European cinema's esteemed classic movie stars

Often hailed as one of France's greatest film stars, Simone Signoret was actually born in Germany. She won considerable attention in 'La Ronde' (1950), a film which was banned briefly in New York as immoral. She was the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress appearing in a foreign film. Afterwards, however, she turned down numerous offers from Hollywood and continued working in France and England.

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Maximilian Schell (1930–2014) -

Before Hollywood beckoned, Austrian-born Swiss actor Maximilian Schell acted in several European films, including the German anti-war movie 'Children, Mothers, and a General' (1955). After winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1961 American film 'Judgment at Nuremberg,' Schell returned to Germany and played the title role in William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' for German TV.

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Ingrid Bergman (1915–1982) -

Ingrid Bergman was equally at home in Europe and America as one of the leading actresses of her day. Born in Sweden, Bergman's role in the Swedish drama 'Intermezzo' (1936) is remembered fondly in her home country.

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Marcello Mastroianni (1924–1996) -

Regarded as his country's biggest film star of all time, Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni appeared in some of European cinema's most celebrated productions, films that include 'La Dolce Vita' (1960), 'Divorce Italian Style' (1961), and '8½' (1963).

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Anita Ekberg (1931–2015) -

Her role as Sylvia in the Federico Fellini film 'La Dolce Vita' (1960), and especially the scene of her cavorting in Rome's Trevi Fountain alongside Marcello Mastroianni has been described as "one of cinema's most iconic scenes." Though Swedish, Ekberg worked primarily in Italy.

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Jean Gabin (1904–1976) -

Regarded as a key figure in French cinema, Jean Gabin starred in several classic films, including 'La Grande Illusion' (1937) and 'Le Jour Se Lève' (1939). He worked with Jean Renoir and Marcel Carné, among other lauded directors.

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Bruno Ganz (1941–2019) -

Born in Switzerland but working mostly in German television and film productions, Bruno Ganz achieved considerable fame for his wide variety of roles working with several directors of the New German Cinema like Werner Herzog and Wim Wenders. His portrayal of Adolf Hitler in 'Downfall' (2004) was met with universal acclaim.

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Catherine Deneuve -

French actress Catherine Deneuve has worked with the likes of Luis Buñuel, François Truffaut, and Roman Polanski on films such as 'Repulsion' (1965), 'Belle de Jour' (1967), and 'Le Dernier Métro' (1980).

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Max Von Sydow (1929–2020) -

Max Von Sydow's understated turn as Father Merrin in 'The Exorcist' (1973) endeared the Swedish actor to Hollywood audiences. But von Sydow was best known in Europe for playing the 14th-century knight Antonius Block in Ingmar Bergman's 'The Seventh Seal' (1957), which features iconic scenes of his character challenging Death to a game of chess.

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Leslie Caron -

French actress Leslie Caron worked successfully in Hollywood during the 1950s. But in the 1960s and thereafter, Europe was her preferred stage, appearing in films such as 'Il padre di famiglia' (1967), which she cites as one of her favorite performances.

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Adolfo Celi (1922–1986) -

Born in Sicily, Adolfo Celi appeared in over 100 films, specializing in international villains, most notably as Emilio Largo in the 1965 James Bond film 'Thunderball.' In addition to his native Italian, Celi was fluent in several languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese—language skills that producers and directors across Europe took advantage of.

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Klaus Maria Brandauer -

Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer has at least a working knowledge of five languages: German, Italian, Hungarian, English, and French, and has acted in each. He is especially known in Europe for 'Mephisto' (1981), while American audiences will recognize him for 'Out of Africa' (1985).

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Giancarlo Giannini -

Giancarlo Giannini appeared in numerous European films before achieving even greater fame in Hollywood productions such as 'Hannibal' (2001). He appeared in the James Bond films 'Casino Royale' (2006) and 'Quantum of Solace' (2008), but still often works in Europe. Incidentally, he is the official Italian voice dubber of Al Pacino.

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Jeanne Moreau (1928–2017) -

Jeanne Moreau was one of the leading actresses of the Comédie-Française, and found fame with films such as 'Moderato cantabile' (1960) and 'Jules et Jim' (1962), directed by François Truffaut.

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Claudia Cardinale -

Italian-Tunisian film actress Claudia Cardinale starred in some of the most acclaimed European films of the 1960s and 1970s, triumphs that include Luchino Visconti's 'The Leopard' (1963) and Federico Fellini's '8½' (1963).

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Alain Delon -

One of Europe's most prominent actors and screen sex symbols from the 1960s, French actor Alain Delon came to prominence in 'Plein soleil' (1960). He followed this in the same year with 'Rocco and His Brothers,' directed by Luchino Visconti.

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Romy Schneider (1938–1982) -

Born in Austria, Romy Schneider began her career in the German Heimatfilm genre in the early 1950s when she was just 15. After relocating to France, the actress worked with some of the leading film directors of the era, including Luchino Visconti and Orson Welles. She's still revered for her early role as Empress Elisabeth of Austria in the romantic biopic 'Sissi' (1955).

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Brigitte Bardot -

One of the best known female sex symbols of the 1950s and 1960s, Bardot's early film appearances include 'Manina, la fille sans voiles' (1952), controversial for the scanty bikinis worn by the young actress in the film, when the bikini was still widely considered immodest. She achieved international fame with 'And God Created Women' (1956), which essentially created her "sex kitten" image.

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Curd Jürgens (1915–1982) -

Usually billed in English-speaking films as Curt Jurgens, German-Austrian stage and film actor Curd Jürgens appeared in over 100 films, often playing military figures. His role as Bond villain Karl Stromberg in 'The Spy Who Loved Me' (1977) was well received.

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Gian Maria Volonté (1933–1994) -

Gian Maria Volonté is best remembered by American cinema audiences as Ramón Rojo and El Indio in Sergio Leone's 'A Fistful of Dollars' (1964) and 'For a Few Dollars More' (1965). But this versatile Italian actor was noted for his roles in high-profile social dramas, notably 1970's 'Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion.'

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Yves Montand (1921–1991) -

Born in Italy, Montand moved to France with his family in 1923. In 1944 he was discovered by singer and actress Édith Piaf in Paris and she made him part of her act. Early successes as a film actor include 1953's 'The Wages of Fear.' He starred opposite Marilyn Monroe in 'Let's Make Love' (1960), but it was in the two-part production 'Jean de Florette' and 'Manon des Sources' (1986) that Montand gave his finest performances.

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Irene Papas -

Greek actress Irene Papas is internationally recognized for her roles in 'The Guns of Navarone' (1961) and 'Zorba the Greek' (1964). But performances in Greek films like 'Dead City' (1952) and 'Antigone' (1961) made her a huge star in her home country and across Europe long before Hollywood called.

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Klaus Kinski (1926–1991) -

German actor Klaus Kinski appeared in more than 130 films during a distinguished but sometimes controversial career. He was a leading role actor in the films of Werner Herzog, including 'Aguirre, the Wrath of God' (1972), 'Nosferatu the Vampyre' (1979), and 'Fitzcarraldo' (1982). His daughters, Nastassja and Pola, are both actresses.

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Jacques Tati (1907–1982) -

French mime, filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter Jacques Tati delighted screen audiences with a string of comedies, including 'Jour de fête' (1949) and 'Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot' (1953), which introduced the well-meaning but clumsy character of Monsieur Hulot. 'Mon Oncle,' released in 1958 and featuring the Hulot character won Tati international acclaim.

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Franco Nero -

Franco Nero's breakthrough role was as the title character in Sergio Corbucci's spaghetti western film 'Django' (1966). Since then the Italian actor has worked widely across Europe and abroad. In 2012, Nero made a cameo appearance in the film 'Django Unchained' in one scene alongside Jamie Foxx.

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Jean-Louis Trintignant -

French actor Jean-Louis Trintignant's acting credits include such distinguished films as 'A Man and a Woman' (1966) and 'The Great Silence' (1968), directed by Sergio Corbucci.

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Melina Mercouri (1920–1994) -

Born in Athens, Melina Mercouri spent her early years on stage with the National Theatre of Greece. Her first movie was the Greek language film 'Stella' (1955), directed by future 'Zorba the Greek' director Michael Cacoyannis. International success followed with films like 'Topkapi' (1964). Mercouri later entered politics, serving as Minister for Culture of Greece from 1981 to 1989.

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Charles Boyer (1899–1978) -

Charles Boyer spent his career dividing his time between France, his place of birth, and the United States. 'Le Bonheur' (1934) was an early success on home soil. But it was in Hollywood that Boyer achieved greater fame with films like 'Gaslight' (1944) starring alongside Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotten.

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Francisco Rabal (1926–2001) -

One of Spain's best loved actors, Francisco Rabal worked with Luis Buñuel, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Claude Chabrol, among many other eminent film directors. Recognized both in his native country and internationally, Rabal is particularly remembered for 'The Holy Innocents' (1984).

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Maurice Chevalier (1888–1972) -

Paris-born Maurice Chevalier was an actor, singer, and entertainer. He's especially remembered for the song 'Thank Heaven for Little Girls,' which opened and closed the 1958 film 'Gigi.' In 1923 he appeared alongside Charlie Chaplin in 'A Woman of Paris,' a rare drama for Chaplin in which his famed "Little Tramp" character does not appear.

European cinema's esteemed classic movie stars

Jean-Paul Belmondo, icon of French New Wave cinema, dies at 88

07/09/21 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Europe

Hollywood has a habit of grabbing the movie limelight. But did you know that Europeans were the pioneers of the motion picture industry? Furthermore, some of cinema's greatest film stars hail from Europe, people like Jean Gabin, Marcello Mastroianni, Simone Signoret, and Ingrid Bergman. And what about European movies, productions like 'La Dolce Vita' and 'Belle de Jour' that are now regarded as classics of world cinema?

French New Wave cinema just lost one of its greatest icons, as Jean-Paul Belmondo has died at the age of 88. Belmondo was one of the biggest French film stars of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. It was the Jean-Luc Godard-directed 'Breathless' (1960) which launched him as the face of the experimental film movement and which kicked off his decades-long career and international fame. Belmondo had effectively retired from acting in 2010, and he's said to have passed away peacefully at his home in Paris on September 6.

Click through the following gallery and cast your eye over some of European cinema's other classic movie stars.