With a long filmography behind her, Romy Schneider has made a name for herself on the European and American film scene. Let’s discover his history between career and personal life anecdotes.
Who was Romy Schneider
Romy Schneider, stage name of Rosemarie Magdalena Albach-Retty (23 September 1938, Vienna – 29 May 1982, Paris), was an Austrian actress.
He grows up with his German mother Magda Schneider and Austrian father Wolf Albach-Retty. They both work as actors in Austria transmitting the passion to his daughter. In fact, in adolescence she shows great talent for painting but once she returns from college she lets her mother persuade her to enter the cinematic world.
At the age of 15 she was awarded her first part in “Lilac Flowers”, a 1953 film by Hans Deppe. Only a year later achieves great success with “The love of a great queen” who sees her in the role of Queen Victoria. Right at this moment he chooses his pseudonym taking the surname of his mother, also present in the film in the role of Baroness Lehzen. They will be numerous films made together, among these the best known is certainly the trilogy dedicated to the empress of Austria known as “Sissi”.
Thanks to this project released between 1955 and 1957 Rom becomes a very successful actress.
The beginning of Romy Schneider’s career
After theincredible popularity acquired with this character, it continues with projects along the same lines. In fact, she often interprets comedies or fairy tales where she personifies the sweet and pure girl, especially under the advice of her mother who helps her to choose carefully which roles to accept. However, towards the end of the 1950s, the moment came when the young woman decides to move away from this image of actress suitable only for reading roles.
He then began to decide for himself turning his career in 1958 with “The pure lover” alongside Alain Delon with whom he has a long relationship. Then follows the Orson Welles project “The process” where he collaborates with Jeanne Moreau, Anthony Perkins and Elsa Martinelli with whom he works in several other films. For many years Schneider takes part in films of Italian and French production such as “Ludwig” by Luchino Visconti, “La Califfa” by Alberto Bevilacqua or “La morte live” by Bartrand Tavernier which allows her to emerge as a great dramatic actress.
Romy Schneider and the rapid decline
If his career continues to flourish, the same cannot be said of his private and sentimental life. In fact, in 1964 his relationship with Delon was interrupted and he saw a succession of disappointing stories and bankruptcy marriages. Although her son David was born from the first marriage with Harry Meyen and Sarah from the second with Daniel Biasini, love life is a succession of disappointments. With a mental health constantly hanging in the balance, this series of events leads her to alcoholism and depression.
A peculiar, albeit disturbing, event is the interpretation of the film by Dino Risi “Phantom of love” which proves to be a premonitory of the future of the actress. Already marked by the suicide of her first husband and the death of her 14-year-old son, she was found in May 1982 dead in the house of producer and partner Laurent Petin. Although initially the hypothesis of suicide was considered, the autopsy later proved that it was a cardiac arrest.