# Liliane Rovère

Liliane Rovère (née Cukier) (born 30 January 1933) is a French actress.

## Personal life

Liliane Rovère was born Liliane Cyprienne Cukier. Of Jewish origin, she hid in Catholic institutions under a fake name during the German occupation of France in World War II. Her parents survived the Holocaust, but many of her family did not.
Rovère's lifelong love of jazz began at the age of 12, when she began to frequent jazz clubs. At the age of 18, after a visit to the Club Saint-Germain, Rovère survived a rape by two acquaintances.
In 1954, Rovère's parents sent her to live with an uncle in the United States. She visited Birdland in New York City, where she met cool jazz trumpeter Chet Baker at the height of his fame and they began a romantic relationship. She lived with Baker and accompanied him on tour for two years, and he introduced her as his wife despite his existing marriage.$^{:102}$ The couple was frequently photographed together, including in a famous shot by William Claxton where Rovère, with a curly pixie cut and black dress, gazes at the viewer while resting her hand on Baker's head. The photograph appears as part of a collage on the cover of Chet Baker Sings and Plays. While on tour, Rovère caused a stir when she spent time with Black people in racially segregated St. Louis.$^{:104}$ Baker and Rovère's romance ended in 1956, when Baker informed her by mail that he'd married another woman.$^{:128}$
A few years later, Rovère married jazz bassist Gilbert "Bibi" Rovère [fr]. In 1971, they adopted a daughter, who they named Tina.
After taking acting classes, Rovère began appearing as supporting characters on television and worked as a make-up artist in cinema and television.
In 1986, Rovère appeared as Madame Queen in Round Midnight, a film which features cameos by real-life jazz figures and stars bebop saxophonist, Dexter Gordon.
In 1998, Rovère received a Lutin, an award given to short films, for best actress in Christian Rouaud's Le Sujet.
In 2015, Rovère appeared as Arlette Azémar, a main character in Call My Agent!. Some of the role’s characteristics, such as a passion for jazz and a youthful romance with Chet Baker, are taken from Rovère's life.
Rovère published an autobiography in 2019 titled La folle vie de Lili.
In 2022, she supported the candidacy of Jean-Luc Mélenchon for the French presidential election.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1964 | Christine ou La pluie sur la mer | Mina | Maurice Chateau | TV movie |
| 1969 | Les Cinq Dernières Minutes | The Girl | Claude Loursais | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1971 | Le portrait de Marianne | Fannyy | Daniel Goldenberg | |
| 1971 | Le tambour du Bief | Martine | Jean Prat | TV movie |
| 1972 | Raboliot | Flora | Jean-Marie Coldefy | TV movie |
| 1972 | Les Cinq Dernières Minutes | Jeanne Prinquiau | Claude Loursais | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1973 | The Day of the Jackal | Hotel Chambermaid | Fred Zinnemann | |
| 1973 | Une larme dans l'océan | The Mistress | Henri Glaeser | |
| 1973 | La chamaille | Emma | Jacques Pierre | TV movie |
| 1976 | Calmos | Soldier | Bertrand Blier | |
| 1976 | Andréa | The Hotel Manager | Henri Glaeser | |
| 1976 | Monsieur Albert | Madeleine | Jacques Renard | |
| 1976 | Je t'aime moi non plus | Motel Client | Serge Gainsbourg | |
| 1976 | Hôtel Baltimore | Avril | Arcady | TV movie |
| 1977 | March or Die | Lola | Dick Richards | |
| 1977 | Cinéma 16 | Zaza | Jean Hennin | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1978 | La jument vapeur | Armelle's Friend | Joyce Buñuel | |
| 1978 | Get Out Your Handkerchiefs | Marthe | Bertrand Blier | |
| 1978 | Médecins de nuit | The Concierge | Philippe Lefebvre | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1978 | Messieurs les jurés | Dominique Blandy | André Michel | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1978 | Les procès témoins de leur temps | Anne Cotteron | Philippe Lefebvre | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1979 | Buffet froid | Josyane | Bertrand Blier | |
| 1979 | Une femme dans la ville | Madame Etchat | Joannick Desclers | TV movie |
| 1980 | La bande du Rex | Maria | Jean-Henri Meunier | |
| 1980 | Le Voyage en douce | The Voice | Michel Deville | |
| 1980 | Comment passer son permis de conduire | Rafaela Crépineau | Roger Derouillat | |
| 1980 | Les dossiers éclatés | Honorade Venette | Alain Boudet | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1980 | Julien Fontanes, magistrat | Rolande Gripport | Bernard Toublanc-Michel | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1981 | Sans famille | Fernande | Jacques Ertaud | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1982 | Enigma | | Jeannot Szwarc | |
| 1982 | L'ours en peluche | | Edouard Logereau | TV movie |
| 1982 | Joëlle Mazart | Marie Castano | Jean-Claude Charnay | TV mini-series |
| 1982 | Cinéma 16 | Colette Dubreuil | Jean Hennin | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1983 | Pablo est mort | | Philippe Lefebvre | TV movie |
| 1984 | Quidam | | Gérard Marx | TV movie |
| 1984 | Mistral's Daughter | Woman | Kevin Connor & Douglas Hickox | TV mini-series |
| 1984 | Les enquêtes du commissaire Maigret | Mademoiselle Motte | Georges Ferraro | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1985 | Pour quelques je t'aime de plus | | Marc Adjadj | Short |
| 1986 | Round Midnight | Madame Queen | Bertrand Tavernier | |
| 1986 | Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story | Madame Kadousche | Michael Lindsay-Hogg | TV movie |
| 1987 | De guerre lasse | Bérénice | Robert Enrico | |
| 1987 | American Playhouse | Bordello Madame | Jill Godmilow | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1987 | Série noire | The Department Manager | Serge Moati | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1988 | Prisonnières | Pictures Woman | Charlotte Silvera | |
| 1988 | Black mic-mac 2 | Madame Sauret | Marco Pauly | |
| 1989 | La Révolution française | Woman | Robert Enrico | |
| 1989 | Meurtre avec préméditation | Fabienne | Philippe Lefebvre | TV movie |
| 1990 | Les Cinq Dernières Minutes | Mado | Bernard Choquet | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1990 | Renseignements généraux | Mado | Philippe Lefebvre | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1991 | Les époux ripoux | Colette Brialy | Carol Wiseman | TV movie |
| 1992 | La Fille de l'air | Mother | Maroun Bagdadi | |
| 1992 | Les danseurs du Mozambique | The Maid | Philippe Lefebvre | TV movie |
| 1992 | Les genoux cagneux | Martha | Hervé Baslé | TV movie |
| 1995 | Adultery: A User's Guide | Simon's Mistress | Christine Pascal | |
| 1995 | Les grandes personnes | Madame Martinot | Daniel Moosmann | TV movie |
| 1995 | Les gens de Faillac | Mireille | Laurent Heynemann | TV mini-series |
| 1995 | Navarro | Rosy Gailland | Nicolas Ribowski | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1995 | C'est mon histoire | Suzanne | Dominique Tabuteau | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1996 | A Saturday on Earth | Claire's Mother | Diane Bertrand | |
| 1996 | Les Cinq Dernières Minutes | The Shrew | Jean-Marc Seban | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1996 | L'avocate | Fanny's Mother | Philippe Lefebvre | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1997 | Artemisia | The Rich Merchant's Wife | Agnès Merlet | |
| 1997 | Le sujet | Stella | Christian Rouaud | Short |
| 1998 | De l'art ou du cochon | The Proprietress | Yves Beaujour | Short |
| 1998 | Ici | Woman | Jérôme Bouyer | Short |
| 1999 | Lila Lili | The Director | Marie Vermillard | |
| 1999 | Voyages | Regine | Emmanuel Finkiel | |
| 1999 | Peut-être | Marie-Jeanne | Cédric Klapisch | |
| 1999 | Le bleu des villes | Solange's Mother | Stéphane Brizé | |
| 1999 | Venus Beauty Institute | Client | Tonie Marshall | |
| 1999 | Le plus beau pays du monde | Jewish Woman | Marcel Bluwal | |
| 1999 | Marc Eliot | | Josée Dayan | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2000 | La Captive | Françoise | Chantal Akerman | |
| 2000 | Passionnément | Yvette | Bruno Nuytten | |
| 2000 | Harry, He's Here to Help | Michel's Mother | Dominik Moll | |
| 2000 | Recouvrance | | Franck Saint-Cast | Short |
| 2000 | Mary Lester | Madame Le Fur | Christiane Lehérissey | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2001 | Veloma | Simone | Marie de Laubier | |
| 2001 | La fille de son père | The Secretary | Jacques Deschamps | |
| 2001 | Les fantômes de Louba | Paula | Martine Dugowson | |
| 2001 | Demain et tous les jours après | Lisa's Mother | Bernard Stora | TV movie |
| 2002 | L'idole | Gilberte | Samantha Lang | |
| 2002 | Seaside | Odette | Julie Lopes-Curval | |
| 2002 | Safe Conduct | Mémaine | Bertrand Tavernier | |
| 2002 | Froid comme l'été | Claire's Mother | Jacques Maillot | TV movie |
| 2002 | La crim' | Marguerite Zahl | Denis Amar | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2003 | Variété française | Eric's Grandmother | Frédéric Videau | |
| 2003 | À la petite semaine | Colette | Sam Karmann | |
| 2003 | Raining Cats and Frogs | The Old Frog | Jacques-Rémy Girerd | |
| 2003 | La bastide bleue | Mother Nicolet | Benoît d'Aubert | TV movie |
| 2004 | L'origine du monde | | Erick Malabry | Short |
| 2004 | La nourrice | Pagevin | Renaud Bertrand | TV movie |
| 2004 | Nature contre nature | Rose | Lucas Belvaux | TV movie |
| 2004 | La crim' | Odette Prieur | Vincent Monnet | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2004 | Les Montana | Madame Suresne | Benoît d'Aubert | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2005 | Alex | Annie | José Alcala | |
| 2005 | Je vous trouve très beau | Madame Lochet | Isabelle Mergault | |
| 2005 | Le souffle | Grandmother | Mathieu Vadepied | Short |
| 2006 | J'invente rien | Claude | Michel Leclerc | |
| 2006 | Retrouver Sara | Cécile | Claude d'Anna | TV movie |
| 2007 | The Grocer's Son | Lucienne | Éric Guirado | |
| 2007 | La vérité ou presque | Liliane | Sam Karmann | |
| 2008 | Vilaine | Mélanie's Grandmother | Jean-Patrick Benes & Allan Mauduit | |
| 2008 | Anything for Her | Julien's Mother | Fred Cavayé | |
| 2009 | L'absence | Anna | Cyril de Gasperis | |
| 2009 | La grande vie | Véronique's Mother | Emmanuel Salinger | |
| 2009 | Eleanor's Secret | Wicked Fairy Carabosse | Dominique Monféry | |
| 2009 | Panique ! | Marie Morisset | Benoît d'Aubert | TV movie |
| 2010 | Les Bougon | Gisèle | Sam Karmann | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2011 | Coup d'éclat | Fabienne's Mother | José Alcala | |
| 2012 | La Ville Lumière | Odette | Pascal Tessaud | Short |
| 2012 | Les chrysanthèmes sont des fleurs comme les autres | Huguette Pruvost | Yann Delattre | Short |
| 2012 | Quand les poules auront des dents | Bubulle | Bertrand Van Effenterre | TV movie |
| 2013 | La storia di Cino | The Curator | Carlo Alberto Pinelli | |
| 2014 | Brooklyn | Odette | Pascal Tessaud | |
| 2014 | Du grain à moudre | Mémé | Sonia Larue | Short |
| 2014 | Détectives | Chantal Duroy | Renaud Bertrand | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2015 | Le combat ordinaire | Marco's Mother | Laurent Tuel | |
| 2015 | Prozac tango | Lady Paname | Michaël Souhaité | Short |
| 2015 | Les yeux ouverts | Louise | Lorraine Lévy | TV movie |
| 2015–2020 | Call My Agent! | Arlette Azémar | Cédric Klapisch, Lola Doillon ... | TV series (24 episodes) |
| 2017 | Sales gosses | Josette | Frédéric Quiring | |
| 2017 | On l'appelait Ruby | The Patient | Laurent Tuel | TV movie |
| 2017 | Candice Renoir | Claudie | Adeline Darraux | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2018 | Dilili in Paris | Louise Michel | Michel Ocelot | |
| 2018 | Scènes de ménages | Françoise | Francis Duquet | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2018 | The Tunnel | Edith Dutheil | Gilles Bannier | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 2019 | Roxane | Auntie Simone | Mélanie Auffret | |
| 2019 | Damien veut changer le monde | Madame Lopez | Xavier de Choudens | |
| 2019 | Un café sans musique c'est rare à Paris | Madame | Johanna Pauline Maier | |
| 2019 | Les intranquilles | Françoise | Marie Vermillard | Short |
| 2019-2020 | Family Business | Ludmila Rozenberg | Igor Gotesman | TV series (12 episodes) |
| 2020 | Mama Weed | Patience's Mother | Jean-Paul Salomé | |
| 2020 | H24 | Hélène Brossard | Octave Raspail | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2021 | Stuck Together | Louise | Dany Boon | |
| 2021 | À fleur de peau | Huguette Benamou | Jordan Anefalos | Short |
| 2022 | Maison de retraite | Sylvette Leroux | Thomas Gilou |
| 2024 | Emily in Paris | Sylvie's mother | | Season 4 |
| 2025 | The Safe House | | Lionel Baier | In competition at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival |

## Theatre

| Year | Title | Author | Director | Notes |
| 1967 | The Ghost Sonata | August Strindberg | Jean Gillibert | Théâtre de l'Alliance française |
| 1969 | Le Concile d’amour | Oscar Panizza | Jorge Lavelli | Théâtre de Paris |
| 1970 | Jeux de massacre | Eugène Ionesco | Jorge Lavelli | Théâtre Montparnasse |
| 1985 | Les Violettes | Georges Schehadé | Gilles Guillot | Théâtre de l'Athénée |
| 1990 | Grandma | Roberto Cossa | Jorge Lavelli | Théâtre national de la Colline |
| 1994 | Les Grandes Personnes | Olivier Dutaillis | Jean-Michel Vanson | Théâtre de Poche Montparnasse |
| 2009 | Minetti | Thomas Bernhard | Gerold Schumann | Théâtre de l'Athénée |