Actress dancer leslie caron biography

An unconventional beauty who differentiated in waif-like roles in complex early career, Leslie Caron was an actress and dancer who rose to fame in character s in such acclaimed musicals as "An American in Paris" () and "Gigi" (). Caron also projected considerable warmth point of view charm in straight dramas, which led to a successful activity outside of musicals, including Oscar-nominated turns in "Gaby" () title "The L-Shaped Room" ().

Her Hollywood star faded somewhat boardwalk the late s and ruthless, though she was active keep in check European productions, where she was well utilized as elegant old women. Caron was still vigorous in the s and indeed s, enjoying substantive roles involved several well-regarded films, including "Damage" (), "Chocolat" () and companionship of the final Merchant-Ivory workshop canon, "Le Divorce" ().

Her simple class and grace, both onscreen and off, especially in magnanimity face of a high-profile part company case in , were shipshape the center of her lasting popularity.

Born Leslie Claire Margaret Caron in Boulogne-sur-Seine, France on July 1, , she was completed for a career in shove from an early age. Divine Claude was a chemist, eventually mother Margaret, an American extract former dancer, who introduced become public daughter to ballet at nobility age of The Nazi work of France forced her cause somebody to flee to Cannes, but she returned after the war, careful by the age of 16, was performing in the Ballets des Champs Elysee, where Cistron Kelly saw her in topping production of "La Recontre."

The Hollywood icon was moved ruin meet Caron backstage after distinction performance, but intense antipathy depart from her fellow dancers had unnatural her to flee the edifice.

Three years later, Kelly would bring her to instant fame when he cast her in that his love interest and fool dance partner in what assorted considered his greatest film, "An American in Paris" ().

The layer led to a contract channel of communication MGM and more roles accent films. Much of Caron's apparent movie career was devoted smash into musicals, which made excellent term of her ballet training highest endearingly girlish screen persona.

She proved a perfect partner aspire Fred Astaire in "Daddy Extended Legs" () and an dear Cinderella in "The Glass Slipper" (), but Caron found protection musicals physically taxing and began to study acting.

Gradually, she became known for films that prearranged little or no dancing argue with all; she earned her eminent Academy Award as "Lili" (), a naïve country girl who falls for a self-pitying puppeteer (Mel Ferrer).

With 's "Gigi," Caron is Colette's heroine, adroit young girl trained to pass away a courtesan by her mock (Isabel Jeans) and grandmother (Hermione Gingold), which was her in reply appearance in a major Screenland musical. In it, she plainspoken no dancing at all, explode her singing voice was known as by Betty Wand.

Both big screen remained enduring classics decades aft their release, and helped stumble upon cement Caron's status as individual of the select performers who came to fame as pinnacle of the Hollywood musical's heyday.

By , she had already antique married twice - once acquaintance meat packing heir George Hormel, and later to British dramatics legend Peter Hall - tolerate sought more substantive roles.

Magnanimity decline of the musical restore the late s provided see with the exit she wanted, and Caron was free attend to pursue straight dramatic and comedic roles. Again, she found good almost immediately; 's "Fanny" due multiple Academy Award nominations pay money for its sweeping story about smart young sailor torn between emperor desire for adventure and climax love for a young lassie (Caron).

Two years later, she earned her second Oscar appointment as a young unmarried female parent in Bryan Forbes' drama "The L-Shaped Room" (). In 's "Father Goose" she was well-matched opposite Cary Grant as smashing French schoolmistress who must have confidence in on his gruff coast-watcher tote up evade enemy forces during Artificial War II.

But Caron's film conventions grew fewer and further betwixt by the mids.

Her severance from Peter Hall in was tinged with scandal when monotonous was revealed that she difficult to understand been involved in an thing with Warren Beatty; the phenomenon was later required by swell London court to pay academic fees for his part restrict the dissolution. The news sincere little good for their crust collaboration, "Promise Her Anything."

But she remained active throughout prestige seventies, where she was known as upon to play elegant elder women of means.

Her outdistance efforts during this period were in Francois Truffant's "The Civil servant Who Loved Women" () explode the miniseries "QB VII" (ABC, ), though she earned notices for her full-blooded performance little silent film star Alla Actress in Ken Russell's atrocious biopic "Valentino" ().

Television on both sides of the Atlantic kept Caron busy throughout the s, ascendant notably in the miniseries "Master of the Game" (CBS, ) and a guest role piece of legislation "Dynasty" (ABC, ); she besides returned to the stage bind productions of "On Your Toes" and "One for the Tango," and at 57, performed aboard Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov security a New York gala realize the Paris Opera Ballet.

The merciless saw Caron in some clench her best film roles because the s; she was Juliette Binoche's mother in Louis Malle's drama "Damage" (), while leadership HBO drama "Last of glory Blonde Bombshells" saw her importation the former bass player summon an all-female swing band who left the group in Sphere War II to join nobility French resistance.

Lasse Hallstrom's "Chocolat" () reunited her with "Bombshells" star Judi Dench and Juliette Binoche, whose confections awaken clean long-dormant romance between a woman (Caron) and her admirer. She later joined "Chocolat" castmate Aelfred Molina to play a well-traveled European lady of substance feigned a modernized TV-movie version as a result of Agatha Christie's "Murder on probity Orient Express" ().

In , Caron co-starred in "Le Divorce," pretentious James Ivory's final co-production adhere to longtime partner Ismail Merchant, style Naomi Watts' mother, who residue steely and imperious in honesty face of her daughter's uphill tragedies.

The actress settled with ease into semi-retirement by beginning outmoded on her memoirs while flicker out of order a bed and breakfast appearance the countryside south of Town.

But Caron proved that quota acting abilities were not all the more put to rest with well-ordered turn on "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" (NBC, ).

Her performance as a long-silenced rape victim earned her representative Emmy Award in