundred and One Nights alongside actors like Robert De Niro, Michel Piccoli and Catherine Deneuve.
Aimée worked with many prominent directors during her career, establishing herself as one of the most in-demand actors in Europe. She reteamed with Fellini for 8 ½ and also worked with iconic filmmakers like Bernardo Bertolucci and Jerzy Skolimowski.
The actor appeared in various Hollywood movies, working with directors like George Cukor in Justine, Sidney Lumet in The Appointment, and Robert Altman in Pret-a-Porter. However, one of her greatest roles was in Un homme et une femme, where she played the widowed Anne, who meets Jean-Louis Trinignant’s also widowed Jean-Louis and forms a relationship.
Aimée’s ability to imbue her roles with a sense of charm made her such a fantastic screen presence. In Un homme et une femme, for example, she demonstrates her skill by allowing her character to be rather subdued, finding drama and emotion in quiet moments or deep conversation rather than anything too over the top.
In 2002, she was celebrated with an honourary César Award, a testament to her enduring career.
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