An icon of 60s cinema, the enigmatic French actress Anouk Aimée died on 18th June. Her daughter Manuela Papatakis announced the sad news on Instagram, “With my daughter, Galaad, and my granddaughter, Mila, we are immensely saddened to announce the death of my mother, Anouk Aimée. I was at her bedside when she passed away this morning at her home in Paris. With infinite love.”
Anouk was born Nicole Dreyfuss, and after being cast in her film debut aged just 14 as the character of Anouk in La Maison sous la mer, she decided to keep the name for herself. Jacques Prévert a French poet and writer, suggested she add the last name Aimée, meaning beloved in French.
The striking beauty appeared in 70 films over the course of her life, including appearances in two Fellini masterpieces La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2, and Jacques Demy’s Lola. Her ability to portray captivating characters – fragile but never delicate – cemented her as a key player in French New Wave Cinema.
Arguably her most iconic role was that of Anne, a young widow, in the Oscar winning A Man and a Woman. She also nabbed a Best Actress nomination for herself too, and collected many accolades throughout her career, including a Golden Globe and a Bafta.
Married and divorced four times, Anouk had one daughter Manuela from her second marriage to Greek filmmaker Nikos Papatakis. A phenomenal actress and an ethereal beauty, we pay tribute to her most iconic fashion moments.
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