Maria Schneider

Maria Schneider (1952-2011) was a well-known French actress most notable for her roles in the films The Last Tango in Paris and The Passenger. Schneider, who made her film debut in 1969, quickly rose to international prominence when she starred opposite Marlon Brando in the controversial film The Last Tango in Paris, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Not only did this film ignite her career, but it also sparked a scandal due to its explicit sex scenes and allegations of on-set abuses. She later starred alongside Jack Nicholson in Michelangelo Antonioni's The Passenger, further establishing her as a formidable talent in the film industry. However, her career was marked by struggles with mental health and substance abuse issues, leading her to take a hiatus from acting in the late 1980s. She returned to the silver screen in the early 1990s and continued to act until her death in 2011. Over her career, Schneider contributed significantly to the French and international film industry, starring in more than 50 films and working with an array of acclaimed directors and actors.