Goodbye, Annie Girardot

[Deleted]

Annie Girardot was an immense star in France and Italy. (She was married to the Italian star Renato Salvatore for a number of years and had a child with him.) Stardom came from the movie Rocco and his Brothers, an Italian movie in which she starred with Alain Delon. In the 1970's and 80's she was the top actress in France, making 5 movies with Claude Lelouch and winning 2 Academy Awards as best actress.

Alcoholism was a problem, and she dropped out of sight for a decade, until Claude Lelouch brought her back for a remake of Les Misérables, for which she won best supporting actress. He acceptance speech remains the most heartrending of any moment that ever appeared at the ceremony. She broke down after her long absence and sobbed, "I don't know if movies missed me, but I certainly missed movies. Maybe I am not really dead after all."

For the past 5 or 6 years, she had Alzheimer's. She had small roles in a couple more films, but the dialogue was given to her in an earpiece. For the last few years, she disappeared from sight and she forgot that she had ever been an actress.

She died today at age 79.

[bixaorellana]

Absolutely wonderful clip, and so moving under the circumstances. I adore her face.

[Deleted]

[lagatta]

She was a splendid actress, with a most expressive face, and often played so-called "ordinary" women (as you can see from the very plain middle-aged-Frenchwoman hairdo she most often had).

K2, alcohol was not the only substance involved in her long hiatus. Seemed to be quite a cocktail.

[hwinpp]

I liked her too.

Rocco and his Brothers was called the Sicilian Clan. Lots of stars in it. I watched it with my father and grandfather ;D