Leading French actress, essayist and novelist, on stage from the age of sixteen. Born to an impoverished family, she initially trained as a ballerina at the Paris Opera, but failed due to indiscipline. She then became a noted stage performer and entered films in 1931, reaching her peak as a star during the 1940's. She was at first married to the actor
Pierre Brasseur and later to director/cinematographer
Philippe Agostini.
