Mylène Demongeot
Demongeot in 2008.
Born
Marie-Hélène Demongeot

(1935-09-29)29 September 1935
Nice, France
Died1 December 2022(2022-12-01) (aged 87)
Paris, France
OccupationActress
Years active1953–2022
Spouses
Henri Coste
​
​
(m. 1958; div. 1968)​
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1968; died 1999)​

    Mylène Demongeot (born Marie-Hélène Demongeot; 29 September 1935 – 1 December 2022) was a French film, television and theatre actress and author[1] with a career spanning seven decades and more than 100 credits in French, Italian, English and Japanese[2] speaking productions.[3][4]

    Demongeot became a star at age 21 with her portrayal of Abigail Williams in The Crucible (1957) which garnered her a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles nomination and the best actress prize at the socialist Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Some other notable film roles include Elsa in Otto Preminger's Bonjour Tristesse (1958), alongside Deborah Kerr and David Niven, and as Milady de Winter in Les Trois Mousquetaires (1961).[5][6][7]

    A "veteran of cinema"[8] who started as one of the blond sex symbols of the 1950s and 1960s,[9][10][11] she managed to avoid typecasting by exploring many film genres including thrillers, westerns, comedies, swashbucklers, period films and even pepla, such as Romulus and the Sabines (1961) opposite Roger Moore or Gold for the Caesars (1963).

    Demongeot also has a cult following[12][13] based on the Fantomas trilogy, as Hélène Gurn opposite Louis de Funès and Jean Marais: Fantômas (1964), Fantômas Unleashed (1965) and Fantômas Against Scotland Yard (1967).[14][15] Thirty years later, she starred again in another one of France's most successful comedy trilogies[16] as Madame Pic in Fabien Onteniente's Camping (2006), Camping 2 (2010) and Camping 3 (2016).[17]

    She was twice nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the César Awards for 36 Quai des Orfèvres (2004)[18] and French California (2006). In 2007, she was made a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et de Lettres of the French Republic.[19] In 2017, she was inducted into the Légion d'Honneur by ethologist and neurologist Boris Cyrulnik, with the rank of Chevalier.[20]

    She remained popular until her passing from peritoneal cancer.[21] At the time of her death, she was starring in Thomas Gilou's film Maison de retraite (2022) alongside Gérard Depardieu, one of the biggest box office hits of 2022 in France.[22][23] Through an Élysée Palace official tribune, President Emmanuel Macron paid a long tribute to her which included : "we salute the career of a great figure in the French Seventh Art, who knew how to shine in all its genres to move all French people".[24]

    Early life

    Demongeot was born in September 1935 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes,[25] the daughter and only child of Alfred Jean Demongeot, a high-ranking civil servant, born on 30 January 1897 in Nice (himself the son of Commandant Marie Joseph Marcel Demongeot and Clotilde Faussonne di Clavesana, an Italian aristocrat) and Claudia Troubnikova, born on 17 May 1904 in Kharkiv (Ukraine, Russian Empire). Her parents, both actors themselves, had met in Shanghai, China,[26] where her half-brother, Léonid Ivantov, from the first marriage of her mother, was born, in Harbin on 17 December 1923.[27]

    Like hundreds of other major European figures of stage and screen, she trained at the 'Cours Simon' in Paris where her classmates included Jean-Pierre Cassel, Claude Berri and Guy Bedos.[28] She was a classically trained pianist and her first ambition was of becoming a professional.[29]

    Career

    Demongeot in Romulus and the Sabines, 1961
    Mylène Demongeot at the César Award ceremony in 2005

    In the United Kingdom she appeared in several comedies, including It's A Wonderful World (1956) and Upstairs and Downstairs (1959).

    Between September 2013 and June 2014, she was a columnist member of the radio show Les Grosses Têtes by Philippe Bouvard on RTL.[30]

    Personal life

    Demongeot was married to director Marc Simenon from 1968 until his death in 1999. She resided in a country house in Mayenne surrounded by animals.[31] She was a member of the honor committee of the Association pour le droit de mourir dans la dignité (English: Right to Die with Dignity - ADMD).[32]

    Demongeot was the victim of a financial scam set up by her account manager who stole €2 million from her, money which was used to make loans to numerous high-profile personalities, like Isabelle Adjani, Alexandre Arcady or Samy Naceri.[33] Justice took hold of the case in June 2012 and two banks were found guilty.[34] She recounts these years of proceedings in her book Très chers escrocs… (2019, English: Very Dear Crooks…).[35]

    Demongeot died of primary peritoneal cancer on 1 December 2022, at the age of 87.[36][37][38]

    Quotes

    Among the quotes on or from her colleagues, are found:

    • Brigitte Bardot wrote in one of her books: "Mylène was my little cinema sister, then became my combat sister, a libra like me, she has always loved animals, even going so far as to save a baby lion from set that she brought back to the hotel which hosted her during the filming".[39]
    • Arthur Miller wrote: "Mylene Demongeot was [in The Crucible] truly beautiful, and so bursting with real sexuality as to become a generalized force whose effects on the community transcended herself."[40]
    • Demongeot met Gary Cooper at the opening of the first escalator to be installed in a cinema, at the Rex Theatre in Paris, on 7 June 1957. She declared in a filmed interview: "Gary Cooper was sublime, there I have to say, now he, was part of the stars, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, John Wayne, those great Americans who I've met really were unbelievable guys, there aren't any like them anymore."[41]
    • On David Niven she said in a filmed interview: "He was like a lord, he was part of those great actors who were extraordinary like Dirk Bogarde, individuals with lots of class, elegance and humour. I only saw David get angry once. Preminger had discharged him for the day but eventually asked to get him. I said, sir, you had discharged him, he left for Deauville to gamble at the casino. So we rented a helicopter so they immediately went and grabbed him. Two hours later, he was back, full of rage. There I saw David lose his British phlegm, his politeness and class. It was royal. [Laughs]."[41]

    Filmography

    Year Title Role Director Notes
    1953 Children of Love Nicole Léonide Moguy
    1955 Frou-Frou The mistress Augusto Genina
    School for Love The vocalist Marc Allégret
    Papa, maman, ma femme et moi The woman at the door Jean-Paul Le Chanois
    1956 Quand vient l'amour Micheline Maurice Cloche
    It's A Wonderful World Georgie Dubois Val Guest Credited as Mylène Nicole
    1957 The Crucible Abigail Williams Raymond Rouleau Karlovy Vary International Film Festival - Best Actress
    Nominated - BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles
    A Kiss for a Killer Éva Dollan Henri Verneuil
    1958 That Night Sylvie Mallet Maurice Cazeneuve
    Bonjour tristesse Elsa Otto Preminger
    Be Beautiful But Shut Up Virginie Dumayet Marc Allégret
    1959 Le vent se lève Catherine Mougin Yves Ciampi
    Women are Weak Sabine Michel Boisrond
    Bad Girls Don't Cry Laura Mauro Bolognini
    The Giant of Marathon Andromeda Jacques Tourneur & Mario Bava
    Upstairs and Downstairs Ingrid Ralph Thomas
    1960 Love in Rome Anna Padoan Dino Risi
    Under Ten Flags Zizi Duilio Coletti
    1961 The Three Musketeers Milady de Winter Bernard Borderie
    The Singer Not the Song Locha de Cortinez Roy Ward Baker
    Romulus and the Sabines Réa Richard Pottier
    1962 Copacabana Palace Zina von Raunacher Steno
    I Don Giovanni della Costa Azzurra Vittorio Sala
    1963 Girl's Apartment Mélanie Michel Deville
    Doctor in Distress Sonia & Helga Stronberg Ralph Thomas
    Gold for the Caesars Penelope Andre de Toth & Sabatino Ciuffini
    Because, Because of a Woman Lisette Michel Deville
    1964 Fantômas Hélène Gurn André Hunebelle
    Cherchez l'idole Herself Michel Boisrond
    1965 Uncle Tom's Cabin Harriet Géza von Radványi
    Fantômas se déchaîne Hélène Gurn Haroun Tazieff & André Hunebelle
    OSS 117 Mission for a Killer Anna-Maria Sulza André Hunebelle
    1966 Tender Scoundrel Muriel Jean Becker
    1967 Fantômas contre Scotland Yard Hélène Gurn André Hunebelle
    1968 The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell Gabby Frank Tashlin
    Les dossiers de l'agence O Myle Holga Marc Simenon TV series (1 Episode)
    1969 The Thirteen Chairs Judy Nicolas Gessner
    1970 The Mushroom Anne Calder Marc Simenon
    1971 L'Explosion Katia Marc Simenon
    1972 The Rebels (Quelques arpents de neige) Laura Denis Héroux
    1973 Enuff Is Enuff (J'ai mon voyage!) Madame De Chatiez Denis Héroux
    Les aventures du capitaine Luckner Daphne François Villiers TV series (1 Episode)
    1974 Par le sang des autres The prostitute Marc Simenon
    1975 Les noces de porcelaine Julia Roger Coggio
    Il faut vivre dangereusement Laurence Claude Makovski
    1977 L'échappatoire Elisabeth Claude Patin
    Recherche dans l'intérêt des familles Alcine Briant Philippe Arnal TV series (1 Episode)
    1978 Douze heures pour mourir Germaine Abder Isker TV movie
    1979 Un jour un tueur Cécile Pallas Serge Korber
    1980 Kick, Raoul, la moto, les jeunes et les autres Martine Marc Simenon TV series (1 Episode)
    1981 Signé Furax Malvina Marc Simenon
    1982 Marion Marion Treguier Jean Pignol TV series (6 Episodes)
    1983 Le bâtard Brigitte Bertrand Van Effenterre
    Flics de choc The teacher Jean-Pierre Desagnat
    Surprise Party Geneviève Lambert Roger Vadim
    1984 Retenez Moi...Ou Je Fais Un Malheur The bench woman Michel Gérard
    Série noire The Baroness Jacques Rouffio TV series (1 Episode)
    1986 Tenue de soirée Wife in house 3 Bertrand Blier
    Paulette, la pauvre petite milliardaire Madame Gulderbilt Claude Confortès
    1988 Big Man Fernande Steno TV Mini-Series
    1989 The Man Who Lived at the Ritz Madame Rochaise Desmond Davis TV movie
    1992 Vacances au purgatoire Mathilde Marc Simenon TV movie
    1994 La Piste du télégraphe Muriel Liliane de Kermadec
    Minder Madeleine Ken Hannam TV series (1 Episode)
    1995 Chien et chat Annabelle Montbrial Marc Simenon TV series (1 Episode)
    1997 L'Homme idéal Guillemette Xavier Gélin
    2004 Victoire The mother Stéphanie Murat
    Red Lights The summer camp director Cédric Kahn
    36 Quai des Orfèvres Manou Berliner Olivier Marchal Nominated - César Award for Best Supporting Actress
    2005 Tokyo Tower The governess Takashi Minamoto
    La tête haute La Tine Gérard Jourd'hui TV movie
    2006 Camping Laurette Pic Fabien Onteniente
    French California Katia Jacques Fieschi Nominated - César Award for Best Supporting Actress
    2007 Les toits de Paris Thérèse Huner Saleem
    Le fantôme du lac Louise Perreau Philippe Niang TV movie
    2009 Tricheuse Madame Vallardin Jean-François Davy
    Oscar and the Lady in Pink Lily Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
    2010 Camping 2 Laurette Pic Fabien Onteniente
    2011 Si tu meurs, je te tue Geneviève Huner Saleem
    Maman ! The mother Hélène de Fougerolles Short
    2013 On My Way Fanfan Emmanuelle Bercot
    La balade de Lucie The mother Sandrine Ray TV movie
    Les mauvaises têtes Virginie Pierre Isoard TV movie
    2014 Des roses en hiver Madeleine Lorenzo Gabriele TV movie
    2015 No Limit Christine Libérati Ludovic Colbeau-Justin TV series (2 Episodes)
    2016 Camping 3 Laurette Pic Fabien Onteniente
    3 Mariages et un coup de foudre Mamita Gilles de Maistre TV movie
    2017 The Midwife Rolande Martin Provost
    Caïn Jacqueline Benedetti Bertrand Arthuys TV series (1 Episode)
    2018 Infidèle Giulia Didier Le Pêcheur TV Mini-Series
    A l'intérieur Rose Da Costa Vincent Lannoo TV series (2 Episodes)
    Deux vies(TV series :Capitaine Marleau ,2021)- Madame Louise 2022 Maison de Retraite Simone Tournier Thomas Gilou

    Theater

    Mylène Demongeot at the Festival de Cannes 1990.
    Year Title Author Director
    1958 Dangerous Corner John Boynton Priestley Raymond Rouleau
    1968 Gugusse Marcel Achard Michel Roux
    1988 Salome Oscar Wilde Francis Sourbié
    Caviale e lenticchie Giulio Scarnicci & Renzo Tarabusi Jacques Rosny
    1992 The Secretary Bird William Douglas-Home Pierre Mondy
    Piège pour un homme seul Robert Thomas Robert Thomas
    1994 Electra Jean Giraudoux Raymond Gérôme
    Un homme pressé Bernard Chartreux Jean-Pierre Vincent
    2000 Becket Jean Anouilh Didier Long
    2017 Love Letters A. R. Gurney Stéphanie Fagadau

    Bibliography

    • Demongeot, Mylène (September 2001). Tiroirs secrets. Paris: Le Pré aux Clercs. ISBN 2-84228-131-4.

    References

    1. ↑ Lombard, Philippe (21 October 2021). Les grandes gueules du cinéma français (in French). Hugo Publishing. ISBN 978-2-7556-9311-9.
    2. ↑ Galbraith, Stuart (2008). The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6004-9.
    3. ↑ "Mylène Demongeot". Explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
    4. ↑ Média, Prisma. "Mylène Demongeot - La biographie de Mylène Demongeot avec Gala.fr". Gala.fr (in French). Retrieved 23 October 2021.
    5. ↑ Calic, Marie-Janine; Neutatz, Dietmar; Obertreis, Julia (2011). The Crisis of Socialist Modernity: The Soviet Union and Yugoslavia in the 1970s. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. ISBN 978-3-525-31042-7.
    6. ↑ Santa, Àngels (15 December 2016). L'art de l'adaptation: féminité et roman populaire. Peut-on voyager à son insu? (in French). Universitat de Lleida. ISBN 978-84-9144-095-6.
    7. ↑ Lemonier, Marc (10 April 2020). Dictionnaire désolant du cinéma francophone: Dictionnaire. Jourdan. ISBN 978-2-39009-497-5.
    8. ↑ Talk, Film (4 April 2017). "Mylène Demongeot: "I haven't achieved my ultimate goal yet, which is absolute perfection. But I'm still working on it"". FILM TALK. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
    9. ↑ Choulant, Dominique (2006). CinéMarilyn, ou, l'âge d'or des sex-symbols d'Hollywood et d'ailleurs (in French). Editions Publibook. ISBN 978-2-7483-3284-1.
    10. ↑ BERNETT, Sam (1 April 2021). Vieilles canailles - Un fabuleux destin (in French). Cherche Midi. ISBN 978-2-7491-6606-3.
    11. ↑ Serceau, Michel (26 April 2019). Le mythe, le miroir et le divan: Pour lire le cinéma (in French). Presses Universitaires du Septentrion. ISBN 978-2-7574-2137-6.
    12. ↑ Audureau, Annabel (19 September 2016). Fantômas: Un mythe moderne au croisement des arts (in French). Presses universitaires de Rennes. ISBN 978-2-7535-4702-5.
    13. ↑ Vion-Dury, Juliette; Brunel, Pierre (2003). Dictionnaire des mythes du fantastique (in French). Presses Univ. Limoges. ISBN 978-2-84287-276-2.
    14. ↑ Migozzi, Jacques (2000). De l'écrit à l'ecran: littératures populaires : mutations génériques, mutations médiatiques (in French). Presses Univ. Limoges. ISBN 978-2-84287-142-0.
    15. ↑ "1964, sur le tournage de "Fantômas" | INA". ina.fr (in French). Retrieved 23 October 2021.
    16. ↑ Média, Prisma. "Mort de Mylène Demongeot : Franck Dubosc rend hommage à sa partenaire de Camping - Voici". Voici.fr (in French). Retrieved 5 December 2022.
    17. ↑ "Les obsèques de Mylène Demongeot auront lieu samedi à Paris". LaProvence.com (in French). 5 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
    18. ↑ DURANT, Philippe (6 November 2014). Gabin, Ventura, Delon... Les légendes du Polar (in French). Sonatine. ISBN 978-2-35584-324-2.
    19. ↑ "Profil de Mylène Demongeot". Valeurs actuelles (in French). 15 July 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
    20. ↑ "Mylène Demongeot reçoit la Légion d'honneur des mains de Boris Cyrulnik". LEFIGARO (in French). 16 December 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
    21. ↑ "Mylène Demongeot : de quoi est morte la comédienne à l'âge de 87 ans". Femme Actuelle (in French). Retrieved 5 December 2022.
    22. ↑ Haring, Bruce (2 December 2022). "Mylene Demongeot Dies: French Film Actress Known For Comedy Was 87". Deadline. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
    23. ↑ "France's Mylene Demongeot dies after 70 years of screen stardom". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
    24. ↑ "Décès de Mylène Demongeot". elysee.fr (in French). 2 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
    25. ↑ "DEMONGEOT Mylène". Lesgensducinema.com. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
    26. ↑ "Mylène Demongeot, biography". IMDb. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
    27. ↑ "Mylène Demongeot : L'histoire de son frère, Léonid, dont la date de naissance a été modifiée". Anomama (in French). 9 May 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
    28. ↑ Soesanto, Léo. "Mort de Mylène Demongeot, blonde de choc". Libération (in French). Retrieved 5 December 2022.
    29. ↑ ""Je voulais devenir pianiste" Mylène Demongeot, se raconte... "L'Amour fou" > Éditions Michel Lafon". France Musique (in French). 8 September 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
    30. ↑ "PHOTOS - Exclusif - Mylène Demongeot à RTL interviewée par Philippe Bouvard pour la sortie de son livre La vie, c'est génial ! le 12 avril 2018. © Stéphane Mulys/Bestim". www.purepeople.com (in French). Retrieved 23 October 2021.
    31. ↑ Bulard-Cordeau, Brigitte; Strano, David (22 October 2014). Des animaux près des étoiles (in French). Larousse. ISBN 978-2-03-589857-9.
    32. ↑ "Comité d'honneur | ADMD, Ne nous laissons pas voler notre Ultime Liberté". Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
    33. ↑ Match, Paris. "Deux banques condamnées - "Escroc des people": Arcady dédommagé". parismatch.com (in French). Retrieved 23 October 2021.
    34. ↑ "faits divers. Un banquier soupçonné d'avoir escroqué des stars". www.republicain-lorrain.fr (in French). Retrieved 23 October 2021.
    35. ↑ Demongeot, Mylene (4 September 2019). Très chers escrocs... (in French). L'Archipel. ISBN 978-2-8098-2707-1.
    36. ↑ "Mort de Mylène Demongeot : l'actrice est décédée à l'âge de 87 ans". Voici. 1 December 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
    37. ↑ "Mylène Demongeot, actrice connue pour ses rôles dans « Fantômas » et « les Sorcières de Salem », est morte". Le Monde.fr. December 2022.
    38. ↑ "Mylene Demongeot Dies: French Film Actress Known for Comedy Was 87". 2 December 2022.
    39. ↑ Bardot, Brigitte (11 September 2019). Mes as de cœur (in French). Arthaud. ISBN 978-2-08-150297-0.
    40. ↑ Miller, Arthur (31 March 2016). The Collected Essays of Arthur Miller. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4725-9175-3.
    41. 1 2 "Rencontre avec mylène demongeot". Mac Mahon Filmed Conferences Paris. 5 July 2015. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
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