Brigitte Cooper

Mylène Demongeot, born Marie-Hélène Demongeot, was a prolific French actress and author whose career in film, television, and theatre spanned over seventy years and included more than 100 productions in various languages. She achieved early stardom at age 21 with her role in "The Crucible" (1957), earning award nominations and accolades. Throughout her career, Demongeot successfully navigated different genres, from thrillers and westerns to comedies and historical epics, avoiding typecasting and building a diverse filmography.

Beyond her significant film roles, Demongeot also garnered a cult following for her appearances in the "Fantômas" trilogy and later in the popular "Camping" comedy series. Her contributions to cinema were recognized with César Award nominations and high honors from the French Republic, including Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur. Demongeot also authored a book and was a radio columnist. She passed away in December 2022 at the age of 87, following a battle with cancer, leaving behind a legacy as a celebrated figure in French cinema.

Born Marie-Hélène Demongeot in Nice, France, in September 1935, she was the only child of Alfred Jean Demongeot, a high-ranking civil servant, and Claudia Troubnikova. Her parents, both actors, met in Shanghai, China. Demongeot's maternal half-brother was born in Harbin. She received classical training as a pianist, initially aspiring to a professional music career. Later, she trained at the Cours Simon in Paris, where she studied alongside notable figures like Jean-Pierre Cassel, Claude Berri, and Guy Bedos.

Demongeot rose to prominence at 21 for her role as Abigail Williams in "The Crucible" (1957), which earned her a BAFTA nomination and an award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Her extensive filmography includes roles in "Bonjour Tristesse" (1958) and "Les Trois Mousquetaires" (1961). Initially seen as a sex symbol of the 1950s and 60s, she diversified her roles across genres such as thrillers, westerns, comedies, swashbucklers, period pieces, and pepla films, working with actors like Roger Moore and on productions for the Rank Organisation in the UK. She also appeared in British comedies like "It's A Wonderful World" (1956) and "Upstairs and Downstairs" (1959).

A significant part of Demongeot's legacy includes her role as Hélène Gurn in the "Fantômas" film trilogy ("Fantômas" (1964), "Fantômas Unleashed" (1965), and "Fantômas Against Scotland Yard" (1967)), which cultivated a cult following. Decades later, she starred in the successful "Camping" comedy trilogy ("Camping" (2006), "Camping 2" (2010), "Camping 3" (2016)). She received two César Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her work in "36 Quai des Orfèvres" (2004) and "French California" (2006). In her later years, she remained active, appearing in the 2022 box office hit "Maison de retraite" alongside Gérard Depardieu.

In addition to her acting career, Demongeot was an author, publishing "Tiroirs secrets" in 2001. She also detailed her experience with a significant financial scam in her book "Très chers escrocs…" (2019), recounting how her account manager stole millions from her. Demongeot was a public advocate for the right to die with dignity, serving on the honor committee of the Association pour le droit de mourir dans la dignité (ADMD). She was also a columnist for the radio show "Les Grosses Têtes" on RTL from 2013 to 2014.

“Mylène was my little cinema sister, then became my combat sister, a libra like me, she has always loved animals, even going so far as to save a baby lion from set that she brought back to the hotel which hosted her during the filming.”

“Mylene Demongeot was [in The Crucible] truly beautiful, and so bursting with real sexuality as to become a generalized force whose effects on the community transcended herself.”

“Gary Cooper was sublime, there I have to say, now he, was part of the stars, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, John Wayne, those great Americans who I've met really were unbelievable guys, there aren't any like them anymore.”

“He was like a lord, he was part of those great actors who were extraordinary like Dirk Bogarde, individuals with lots of class, elegance and humour. I only saw David get angry once. Preminger had discharged him for the day but eventually asked to get him. I said, sir, you had discharged him, he left for Deauville to gamble at the casino. So we rented a helicopter so they immediately went and grabbed him. Two hours later, he was back, full of rage. There I saw David lose his British phlegm, his politeness and class. It was royal. [Laughs].”