Oscar-nominated actress and dancer Leslie Caron, 86, was picked, aged 17, by Gene Kelly to star in An American In Paris. Later, she appeared in Gigi and most recently she was in The Durrells In Corfu. She lives in London and has a son and daughter and three grandchildren.
I’m a late feminist. I remember when I first heard there was something called ‘women’s lib’. It was the late Fifties, and the Hollywood actress Jennifer Jones told me about it at dinner.
I thought she was crazy. I said to her: ‘But women have a great deal of power in a subdued way.’
And she said: ‘Yes, in a subdued way, but they deserve to be equal. Just watch, it’s a big movement.’
Leslie Caron (pictured), 86, revealed how she shaped her motto from challenges in her acting career
I was a submissive wife. My mother wanted me to have a career, but she would say: ‘If you know more than a man, hide it.’
When I was married to the theatre director Peter Hall it was a great love affair, but he wanted me to stay in the kitchen like his mother had.
I had to escape, but as I was a divorced woman, the headmistress of my children’s school wouldn’t send me their reports. When I asked him, Peter was very courteous and sent them to me.
Though I became successful playing the poor little orphan in Hollywood, I knew I had to leave if I wanted to be an adult. When I returned to France, however, they thought I was an American star and I could never make the transition into French films.
I had roles in bad TV dramas, then, in my 60s, I stopped acting to open a hotel in Burgundy for nine years. It was successful, but I missed acting.
Five years ago, I moved back to London. I like the English fair play, the kindness. And it’s like I’ve had a second wind in my career; my agent has so many great ideas.
People say I look young for my age. I eat properly — fish, fruit, three vegetables of different colours at every meal, yoghurt, sourdough bread — and do exercises in the park.
I’m not the kind of person who would eat a cream cake at 4pm; I would not accept being fat. Being sick or out-of-shape is a problem I can do without — I appreciate life immensely.
My motto is: Never give up on yourself. You can always be useful.
I don’t worry about death because I know I’ve got a while to go — I always thought I would last a long time.