Jeanne Moreau, an actress inextricably linked to the rise of French New Wave cinema and who ascended to become one of her country's most revered performers, has died. She was 89 years old. A cause of death has not yet been reported.
Tributes for the actress, who made an early mark on the cinema world with performances in films like Jules et Jim and Diary of a Chambermaid, have already begun pouring in from France's highest circles. President Emmanuel Macron released a statement mourning Moreau, calling her "a legend of cinema."
In the '70s, Roger Ebert called her "the greatest movie actress of the last 20 years." Orson Welles, who directed her in four films, once simply called her "the greatest actress in the world." Such accolades regularly made their way to the exacting star, who also won several awards in her lifetime-including the César, the French equivalent of an Oscar, for her performance in 1991's The Old Lady Who Walked in the Sea. She was also given an honorary César three years later, and a lifetime-achievement César in 2008.
She acted well into her 80s, adding several chapters to her rich filmography, which included collaborations with Louis Malle, Jean Renoir, and Luis Buñuel. She married twice, first to director Jean-Louis Richard, then to director William Friedkin. She is survived by her son, Jerome Richard.