Catherine Deneuve Wiki: Movie, Net Worth, 'Belle de Jour' & Facts To Know

People who grew up in the fifties and watched movies from that time must be know who Catherine Deneuve is. She was like the Marilyn Monroe, a Hollywood sex symbol, of that time. Deneuve is a French beauty who, even at the age of 74, still looks attractive. She has been acting in movies for six decades. But there is so much about Deneuve that you might not know. Deneuve is not only an actress but also an occasional singer, a model, just like most French celebs, and a producer. She was born in Paris. The actress is the daughter of stage actors and has two sisters. Deneuve also has a maternal half-sister. She got the name Deneuve from her mother as the name is her mother’s maiden name. The reason why she took the name was that Deneuve wanted to be different from her sisters. The actress studied in Catholic schools.

Deneuve is a national symbol and the pride of France. She is successful and good looking. As a result of her charming looks, Deneuve’s image which was an archetype for “Gallic” beauty, was used to represent the national symbol of France, Marianne from 1985 to 1989. It’s a pleasure to have that kind of recognition in your home country, right?

Deneuve is one of the most distinguished actresses from France. Her performance in the movie “Belle de Jour” as Severine Serizy when she was ‘Jeune,’ is among the top 100 performances of all time according to Premiere Magazine. She is also one of the 13 French actresses nominated for Academy Awards. Deneuve was nominated for her performance in “Indochine.” You’re probably trying to figure out what ‘Jeune’ means. It’s a French word for ‘young.’

Deneuve worked with director Roman Polanski in 1965’s movie, “Repulsion” and it was one of her recognizable movie roles. However, she wanted to focus on European movies in the ‘60s and ‘70s and so she only appeared in only toe movies from Hollywood. It’s around that period when Alfred Hitchcock revealed that he wanted to work alongside Deneuve on a proposed movie project. Sadly, the project never materialized after Hitchcock passed on.

Deneuve got married only once. She was married to David Bailey, who is a photographer, from 1965 to 1972. After their divorce, they still became great friends. However, Deneuve has been dating. Since her divorce, she has dated Roger Vadim, Marcello Mastroianni, and Hugh Johnson. She has two children, actor Christian Vadim and actress Chiara Mastroianni. She is also the mother-in-law of singer Benjamin Biolay. She also has grandchildren.

Catherine Deneuve's hobbies and passions are drawing, gardening, photography, reading, music, fashion, cinema, antiques, and decoration. It’s from her desires that she introduced her won perfume brand named after her. Apart from the perfume brand that she introduced in 1986, Deneuve also designs glasses, shoes, jewelry and even greeting cards which have helped her increase her net worth.

Deneuve published a collection of diaries in 2005 titled “In My Own Shadow.” The diaries were published in French. They were then published in English under the title “Close Up and Personal: The Private Diaries of Catherine Deneuve.” Deneuve is fluent in her mother tongue, French and Italian. She is semi-fluent in English and German.

One of the earliest movies that Deneuve stars in is “Repulsion.” The 1965 movie was directed by Roman Polanski and alongside Deneuve, the movie stars Ian Hendry. “Repulsion,” tells the story of a young woman whose sister goes for a vacation and leaves her alone in an apartment. She begins going through traumas of her past horrifically. Deneuve characterizes the woman going by the name of Carol Ledoux. The movie received critical acclaim after it was released and is still considered one of Deneuve’s greatest performances. It helped the actress grow her net worth.

“Belle de Jour” is another movie that Deneuve has featured in. She is the main star, and the 1967 French movie was directed by Luis Bunuel. “Belle de Jour” is based on Joseph Kessel’s book with the same title. The movie is about a young lady who works throughout the midweek afternoons as a high-class sex worker while her husband is out working. Severine Serizy, depicted by Deneuve, decides to be a prostitute because she’s not able to share physical intimacy with her husband. The movie was a success, and it helped her net worth grow.

Deneuve plays the role of Marion Steiner in the movie, “The Last Metro.” The 1980 movie was directed by Francois Truffaut and it was a commercial success. “The Last Metro” follows the story of a small theatre somewhere in Paris which resists the Germans by maintaining its cultural integrity.

One of Deneuve’s most successful movies is “Indochine.” The movie was directed by Regis Wagner and is set on colonial French Indochina between 1930 and 1950. Deneuve plays the role of Eliane Devries. The actress earned a decent fortune for the role and saw her net worth get bigger.

Deneuve has a net worth of $185 million. She is one of the most successful actresses in the world and most of her wealth is from her movie roles while some is from her perfume business and other hassles.

Deneuve is quite talkative and addresses issues related to acting and women. It’s a new year and so, we can expect more great things from the French actress. Hopefully, she won’t disappoint her fans.