# Claude Gensac

Claude Gensac (1 March 1927 – 27 December 2016) was a French actress. She appeared in more than 70 films and television productions since 1952. Gensac is the oldest nominee to date in the category César Award for Best Supporting Actress, nominated in 2015 for her role as Marthe in the film Lulu femme nue.

## Career

In 1952, Gensac portrayed the character of Evelyne in her first feature film, La Vie d'un homme honnête. She collaborated on a number of films with Louis de Funès, often playing his wife, to international acclaim. She appeared in the series of movies "Les Gendarmes" with Louis de Funès. She played De Funès' wife, Josepha Cruchot. After De Funès's death in 1983, Gensac was rarely involved in film, but was active as a theater actress. In 2001 she returned to film in the French version of Absolutely Fabulous, her first film role since 1983. Gensac appeared in over 100 cinema and television films, as well as numerous theater roles. In 2011 she was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres at the officer grade.

## Personal life

Claude Gensac was married twice: from 1952 to 1954 with the actor Pierre Mondy and from 1958 to 1977 with Henri Chemin, a racer and PR Manager of Ford France with whom she had a son. She died in her sleep on 27 December 2016. She was 89 years old.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1953 | La Vie d'un honnête homme | Evelyne | Sacha Guitry | |
| 1958 | Monsieur de Saint-Germain | Gloria | Philippe Ducrest | TV movie |
| 1958 | Adélaïde | Madame Elisabeth | Philippe Ducrest (2) | TV movie |
| 1959 | Coquin de printemps | Anatoline | André Leroux | TV movie |
| 1959 | La caméra explore le temps | Mme de Montespan / La comtesse Platen / Marie-Louise | Stellio Lorenzi | TV series (3 episodes) |
| 1960 | La terre est ronde | Faustina | Philippe Ducrest (3) | TV movie |
| 1962 | L'inspecteur Leclerc enquête | Caroline | Jean Laviron | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1963 | L'esprit et la lettre | The Marquise of Pommeray | Pierre Cardinal | TV movie |
| 1964 | Les Cinq Dernières Minutes | Françoise Vérac | Bernard Hecht | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1964 | Comment épouser un premier ministre | Madame Grandbourg | Michel Boisrond | |
| 1964 | Christine ou La pluie sur la mer | Hélène | Maurice Chateau | TV movie |
| 1965 | A Woman in White | Mlle Virolleau | Claude Autant-Lara | |
| 1965 | Le legs | The Countess | Jean-Paul Sassy | TV movie |
| 1966 | The Sultans | Marcelle | Jean Delannoy | |
| 1967 | Oscar | Germaine Barnier | Édouard Molinaro | |
| 1967 | Les grandes vacances | Isabelle Bosquier | Jean Girault | |
| 1967 | The Flashing Blade | Mireille | Yannick Andréi | TV series (12 episodes) |
| 1968 | Le gendarme se marie | Josépha Cruchot | Jean Girault (2) | |
| 1969 | Hibernatus | Edmée de Tartas | Édouard Molinaro (2) | |
| 1970 | The Ball of Count Orgel | Mademoiselle d'Orgel | Marc Allégret | |
| 1970 | Le gendarme en balade | Josépha Cruchot | Jean Girault (3) | |
| 1971 | Jo | Sylvie Brisebard | Jean Girault (4) | |
| 1973 | La dame de trèfle | Madame Prascovic | Pierre Cavassilas | TV movie |
| 1974 | Le plumard en folie | Adrienne | Jacques Lemoine | |
| 1975 | Au théâtre ce soir | Various | Pierre Sabbagh | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 1976 | La folle de Chaillot | Constance | Gérard Vergez | TV movie |
| 1976 | The Wing or the Thigh | Marguerite | Claude Zidi | |
| 1976 | Le chasseur de chez Maxim's | Germaine | Claude Vital | |
| 1977 | Moi, fleur bleue | School headmaster | Éric Le Hung | |
| 1977 | Les folies Offenbach | Céleste Baroche | Michel Boisrond (2) | TV mini-series |
| 1978 | Gaston Phébus | The Queen | Bernard Borderie | TV mini-series |
| 1978 | Au théâtre ce soir | Madeleine | Pierre Sabbagh (2) | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1980 | L'avare | Frosine | Louis de Funès & Jean Girault (5) | |
| 1980 | Georges Dandin | Madame de Sotenville | Yves-André Hubert | TV movie |
| 1981 | La Soupe aux choux | Amelie Poulangeard | Jean Girault (6) | |
| 1981 | Les fugitifs | Madame Levroux | Freddy Charles | TV movie |
| 1981 | Les fiancées de l'empire | Madame de Croissy | Jacques Doniol-Valcroze | TV mini-series |
| 1981 | Les amours des années grises | Madame de Mirval | Gérard Espinasse | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1981 | Au théâtre ce soir | Fernande | Pierre Sabbagh (3) | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1982 | Le gendarme et les gendarmettes | Josépha Cruchot | Tony Aboyantz & Jean Girault (7) | |
| 1982 | Au théâtre ce soir | Simone | Pierre Sabbagh (4) | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1984 | Amphitryon 38 | Ecclisé | Claude Barma | TV movie |
| 1984 | Le sexe faible | Isabelle | Lazare Iglesis | TV movie |
| 1984 | Au théâtre ce soir | The Countess | Pierre Sabbagh (5) | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1984 | Le gendarme et l'empereur | Josépha Cruchot | Tony Aboyantz | |
| 1985 | Les amours des années 50 | Baroness | Philippe Galardi | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1985 | Le gaffeur | Lucienne | Serge Pénard | |
| 1985 | Le crime de Mathilde | | Jean-Paul Carrère | TV mini-series |
| 1986 | Madame et ses flics | | Roland-Bernard | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 1986 | Le dindon | Clotilde Pontignac | Pierre Badel | TV movie |
| 1986 | L'étiquette | Gabrielle Caporet | André Flédérick | TV movie |
| 1987 | Cloud Waltzing | Madame Hibbert | Gordon Flemyng | TV movie |
| 1987 | Poule et frites | Françoise | Luis Rego | |
| 1987–1991 | Marc et Sophie | Grenelle | Jean-Pierre Prévost, Georges Bensoussan, ... | TV series (6 episodes) |
| 1991 | Quiproquos! | Alice Girardon | Claude Vital (2) | TV movie |
| 1992 | Tout ou presque | | Claude Vital (3) | TV movie |
| 1994 | Tout feu, tout femme | Henriette | Marion Sarraut & Pierre Sisser | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1998 | Changement de cap | Dora | Patrick Malakian | TV movie |
| 2001 | Absolutely Fabulous | Mamie Mousson | Gabriel Aghion | |
| 2003 | Le Squat | | Jean-Pierre Dravel, Olivier Macé, ... | TV movie |
| 2003 | Un été de canicule | Mamette | Sébastien Grall | TV mini-series |
| 2003 | Docteur Claire Bellac | Madame Lherminier | Denis Malleval | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 2004 | Le grand patron | Rose | Claudio Tonetti | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2005 | Papa est formidable | Paulette | Dominique Baron | TV movie |
| 2005 | Vénus & Apollon | Mouche | Pascal Lahmani | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2005 | Sous le soleil | Aunt Clarissa | Christian Vandelet & Alain Smitti | TV series (4 episodes) |
| 2007 | La prophétie d'Avignon | Odette Esperanza | David Delrieux | TV mini-series |
| 2010 | Coursier | The Dutch | Hervé Renoh | |
| 2010 | 22 Bullets | Madame Fontarosa | Richard Berry | |
| 2011 | La grève des femmes | Madame Deschamps | Stéphane Kappes | TV movie |
| 2011 | De l'huile sur le feu | Madame Lavignasse | Nicolas Benamou | |
| 2012 | Scènes de ménages | Yvonne | Karim Adda & Francis Duquet | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 2013 | On My Way | Annie | Emmanuelle Bercot | |
| 2013 | Lulu femme nue | Marthe | Sólveig Anspach | Nominated - César Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2014 | Les fées du logis | Madame Berto | Pascal Forneri | TV movie |
| 2015 | Mon cher petit village | Adèle | Gabriel Le Bomin | TV movie |
| 2015 | Nos chers voisins | Doctor Derek's Grandma | Emmanuel Rigaut | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2016 | Baden Baden | Odette | Rachel Lang | |
| 2017 | Nos années folles | | André Téchiné | |