Michele Morgan French actress Date of Birth: 29.02.1920 Country: USA

1. Biography of Michelle Morgan
2. Early Life and Career
3. Hollywood and Return to France
4. Later Years and Artistic Pursuits

Biography of Michelle Morgan

Michelle Morgan, a French actress, had a professional career spanning over sixty-three years. She appeared in more than sixty films and was honored with awards in Cannes and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was unofficially recognized as the "most beautiful eyes in cinema," the "grand dame of French cinema," and the epitome of grace and elegance. At the age of 52, she became the prototype of the French Marianne. Even in her seventies, she continued to astonish others with her slender figure and the radiance of her large eyes.

Early Life and Career

Michelle Morgan, born Simone Renée Roussel, was the eldest of four children of Louis Roussel and his wife Georgina. The family lived in the Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine. However, due to the economic crisis, Louis Roussel's perfume export business went bankrupt when Simone was nine years old. The family moved to Dieppe and opened a grocery store, which also went bankrupt two years later.

At the age of 15, Simone had to think about earning a living. She was captivated by the theatrical performances she saw at the Dieppe casino. She moved to Neuilly, where her grandparents lived, and enrolled in the Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. To finance her education, she started looking for work in casting agencies. Simone was lucky, as she got the role of an elephant trainer in the film "Mademoiselle Mozart" (1935) and appeared in the credits as Simone Morgan. The director of the film recognized her talent and advised her to further work on her acting skills.

Under the name Michelle Morgan, she joined the acting courses of Rene Simon and signed her first contract for 12,500 francs for the leading role in the film "Simplet." Her brilliant portrayal of Natalie Rogan, accused of murdering her lover, led to her being offered the leading role in the film "Storm" (1938), where she starred alongside the famous actor of that time, Charles Boyer. Her next role became iconic in her career. "Port of Shadows" (1938) became a masterpiece of world cinema, and it was there that Jean Gabin uttered the phrase that would become Michelle's trademark until the end of her life: "You have beautiful eyes." Morgan and Gabin became both on-screen and off-screen partners. They acted together in "Coral Reefs" (1938) and "The Bargees" (1940).

Hollywood and Return to France

During the shooting of "The Bargees" in France, the war broke out, and Gabin was called up to serve in the army, while Morgan went to Hollywood. Although she did not achieve great success there, she played many leading roles in films such as "Jeanne of Paris" (1942), "Northern Pursuit" (1942), and "Two Tickets to London" (1943). In 1943, Michelle Morgan married William Marshall, an American singer, and gave birth to her son Mike in 1944. However, neither her family life nor her Hollywood career appealed to the French actress. As soon as France was liberated, she returned to Paris.

Her role as the blind girl Gertrude in "Pastoral Symphony" (1946) earned Michelle Morgan the Silver Palm at the Cannes Film Festival, and the film received the top prize. The actress divorced William Marshall and married Henri Vidal, an actor she met on set, in 1950. She continued to act successfully. Among her numerous works were "Les Amants de Montparnasse" (1948), "The Moment of Truth" (1952), where she starred with Jean Gabin once again, "The Glass Castle" (1952), which led her co-star Jean Marais to declare that Michelle was the only woman he could love, as well as "The Proud and the Beautiful" (1953) and "The Grand Maneuver" (1955), where she acted alongside Gerard Philippe.

Michelle Morgan also excelled in historical roles. With historical accuracy and great talent, she portrayed Joan of Arc in "Destinies" (1954), Josephine Bonaparte in "Napoleon" (1953), and Marie Antoinette in "Marie Antoinette" (1956). In 1959, her second marriage ended in divorce. Vidal abused drugs and died shortly after the divorce. Even before the divorce, Michelle had met Gerard Oury. The renowned actor and director became her faithful companion for 48 years.

Later Years and Artistic Pursuits

The changes in French cinema, known as the "New Wave," demanded new acting techniques, and many stars from the previous decades stopped appearing in films. However, young directors willingly collaborated with Michelle Morgan, regardless of her age. She successfully worked with directors such as Claude Chabrol ("Landru," 1962), Claude Lelouch ("Cat and Mouse," 1972), and Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore ("Everybody's Fine," 1990).

"Everybody's Fine," where Michelle Morgan played a train passenger, became the last film in her biography. During this period, the famous actress primarily performed on stage in theaters such as the Palais-Royal, Celestins, and Champs-Élysées. The production of "Sacred Monsters" by Cocteau at the Theatre des Bouffes Parisiens (1993), where Morgan played the Old Lady, became a significant event in the French theater scene.

In 1999, the actress made her final on-screen appearance, portraying Judith Legrand in the TV movie "The Rival." In 2001, she officially announced her retirement from acting. After leaving the stage and screen, Michelle Morgan actively pursued her passion for painting, which she had developed in the 1960s. She held solo exhibitions and received recognition with orders such as the Order of Merit and the Legion of Honor (four degrees) and film awards such as the Cesar and the Golden Lion.

Michelle Morgan's memoir, published in 1977, also garnered significant interest. In 2005, she lost her only son, who passed away from cancer at the age of sixty. The following year, Gerard Oury also passed away. Michelle Morgan moved to the town of Meudon and withdrew from the public, only interacting with close family members. On December 20, 2016, the legend of French cinema passed away. She was laid to rest at the Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris.