Geneviève Page, the French actress who was celebrated for her roles in classic films like Belle de Jour, El Cid, and The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, has passed away. Page died at her Paris home, as confirmed by her granddaughter, actress Zoé Guillemaud, to the AFP news agency per The Hollywood Reporter. The actress was 97.
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Over a career spanning more than 50 years, Page starred in numerous notable films. Her performances included Fanfan la Tulipe (1952), Foreign Intrigue (1956) alongside Robert Mitchum, The Silken Affair (1956) with David Niven, and John Frankenheimer’s Grand Prix (1966). She also appeared in Mayerling (1968), directed by Terence Young, and Charles Vidor’s Song Without End (1960).
RIP Geneviève Page. Her elegant beauty graced the screen in films like Song without end or Grand Prix. pic.twitter.com/VyA2Q2KVZP
— jhpcine (@jhpcine) February 15, 2025
Geneviève Bonjean was born on Dec. 13, 1927, in Paris. Her father, Jacques Paul Bonjean, was a prominent art dealer and collector who co-founded an art gallery with none other than Christian Dior.
She debuted as a filmmaker in 1951 with Pas de pitié pour les femmes. Throughout her career, she worked across France, the U.K., Italy, and occasionally the U.S., showcasing her versatility in a wide range of films. Notable among her works are the swashbuckling classic Fanfan la Tulipe (1952), the thriller Foreign Intrigue (1956), and the epic, star-studded El Cid (1961).
RIP Geneviève Page💔
— Mesmerized (@Mesmerized2021) February 15, 2025
Geneviève in the 1971 film Brother Carl pic.twitter.com/hbBFyQzQKD
Geneviève Page Rocks 60s Movie Goers with Controverstail Kiss
In Luis Buñuel’s iconic 1967 film Belle de Jour, Page delivers a memorable performance as a madam, sharing a controversial on-screen kiss (beyond tame by 2025 standards) with the legendary Catherine Deneuve.
Une Page se tourne…
— Th Barnaudt (@tbarnaud) February 14, 2025
La première fois que j'ai vu Geneviève Page au cinéma, c'était dans BELLE DE JOUR, et la première scène de rencontre avec Catherine Deneuve est restée tellement iconique dans ma tête.
Ce baiser de cinéma, cette attitude
Merci Madame https://t.co/5vrb7cS4cd pic.twitter.com/gGfAM90UTg
She reunited with Deneuve in Mayerling (1968) and, in 1970, stepped into one of her most iconic English-language roles. Portraying a seductive villain, she sought to charm the legendary detective in Billy Wilder’s The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970).
Her film repertoire also featured the dark comedy Buffet Froid (1979), Claude Miller’s gripping thriller Deadly Circuit (1983), and Robert Altman’s quirky Beyond Therapy (1987).
Page also gained recognition as a talented stage actress, especially for her performance in The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant in 1980. She was further honored in 1996 with the Molière Award for her role in Colombe.
Page remained active in theater until 1998 and continued acting in films until 2003.
Her husband of over 50 years, Jean-Claude Bujard, a businessman, passed away in 2011. She is survived by their two children.