In Remembrance: Claude Jade

     Claude Jade, the internationally acclaimed French actress who appeared in multiple films by director Francois Truffaut, has passed away on December 1, 2006 in Boulonge-Billancourt, France. She was 58.

     Born October 8, 1948 in Dijon, France, Jade studied acting at the Conservatoire d’Art Dramatique in Dijon. While at the Conservatoire she won a prize for best actress for her portrayal of Agnes in Moliere’s play L’Ecole des Femmes. She moved to Paris where she continued to study while appearing on television and in productions at the Theatre Edouard.

     It was while appearing in a production of Shakespeare’s Henry IV that Jade caught the attention of director Francois Truffaut, who cast her as the love-struck Christine Darbon opposite Jean-Pierre Leaund in the 1968 film Biasers Voles (Stolen Kisses). Truffaut would continue the story of their two characters through marriage and eventually divorce in the follow-up films Domicile Conjugal (Bed & Board, 1970) and L'Amour en Fuite (Love on the Run, 1979).

     In addition to her work with Truffaut, Jade also appeared in such notable films as Alfred Hitchcock’s spy thriller Topaz (1969), the romantic comedy My Uncle Benjamin (1969) with singer Jacques Brel, Le Temoin (The Witness, 1969), Le Bateau Sur L’herbe (The Boat in The Grass, 1971), Pretres Interdits (Forbidden Priests, 1973), Home Sweet Home (1973), L’Homme Qui N’etait Pas La (The Man Who Wasn’t There, 1987) and Tableau D’honneur (Honor Role, 1992)

     Throughout her career, Jade continued to appear on television and in various stage productions. In 1998 she was named a Knight in the Legion of Honor for her contributions to French culture.

     Her final screen appearance was in 2004’s A San Remo.