--- name: "Françoise Fabian" canonical: "https://film.one/person/francoise-fabian" fi1m_id: "francoise-fabian" imdb_id: "nm0264554" tmdb_id: 9765 wikidata_id: "Q456668" roles: ["Actor"] born: "10 May 1933" reviewed_on_fi1m: 3 average_fi1m_score: 84 average_as: "actor" average_over: 2 updated: "2026-09-26T16:56:44.783994+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Françoise Fabian ## Identity Françoise Fabian - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/francoise-fabian - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** francoise-fabian - **IMDb ID:** nm0264554 - **TMDB ID:** 9765 - **Wikidata ID:** Q456668 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7oise_Fabian, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q456668, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0264554/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/9765 Actor. Born 10 May 1933 in Alger, Algeria. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 10 May 1933, Alger, Algeria - **Active:** 1967–1969 - **Also known as:** Francoise Fabian, Michèle Cortés, Michelle Cortès - **Titles on Fi1m:** 3: 2 acting, 1 other - **Average Fi1m score:** 84, as actor, over 2 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 84 (2), 2010s 82 (1) - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7oise_Fabian, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q456668, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0264554/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/9765 ## Streaming the US now - **HBO Max:** [*Belle de Jour*](https://film.one/film/belle-de-jour.md) (86), [*My Night at Maud's*](https://film.one/film/my-night-at-mauds.md) (81) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Françoise Fabian > Françoise Fabian plays intelligent, independent women with warmth and a disarming ease in conversation. We value her ability to keep desire credible through pages of discussion, particularly when Éric Rohmer gives her room to be funny. In *My Night at Maud's* (1969), Françoise Fabian makes a discussion of sex feel connected to the people having it. Her precise diction keeps the thinking clear, and her direct gaze suits a woman who expects to be taken seriously. Maud has desires that a persuasive sentence cannot settle, and Fabian makes sure the conversation never quite disposes of them. We want to know where the talk will lead because she gives us someone to care about. Her Charlotte in Luis Buñuel's *Belle de Jour* (1967) came during the supporting work that brought her greater notice in the 1960s. Maud was the breakthrough, with sustained philosophical and personal exchanges opposite Jean-Louis Trintignant. Rohmer gives her room to be intelligent, inviting and funny, and she supplies much of the film's warmth. The substantial work that followed included *La Bonne Année* (1973), opposite Lino Ventura for Claude Lelouch. Her career moved between popular films and work with Rohmer, Buñuel and Rivette. We laughed at the solemn intellectual talk in *My Night at Maud's*, because Fabian's ease makes the verbal effort around her amusing. She keeps the attraction credible while allowing us to notice how elaborately people explain themselves. That is a considerable help in a film so willing to let its characters talk. It does not solve the pacing: some conversations could finish sooner, and even her company cannot make every extra minute necessary. Later supporting work includes Monique in Ozon's *5x2* (2004), while *Rose* (2021) gives her a lead again. The latter's formulaic material gives her less to work with than she deserves. Casting her as an independent, worldly woman is a sensible start, but she needs writing that makes the woman particular. Begin with Rohmer, provided an evening of people discussing desire sounds like an evening well spent. ## Biography Françoise Fabian is a French actress, also credited as Michèle Cortés. Born on 10 May 1933 in Algiers, she studied music at the conservatoire there before moving to Paris in the early 1950s. She trained at the Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique alongside Jean-Paul Belmondo and made her stage debut in 1954. She began appearing in films in 1956. Fabian is known for her roles as Charlotte in Luis Buñuel's *Belle de Jour* (1967) and as Maud in Éric Rohmer's *My Night at Maud's* (1969). Other credits include *La Bonne Année* (1973). She has worked extensively in theatre and later films and series, and was married to directors Jacques Becker and actor Marcel Bozzuffi. *Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, fr.wikipedia.org, allocine.fr, elle.fr.* ## On Fi1m (3) ### Performed in (2) — the average rests on these - *My Night at Maud's* (1969), Fi1m 81, as Maud — [page](https://film.one/film/my-night-at-mauds.md) - *Belle de Jour* (1967), Fi1m 86, as Charlotte — [page](https://film.one/film/belle-de-jour.md) ### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited - *Call My Agent!* (2015), Fi1m 82, as Self — [page](https://film.one/tv/call-my-agent.md) ## Complete filmography (93) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *LOL 2.0: Anne’s Golden Hour* (2026), as Françoise - *At the End of the Day* (2024), as Françoise - *The Blond Boy from the Casbah* (2023), as Elderly Dinah - *The Fragile Colossus* (2022), as Josy - *Belmondo: The Incorrigible* (2022), Actor - *Love Is Better Than Life* (2022), Actor - *Rose* (2021), as Rose - *I Love You Coiffure* (2020), as Mme Boris (segment "Le Salon de coiffure") - *Brillantissime* (2018), as Claire, la mère - *Me, Myself and Mum* (2013), as Babou - *Post Partum* (2013), as Carmen - *What's in a Name* (2012), as Françoise - *L'Amour, la Mort, les Fringues* (2011), Actor - *Small World* (2010), as Elvira Senn - *Comme les 5 doigts de la main* (2010), as Suzie Hayoun - *Family Tree* (2010), as Marianne Muller - *Rapt* (2009), as Marjorie - *LOL (Laughing Out Loud)* (2009), as Anne's mother - *A Man and His Dog* (2009), as la femme d'Achab - *The Little Murders of Agatha Christie* (2009), series, as Alexina Laurence - *Made in Italy* (2008), as Rose - *Mademoiselle Gigi* (2006), as Tante Alicia - *La Femme coquelicot* (2005), as Marthe - *Five Times Two* (2004), as Monique - *La Chanson du maçon* (2002), as Elena - *Season's Beatings* (1999), as Yvette - *The Letter* (1999), as Mme de Chartres - *Secret Defense* (1998), as Geneviève - *Un chantage en or* (1996), as Florence Valette - *Reflections in a Dark Sky* (1991), as Valeria - *The Pleasure of Love* (1991), as Do - *Out 1* (1990), as Lucie - *Le Retour d'Arsène Lupin* (1989), series, as Lady Diana - *Reunion* (1989), as Countess von Lohenburg - *Retour à Malaveil* (1989), as La noire - *Three Seats for the 26th* (1988), as Mylene de Lambert - *Faubourg St Martin* (1986), as La Marquise - *Going and Coming Back* (1985), as Sarah Lerner - *Quo Vadis?* (1985), series, as Pomponia - *A Friend of Vincent* (1983), as Dominique - *Benvenuta* (1983), as Jeanne - *Circle of Passions* (1983), as Renata Strauss - *La Veuve rouge* (1983), series, as Marie - *Archipelago of Love* (1983), as The friend (segment "Visiteuse, La") - *Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ* (1982), as Laetitia - *La Visiteuse* (1981), Actor - *Les Dames de la côte* (1979), series, as Clara Delcourt - *La muse et la madone* (1979), as Hélène - *The Blue Ferris* (1977), as Monika Berthier - *Madame Claude* (1977), as Madame Claude - *Chi dice donna, dice donna* (1976), as Bella / Lulù - *Holiday Hookers* (1976), as Nira - *Pleased To See You Again* (1976), as Viviana Bonfigli - *Down the Ancient Stairs* (1975), as Anna Bersani - *How to Kill a Judge* (1975), as Antonia Traini - *City Under Siege* (1974), as Cristina Cournier - *To Love Ophelia* (1974), as Federica, la sua matrigna - *Hail the Artist* (1973), as Peggy - *Private Screening* (1973), as Marthe / Eva - *Out 1: Spectre* (1973), as Lucie - *Happy New Year* (1973), as Françoise - *L'Éducation sentimentale* (1973), series, as Marie Arnoux - *At the Meeting with Joyous Death* (1973), as Françoise - *The Voracious Ones* (1973), as Lara - *Love in the Afternoon* (1972), as Dream Sequence - *Black Turin* (1972), as Lucia Rao - *Out 1* (1971), series, as Lucie - *Are You Engaged to a Greek Sailor or an Airline Pilot?* (1971), as Marion Blanchard - *Raphael or the Debauched One* (1971), as Aurore - *The Females* (1970), as Astrid - *The Cop* (1970), as Hélène Dassa - *The Specialists* (1969), as Virginia Pollywood - *The American* (1969), as La femme de l'agence - *My Night at Maud's* (1969), as Maud — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/my-night-at-mauds.md) - *Belle de Jour* (1967), as Charlotte — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/belle-de-jour.md) - *The Thief of Paris* (1967), as Ida - *La jeune morte* (1965), as La belle-soeur - *Maigret Sees Red* (1963), as Lily - *The Magnificent Adventurer* (1963), as Lucrezia - *Sentimental Education* (1962), Actor - *Always on Sunday* (1962), as Elisabetta - *Every Day Has Its Secret* (1958), as Hélène Lezcano - *Les Violents* (1958), as Evelyne Tiercelin - *There Is the Brunette* (1958), as Christine - *A Bomb for a Dictator* (1957), as Mlle Lambert - *L’aventurière des Champs-Élysées* (1957), Actor - *That damn Amédée* (1957), as Elia Tarti - *Burning Fuse* (1957), as Lola Wassevitch - *Michael Strogoff* (1956), as Natko - *Bold Adventure* (1956), as Esperanza - *Fernandel the Dressmaker* (1956), as Sophie - *That Naughty Girl* (1956), as Lili Rocher-Villedieu - *Mémoires d'un flic* (1956), as Countess (uncredited) ## Gallery - ![Françoise Fabian](https://film.one/media/person/899959/gallery-d9e4a5cfd2fe.jpg) Françoise Fabian — Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Fran%C3%A7oise_Fabian_C%C3%A9sars_2014_2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Dans ce film de Claude d'Anna, Françoise Fabian tient le rôle de Renata Strauss, célèbre cantatrice d'opéra. Elle a revêtu ici le costume de Traviata. (1983)](https://film.one/media/person/899959/gallery-467882ab44ac.jpg) Dans ce film de Claude d'Anna, Françoise Fabian tient le rôle de Renata Strauss, célèbre cantatrice d'opéra. Elle a revêtu ici le costume de Traviata. (1983) — Claude d'Anna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/Fran%C3%A7oise_Fabian_dans_Le_cercle_des_Passions_de_Claude_d%27Anna.jpg/1280px-Fran%C3%A7oise_Fabian_dans_Le_cercle_des_Passions_de_Claude_d%27Anna.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Portrait of French actress Francoise Fabian (Michèle Cortes de Leone y Fabianera) during a photo session at the night club Jackie O'. Rome, 1976.](https://film.one/media/person/899959/gallery-57ab102f9271.jpg) Portrait of French actress Francoise Fabian (Michèle Cortes de Leone y Fabianera) during a photo session at the night club Jackie O'. Rome, 1976. — Marisa Rastellini, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Fabian-Italie-1976.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Françoise Fabian](https://film.one/media/person/899959/gallery-c0947e0ce00a.jpg) Françoise Fabian — Image via TMDB - ![Françoise Fabian](https://film.one/media/person/899959/gallery-1ec687328e09.jpg) Françoise Fabian — Image via TMDB - ![Françoise Fabian](https://film.one/media/person/899959/gallery-82364b22c997.jpg) Françoise Fabian — Image via TMDB - ![Françoise Fabian](https://film.one/media/person/899959/gallery-f0eb6b60ecb6.jpg) Françoise Fabian — Image via TMDB - ![Françoise Fabian](https://film.one/media/person/899959/gallery-90d2398b8118.jpg) Françoise Fabian — Image via TMDB - ![Françoise Fabian](https://film.one/media/person/899959/gallery-5d373808d3e6.jpg) Françoise Fabian — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Other awards — 7 won - Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour 2023: Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour (won) - Commander of the Legion of Honour 2019: Commander of the Legion of Honour (won) - Officer of the Legion of Honour 2000: Officer of the Legion of Honour (won) - Officer of the National Order of Merit 1994: Officer of the National Order of Merit (won) - Knight of the Legion of Honour 1989: Knight of the Legion of Honour (won) - David di Donatello Award for Lifetime Achievement 1974: David di Donatello Award for Lifetime Achievement (won) - Silver Shell for Best Actress 1973: Silver Shell for Best Actress (won), for *La bonne année* *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/francoise-fabian