Sep 23, 2020
Romy Schneider's 82nd Birthday
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Today’s Doodle celebrates the 82nd birthday of Austrian-born actress Romy Schneider, a legendary star of European cinema between the 1950s and the early ‘80s. Schneider garnered international acclaim for her charismatic and provocative performances in more than 60 feature films throughout her storied career.
Romy Schneider was born Rosemarie Magdalena Albach-Retty on this day in 1938 in the Austrian capital of Vienna and moved to Germany as a young child. Following in the footsteps of two generations of professional actors in her family, she appeared in her first feature film alongside her mother by the age of 15. Three years later, Schneider earned a big break when she landed the role of the titular empress in the Austrian historical drama “Sissi.”
The film was a major hit and–along with two sequels–established Schneider as one of Europe’s brightest new stars. To the dismay of many in Germany, the young actress moved to Paris, France in 1958, in part to distance herself from the “Sissi” trilogy and pursue a bold transition to more serious roles. Over the following decades, she worked with some of the world’s top directors and redefined herself as a prolific force in international cinema.
For her performance in “L’important C’est D’Aimer” (“That Most Important Thing: Love,” 1975), Schneider became the very first recipient of the César Award for Best Actress–one of French cinema’s most prestigious prizes–and she won the honor again for 1978’s “Une Histoire Simple” (“A Simple Story”).
Happy birthday, Romy Schneider, and thank you for helping to bring decades of timeless stories to life.
Early drafts by Doodler Sophie Diao
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