Micheline Presle
Biography
Micheline Presle was a French actress born on August 22, 1922, in Paris, France. She began taking acting classes in her early teens and made her film debut at the age of fifteen in the 1937 production of La Fessée. Presle was awarded the Prix Suzanne Bianchetti in 1938 as the most promising young actress in French cinema. She went on to star in over 50 French and English language films, including those made in Hollywood and France. Presle was sometimes billed as Micheline Prelle. She died on February 21, 2024, at the age of 101.
Career overview
Micheline Presle was born in Paris on 22 August 1922 as Micheline Nicole Julia Émilienne Chassagne. From childhood she aspired to act, took classes in her early teens and attended the convent school Notre‑Dame de Sion. She made her film debut at fifteen in the 1937 production La Fessée and the following year received the Prix Suzanne Bianchetti as the most promising young actress in French cinema.
Presle’s career accelerated rapidly. She achieved European stardom through roles such as the lead in Devil in the Flesh, a performance that attracted Hollywood interest. By 1939 she was already working on international productions, appearing with Belgian actor Fernand Gravey on the set of Paradis Perdu (released in English as Four Flights to Love). From 1939 onward she starred in more than fifty French‑ and English‑language films made in both France and Hollywood, accumulating over 160 screen credits. She was sometimes billed as Micheline Prelle or Micheline Chassa.
Throughout a span of nearly eight decades Presle remained a prominent figure in cinema, transitioning between French and Anglo‑American markets while maintaining a steady output of work. She continued acting into her later years and passed away on 21 February 2024 at the age of 101.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
163 titles- Danielle Darrieux : Il est poli d'être gai ! (2019) as Self (archive footage)
- Jean Paul Gaultier : Freak & Chic (2018) as Self
- Rue Mandar (2013) as la tante
- I Will Show My Breasts (2013) as Jeanne
- Bankable (2012) as Granny
- Just Like Brothers (2012) as Grandmother
- Hitler in Hollywood (2011) as Micheline Presle
- Thelma, Louise et Chantal (2010) as Huguette
- A Man and His Dog (2009) as Femme
- Going South (2009) as La grand-mère
- A Day at the Museum (2008) as Liliane
- Vous êtes de la police ? (2007) as Jane Latour-Jackson
- Grabuge! (2005) as Gisèle Lenoir
- Le Voyageur sans bagage (2004) as Mme Renaud
- Les Anges 1943, histoire d'un film (2004) as Self (voice)
- Chouchou (2003) as La mère de Stanislas
- France Boutique (2003) as Nicole
- Saltimbank (2003) as Mrs. Saltim
- Anna in Corsica (2003) as Marie
- La Vie au grand air (2002) as Claire Lacombe
- Charming Fellow (2001) as Bélise
- Transfixed (2001) as Violette Ancelin
- Vertiges de l'amour (2001) as La mère de Vincent
- Tender Souls (2001) as Juliette
- The Heart at Work (2000) as Madeleine
- Un enfant, un secret (2000) as Marthe
- Venus Beauty Institute (1999) as Tante Maryse
- Bad Company (1999) as Mamie
- The Journey to Paris (1999) as Madame Dubosc
- Letter to my brother Guy Gilles, filmmaker who passed away too soon (1999) as Self
- Vivement dimanche (1998) as Self
- Grève party (1998) as Madame Raymonde
- The Count of Monte Cristo (1998) as Madame de Saint-Méran
- H (1998) as Elle-même (l'actrice)
- The Voyage of Penelope (1996) as Hermine
- Diary of a Seducer (1996) as Diane
- Should Not!... (1996) as la "mère" de Bernard
- A Chef in Love (1996) as Marcelle Ichak
- Les Miserables (1995) as Mother Superior
- Something Fishy (1994) as Mrs. Loussine
- Casque bleu (1994) as Gisèle
- Fanfan (1993) as Maude
- Point d'orgue (1993) as Avril Espart
- My Name is Victor (1993) as Luce
- The Other Eye (1991) as Self
- Seul face au crime (1991) as Maria
- Epiphany Sunday (1991) as Germaine et Marie-Louise
- Les Disparus de Saint-Agil (1991) as Mme Donnadieu
- Après après-demain (1990) as La voisine
- Fathers' Day (1990) as Mireille Miran
- In inniger Feindschaft (1989) as Gloria Maieul
- I Want to Go Home (1989) as Isabelle Gauthier
- Mignon Has Left (1988) as Prof. Girelli
- Lark, I'll Pluck You! (1988) as Lady with jewels
- Sacrée soirée (1987) as Self
- Matin Bonheur (1987) as Self
- Qui trop embrasse... (1986) as La mère de Christian
- Good Weather, But Stormy Late This Afternoon (1986) as Jacqueline
- The Ray Bradbury Theater (1985) as Grandma
- Thieves After Dark (1984) as Genevieve
- The Blood of Others (1984) as Denise
- Les Fausses Confidences (1984) as Mme Argente
- The Dog (1984) as Simone
- Archipelago of Love (1983) as The mother (segment "Remue-ménage")
- At the Top of the Stairs (1983) as Mathilde
- Champs-Elysées (1982) as Self
- It All Depends on Girls (1980) as Betty
- Certaines nouvelles (1980) as Hélène
- Tales of the Unexpected (1979) as Madame Lagrue
- I've Got You, You've Got Me by the Chin Hairs (1979) as Mlle Chagrin
- S'il vous plaît... la mer ? (1979)
- Démons de midi (1979) as Rose
- We Forget Everything! (1979) as Madame Courdevey
- Out of Whack (1979) as Carmen
- Ciné regards (1978) as Self
- Your Turn, My Turn (1978) as Valentine Vatrin
- The Devil in the Box (1977) as Madame Aubert
- La Vie de Marianne (1976) as Mme. de Miran
- Nea (1976) as Helen Ashby
- Don't Bite, We Love You (1976) as Psychologist
- Apostrophes (1975) as Self
- Midi Première (1975) as Self
- Les Rendez-vous du dimanche (1975) as Self
- The Broken Mirror (1975) as Mother
- The Butcher, the Star and the Orphan (1975) as Star Belladonna
- La Gueule de l’emploi (1974) as Micheline Presle
- Two Big Girls in Pyjamas (1974) as Laurence
- A Slightly Pregnant Man (1973) as Dr Delavigne
- Devil in the Brain (1972) as Countess Claudia Osio De Blanc
- Samedi soir (1971) as Self
- The Legend of Frenchie King (1971) as Aunt Amelie
- Donkey Skin (1970) as The Red Queen
- Earth Light (1970) as L'Antiquaire
- Le Bal du comte d'Orgel (1970) as Madame de Séryeuse
- À la recherche de Jean Grémillon (1969) as Self
- The Nun (1967) as Mme de Moni
- King of Hearts (1966) as Madame Eva aka Madame Eglantine
- Les Saintes Chéries (1965) as Ève Lagarde
- Hail! Mafia (1965) as Daisy
- Male Hunt (1964) as Isabelle Lartois
- Dark Purpose (1964) as Monique Bouvier
- Les Pieds nickelés (1964) as Paméla Van Der Mèche
- Teuf-teuf (1963)
- The Bamboo Stroke (1963) as Angèle Brissac
- The Prize (1963) as Denise Marceau
- Combat! (1962) as Annette
- The Seven Deadly Sins (1962) as Madame Duparc - la Mère de Bernard (segment "La luxure")
- Imperial Venus (1962) as Josephine
- Lust (1962) as Madame Duparc - la Mère de Bernard
- The Devil and the Ten Commandments (1962) as Micheline Allan
- If a Man Answers (1962) as Germaine Stacy
- Law of Men (1962) as Sophie Givier
- Seduction Of The South (1961) as La marchesa
- The Red and the Black (1961) as Madame de Rénal
- The Assassin (1961) as Adalgisa De Matteis
- Time Out for Love (1961) as Michele
- Five Day Lover (1961) as Madeleine
- The Baron of the Locks (1960) as Perle Germain-Joubert
- Mistress of the World - Part I (1960) as Madame Latour
- Mistress of the World - Part II (1960) as Mrs. Latour
- A Mistress for the Summer (1960) as Paule
- Bobosse (1959) as Régine / Simone
- Blind Date (1959) as Jacqueline Cousteau
- Les Cinq Dernières Minutes (1958) as Rachelle
- Christine (1958) as Baroness Lena Eggersdorf
- Women Are Talkative (1958) as Nicole
- Demoniac (1957) as Hélène Vanaux
- Castle of the Banned Lovers (1956) as Lucrezia Cenci
- Her Bridal Night (1956) as Judith Aurigault
- Napoleon (1955) as Queen Hortense de Beauharnais
- Thirteen at the Table (1955) as Madeleine Villardier
- House of Ricordi (1954) as Virginia Marchi
- The Impure Ones (1954) as Michèle
- It Happened in the Park (1953) as Valeria Valenzano (segment "Gli Amanti")
- Royal Affairs in Versailles (1953) as Mrs. de Pompadour
- The Love of a Woman (1953) as Marie Prieur
- La Dame aux camélias (1953) as Marguerite Gauthier
- Adventures of Captain Fabian (1951) as Lea Mariotte
- American Guerrilla in the Philippines (1950) as Jeanne Martinez
- The Last Days of Pompeii (1950) as Hélène
- Under My Skin (1950) as Paule Manet
- All Roads Lead to Rome (1949) as Laura Lee
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- Devil in the Flesh (1947) as Marthe Grangier
- The Chips Are Down (1947) as Eve Charlier
- Paris Frills (1945) as Micheline Lafaurie
- Angel and Sinner (1945) as Élisabeth Rousset, aka "Boule de suif"
- Twilight (1944) as Félicie Nanteuil
- Secrets of a Ballerina (1943) as Clara Biondi
- Le soleil a toujours raison (1943) as Micheline
- Fantastic Night (1942) as Irène
- The Beautiful Adventure (1942) as Françoise Pimbrache
- Parade in 7 Nights (1941) as Irène Morillon
- Foolish Husbands (1941) as Adélaïde Barbier
- The French Way (1940) as Claire Ancelot
- They Were Twelve Women (1940) as Lucie
- Comedy of Happiness (1940) as Lydia
- Four Flights to Love (1939) as Janine Mercier / Jeannette Leblan
- Petite peste (1939)
- Girls in Distress (1939) as Jacqueline Presle
- Vous seule que j'aime (1939)
- I Sing (1938) as (uncredited)
- The Spanking (1937) as (uncredited)
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Micheline Presle best known for?
Micheline Presle is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Le Piège (2025), Vivement dimanche (1998), Grève party (1998), The Count of Monte Cristo (1998).
When and where was Micheline Presle born?
Micheline Presle was born on August 22, 1922 in Paris, France. They passed away on February 21, 2024.
How many credits does Micheline Presle have?
Micheline Presle has accumulated over 163 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1937 to 2019.
What is Micheline Presle's background in cinema and television?
Micheline Presle was a French actress born on August 22, 1922, in Paris, France. She began taking acting classes in her early teens and made her film debut at the age of fifteen in the 1937 production of La Fessée. Presle was awarded the Prix Suzanne Bianchetti in 1938 as the most promising young actress in French cine...
Micheline Presle by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Midi Première (1975) as Self — aged about 52
- Apostrophes (1975) as Self — aged about 52
- Combat! (1962) as Annette — aged about 39
- Bobosse (1959) as Régine / Simone — aged about 36
- Lust (1962) as Madame Duparc - la Mère de Bernard — aged about 39
- The Count of Monte Cristo (1998) as Madame de Saint-Méran — aged about 75
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