Leslie Caron Biography

Date of Birth: July 1, 1931

Born in Paris, France to a French father and an American mother, Leslie Caron began her career as a dancer at the age of 10 in the Ballets des Champs-Elysées. Gene Kelly was searching for a dancer to co-star opposite him in the musical feature An American in Paris and spotted Caron performing in a ballet. She got the job and landed a contract with MGM. Caron went on to star in more than 45 features, including the lead role in the beloved classic Gigi (1958) alongside other French stars Maurice Chevalier and Louis Jordan. Her performance earned her a Golden Laurel Award for Top Female Musical Performance.

Caron made a smooth transition from musicals to dramas and won Oscar® and BAFTA nominations, as well as a Golden Globe award for her touching performance in The L-Shaped Room (1962). She has worked steadily throughout the years both in Hollywood and Europe, in features such as Chocolat (2000) and in TV movies such as Murder on the Orient Express (2001). She has also starred in her own television series in the title role of Docteur Erika Werner in 1978.

Married and divorced four times, Caron has two children. She owns an inn in Villeneuve-sur-Yonne, about 100 kilometers south of Paris.