This Sunday, April 17, the Belgian-Italian actress Catherine Spaak, who became known for her roles in the films of Jacques Becker, Dino Risi or Dario Argento, but also in the French series Une famille formidable, died in Rome at the age of 77.
She was the figure of post-war Italian comedy. Victim of a cerebral hemorrhage in 2020, Catherine Spaak died this Sunday April 17 in a Roman clinic, at the age of 77. The Belgian-Italian actress had spent her life between France and Italy, where she filmed for the greatest filmmakers of both countries. French viewers also knew her for her role as Queen in the series A wonderful familybefore being replaced by Béatrice Agenin from season 3.
Daughter of screenwriter Charles Spaak and niece of former Belgian Prime Minister Paul-Henri Spaak, Catherine Spaak was revealed to the cinema in 1960 in the film The hole, by Jacques Becker. She then left for Italy to shoot in front of the cameras of the greatest directors of the time, such as Dino Risi (The Braggart), Roger Vadim (Round), Dario Argento (The nine tailed cat) or even Henri Verneuil (Weekend in Zuydcoote). But in addition to having participated in 80 films in the cinema and on television, Catherine Spaak was also a singer : she has indeed interpreted several songs in Italian, in particular an adaptation of All the boys and girls by Françoise Hardy, in 1963. In the 1980s, she decided to become a television presenter, and during the 2000s, she participated in several Italian reality TV shows.
“An eclectic, cultured and elegant artist”
Shortly after the announcement of the death of Catherine Spaak, many French and Italian personalities decided to take the floor to express their emotion. This is for example the case of Pierre Lescure who praised on Twitter his “youthful and free beauty” as well as “its modernity”. For his part, the writer Henry-Jean Servat remembered “the eternal adolescent of Italian cinema” and add: “Heroine of tangy comedies where her wild charm and her chubby pouts worked wonders, she embodies with pep the sparkling epic of the Dolce Vita”. The Italian Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini, for his part spoke of “an eclectic, cultivated and elegant artist who had found in our country a home that welcomed and loved her“.
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© INTERCOPA / PARIS FILMS
3/12 –
Catherine Spaak
The Belgian-Italian actress had spent her life between France and Italy, where she filmed for the greatest filmmakers of both countries.
© FILMS DE L’EPEE / PEEL / PLANFILM
4/12 –
Catherine Spaak
French viewers also knew her for her role as Queen in the series A wonderful family, before being replaced by Béatrice Agenin from season 3.
© INTERCOPA / PARIS FILMS
5/12 –
Catherine Spaak
Daughter of screenwriter Charles Spaak and niece of former Belgian Prime Minister Paul-Henri Spaak, Catherine Spaak was revealed to the cinema in 1960 in the film Le Trou, by Jacques Becker.
© PATHE
6/12 –
Catherine Spaak
Catherine Spaak then left for Italy to shoot in front of the greatest directors of the time such as Dino Risi (Le Fanfaron), Roger Vadim (La Ronde), Dario Argento (Le chat à neuf queues) or Henri Verneuil ( Weekend in Zuydcoote).
© PATHE
7/12 –
Catherine Spaak
But in addition to having participated in 80 films in the cinema and on television, Catherine Spaak was also a singer.
© PATHE
8/12 –
Catherine Spaak
Catherine Spaak has indeed interpreted several songs in Italian, in particular an adaptation of All the boys and the girls of Françoise Hardy, in 1963.
© SGP
9/12 –
Catherine Spaak
In the 1980s she decided to become a television presenter, and during the 2000s she participated in several Italian reality TV shows.
© PATHE
10/12 –
Catherine Spaak
Shortly after the announcement of the death of Catherine Spaak, many French and Italian personalities decided to take the floor to express their emotion.
© INTERCOPA / PARIS FILMS
11/12 –
Catherine Spaak
This is for example the case of Pierre Lescure who hailed on Twitter his “juvenile and free beauty” as well as “his modernity”
© FILMS DE L’EPEE / PEEL / PLANFILM
12/12 –
Catherine Spaak
The Italian Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini, for his part evoked “an eclectic, cultured and elegant artist who had found in our country a home which welcomed and loved her”.