The actor turned 80 on November 17, 2024
Sarah Bernhardt starred in some of the most popular French plays of the 18th and 19th centuries, and is recognized as the first global stage personality.
In her day, Bernhardt was a worldwide celebrity, and has since been dubbed the first A-list actress by entertainment critics and social commentators.
Born Henriette-Rosine Bernard on October 22 or 23, 1844 in Paris, Sarah Bernhardt was the illegitimate daughter of a Dutch Jewish prostitute. The name of her father is not recorded. She's pictured here with her mother.
She made her theater debut with the Comédie Française in August 1862, in the title role of Iphigénie by the French playwright Jean Racine.
In 1864, aged 20, Bernhardt had a son, Maurice, after an affair with a Belgian nobleman. Throughout her life she had many lovers, but in 1882 married Jacques Damala.
In June 1867, she played two roles in 'Athalie'—the parts of a young woman and a young boy, the first of many male parts she played in her career. She's seen here as the boy troubadour, Zenetto, in 'Le Passant' (1869).
With lead roles in plays like 'Phèdre,' Bernhardt was taking on some of the most famous and demanding roles in French theater—and making the front cover of the most prestigious entertainment periodicals of the era.
Bernhardt's private life was equally theatrical. Her home in Paris resembled an elaborate stage set; she collected exotic pets, including tiger and lion cubs and even an alligator. And she was brazenly promiscuous in an era of prudish morality.
Her fame led to offers to tour abroad. In 1880, she undertook a six-week season at the Gaiety Theatre in London. She's pictured (wearing a feather boa) with her entourage at St Pancras railway station. That year she would go on to perform in Italy, Greece, Hungary, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Austria, and Russia.
The French actress with her English contemporary, the actress and socialite Lillie Langtry.
Her most famous role is that of Marguerite Gautier in Alexandre Dumas' 'La Dame aux Camelias.' It's this play she toured the United States with, and American audiences greeted her with rapture. She'd go on to play the role thousands of times in countries as far afield as Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, and much of South America.
During her theater tour of the US, Bernhardt visited the ruins of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fire. She was visibly moved by what she saw.
Her world tours and vast repertoire earned Bernhardt a huge amount of money. Performances in every city were sold out, and she returned to France very wealthy indeed. Pictured is a 1906 puzzle in 10 postcards showing the actress in different roles.
Bernhardt as Hamlet. The scene between Hamlet, clutching a skull, and the gravedigger includes one of the Bard's most famous lines, which begins: "Alas, poor Yorik..."
Another celebrated performance was as Floria Tosca in 'La Tosca' by Victorien Sardou, which premiered in 1887.
Bernhardt loved to dress up, and was regarded as ahead of her time in terms of style (she regularly wore baggy pantsuits, regarded as very daring in the tight-laced late 19th century). She dripped jewelry and owned a collection of bizarre headwear.
Her 1872 performance in 'Cleopatra' allowed Bernhardt to indulge in her passion for costume and jewelry.
In 1899, the actress signed a 25-year lease to run what was then known as Théâtre des Nations in Paris. She renamed the venue Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt. She opened with a revival of one of her great roles, Victorien Sardou's 'La Tosca.'
During World War II, occupying German forces renamed the venue Théâtre de la Cité because of Bernhardt's Jewish ancestry. Today it's known as Théâtre de la Ville.
Bernhardt's enormous wealth enabled her in 1886 to purchase a ruined 17th-century fort on Belle-Île, a small island off the coast of Brittany.
In 1911, Bernhardt revived her most famous role in a silent film adaptation of 'La Dame aux Camélias.' Released in the United States as 'Camille,' it was a two-reel condensation of the play.
In fact, Bernhardt was one of the first actresses to star in moving pictures. Several of these depicted her acting out scenes from her plays, such as 1912's 'Adrienne Lecouvreur.'
Known in French as 'Mères Françaises,' this 1917 propaganda film was shot on the front line with the intent to urge America to join the war in Europe.
Sarah Bernhardt has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You can admire it at 1751 Vine Street in Los Angeles.
The actress listening to herself through a phonograph. French poet, novelist, and dramatist Victor Hugo dubbed her "the Golden Voice."
Bernhardt took up painting as a way of passing time between stage appearances. Her paintings were mostly landscapes and seascapes, the latter being produced at her Belle-Île retreat.
The actress took her sculpture more seriously—her tutor was Mathieu-Meusnier, an academic sculptor who specialized in public monuments. Pictured is the actress with a bust of herself sculpted by Mathieu-Meusnier in 1869.
A passionate writer, Bernhardt wrote eight books in her lifetime including 'L'Art du Théâtre,' a textbook on the art of acting published after her death in 1923.
Sarah Bernhardt died in Paris on March 26, 1923. The following day a crowd estimated at 30,000 gathered to watch the funeral procession.
The actress pictured in 1921. She had continued to work despite having a leg amputated as a result of an earlier injury. Throughout World War I, much of her output consisted of one-act theatrical appearances and film work.
Sarah Bernhardt is buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. In death as in life, the actress is revered by admirers from around the world, many of whom make the pilgrimage to the French capital to pay their respects.
See also: The most beautiful actresses ever
In 2007, a part of the fort that survived demolition was refurbished and today serves as a small museum displaying theatrical memorabilia and a range of vintage furniture associated with the actress.
She converted the property into a summer retreat, and built adjoining bungalows for her son Maurice and her grandchildren. She sold it in 1922. In October 1944, as they retreated from the area, German soldiers dynamited most of the building.
Bernhardt garnered wide acclaim for her role as the Queen of Spain in Victor Hugo's 'Ruy Blas,' and was by now one of the most successful stage actresses of the day.
Eccentric, inimitable, and oh so boho, Sarah Bernhardt was the world's first international stage star. Born in France, she's hailed as one of the greatest actresses of all time. A 19th-century A-lister, Bernhardt also flirted with motion pictures, was one of the first prominent actresses to make sound recordings, and was a gifted artist and writer.
Yet her fame has somewhat evaporated with time. Click through the following gallery and rediscover one of the best-known figures in the history of stage.
Pictured: Art Nouveau jewelry, including hair combs, designed for Sarah Bernhardt for use on and off stage.
Sarah Bernhardt, the world's first A-list actress
The bohemian star passed away on March 26, 1923
CELEBRITY Actresses
Eccentric, inimitable, and oh so boho, Sarah Bernhardt was the world's first international stage star. Born in France, she's hailed as one of the greatest actresses of all time. A 19th-century A-lister, Bernhardt also flirted with motion pictures, was one of the first prominent actresses to make sound recordings, and was a gifted artist and writer.
Yet her fame has somewhat evaporated with time. Click through the following gallery and rediscover one of the best-known figures in the history of stage.