Magali Noel, an actress and singer best remembered for her work with Federico Fellini, died this week, just a few days before she was set to celebrate her 84th birthday.
Her family confirmed her death, reports Italian news agency ANSA.
Noel was born in Turkey on June 27, 1932 to French parents and started acting when she went to France in 1951. That year, she starred in Seul dans Paris, her first film, notes Il Sole 24 Ore. She quickly became a favorite among even well-established directors, working with Jean Renoir in Elana and Her Men with Ingrid Bergman and in blacklisted American director Jules Dassin’s iconic Rififi. During that time, she also scored her biggest hit as a singer with “Fais-moi mal, Johnny” in 1956.
In the 1960s, she began working with Fellini, starring in the legendary La Dolce Vita and Fellini Satyricon. She had her most famous role in Fellini’s 1973 Oscar-winner Amarcord, starring Gradisca.
Noel continued acting into the early 2000’s, making her final appearance in 2002’s The Truth About Charlie by Jonathan Demme.