Sometimes, young talents who have just begun their journey to fame leave us unexpectedly. This can be due to the corrupt show business or an unfortunate twist of fate. Today, few people remember that the famous Catherine Deneuve had a sister who was equally beautiful and talented, capable of overshadowing the icon of French cinema.
Françoise Dorléac, the eldest of three daughters, dreamed of becoming famous from a young age. In the late 1950s, the beauty began working as a model at the Christian Dior fashion house, and in 1960, she made her film debut. In the drama The Wolves in the Fold,(Les loups dans la bergerie) she played the role of Madeleine.
In the early 60s, Catherine, Françoise's younger sister, also started climbing the acting Olympus. The sisters had completely opposite personalities: while Catherine loved wild parties and drinking, Françoise preferred to avoid noisy gatherings and confidently pursued her goals.
Films like The Man from Rio, The Soft Skin, The Manhunt, and Dead End turned the lovely Ms. Dorléac into one of France's main young stars. In The Young Girls of Rochefort, Françoise and Catherine acted together. Although the press often pitted the sisters against each other, calling them rivals, in reality, they were too different and got along wonderfully on screen, seeing no threat in each other.
Françoise Dorléac had many creative plans, but they were not destined to come to fruition. In 1967, the actress was rushing to Nice Airport, running late for a flight, when she lost control of her car. The promising starlet died instantly. She was only 25 years old.
