Mireille Darc


Mireille Darc was a French actress, director, photographer, singer and model. She appeared as a lead character in Jean-Luc Godard's 1967 film Weekend. Darc was a Knight of the Legion of Honour and Commander of the National [Order of Merit (France)|National Order of Merit]. Alain Delon was her longtime co-star and companion.

Early years

Born Mireille Christiane Gabrielle Aimée Aigroz in Toulon, she attended the Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in Toulon and moved to Paris in 1959.

Career

Darc's debuted in Claude Barma's television drama Du côté de l'enfer. Her first leading role came in another production for French television, Jean Prat's Hauteclaire. She starred in Jean-Luc Godard's film Weekend as Corinne, her highest profile role for international critics; as Christine in The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe and The [Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe] and alongside Alain Delon and Louis de Funès in several films: Pouic-Pouic, High Lifers, Jeff, Borsalino, The Love Mates, Icy Breasts, Death of a Corrupt Man, Man in a Hurry, and the television series .
Darc had a heart condition from childhood, which required open-heart surgery in 1980. She was seriously injured in a car accident on 7 July 1983, in a tunnel in the Aosta Valley, Italy, suffering a fractured spine and other injuries that required three months of immobilization in a hospital in Geneva, Switzerland.
Although they had recently separated about two weeks prior to the accident after a fifteen-year relationship, Delon rushed to Aosta when he heard about the accident, and left separately for Geneva by automobile during the night.
She quit her film career, but she returned to television in the 1990s. In 2006, French President Jacques Chirac awarded Darc the Legion of Honour.

Health and death

In 2013, Darc underwent further open heart surgery, and during 2016 she suffered several hemorrhages. She died on 28 August 2017 in Paris in a coma at the age of 79.

Theatre

Filmography

Feature films

Short films

As director

Documentary works

1. La Deuxième Vie
The Second Life
2. Brève Rencontre
Brief Encounter
3. Le Doute et L'espérance
Doubt and Hope
4. De L'ombre a La Lumière
From Darkness to Light
5. Jeunesse Éternelle
Eternal Youth
6. Une Nuit Sous Les Mers
A Night Under the Sea
7. L'ostéoporose
Osteoporosis
8. Une Vie Classée X
A Life Rated X
9. Les Liserons d'Eau
10. Vivre d'Amour
Living on Love
11. Voyage Vers L'inconnue
Journey Towards the Unknown
12. Pas Sur La Bouche
Not on the Lips
13. Pardonner
Forgive
14. Elles sont des dizaines de milliers sans abri
They number in the tens of thousands and '''they are homeless.
15. Excision, Le Plaisir Interdit  
Excision, The Forbidden Pleasure'''

French-language dubbing

YearTitleActress
1963L’Ile aux Filles PerduesMarisa Belli
1963Foudres sur BabyloneJose Greci
1962L’Effroyable secret du Dr HichcockBarbara Steele
1961Soliman le MagnifiqueGeorgia Moll
1961Les Vikings AttaquentFranca Bettoja
1961Le Boucanier des Iles Marisa Belli
1960L'Esclave du PharaonVira Silenti
1960Les Légions de CléopâtreLinda Cristal
1960Le Géant de ThessalieZiva Rodann
1960Toryok la furie des BarbaresLjubica Jovic
1958La Charge des CosaquesGeorgia Moll

Decorations