Capucine was a French actress and model that remains best known to the world at large thanks to her roles in a few notable films, including 1963’s The Pink Panther. Despite the modest success that she received in the entertainment industry, Capucine was rarely found to be happy throughout her life and attempted suicide several times. In her 60s, she finally succeeded. Having only been married once in her life and having never had children, she didn’t leave much of a personal legacy behind. Join Facts Verse as we explore how Capucine’s only known survivors were here three cats.
Capucine’s Early Life
Capucine was born on January 8, 1928, in Southern France. At the time of her birth, Capucine was known as Germaine Lefebvre, and it wouldn’t be until her coming of age that she would adopt her more famous stage name. From an early age, the future star exhibited a non-conformist streak that made her stand out from many of her fellow youths. During her school years, this non-conformist streak proved to be a boon, though it would serve her well upon her entrance into the entertainment industry. Despite going on to become known to the public at the relatively early age of only 17, Capucine didn’t aspire for stardom as a child. Instead, it was thrust upon her after being spotted by a photographer.
Prior to being spotted by a commercial photographer at the age of 17 while riding a horse-drawn carriage, Capucine wasn’t all that sure what she wanted to do with her life. Her parents would routinely suggest that she become something safe, like a schoolteacher. However, Capucine would always balk at her parents’ suggestions. Instead, the young woman was seeking a life of adventure, and it ended up coming her way via her career in the entertainment industry. It was after being spotted by the aforementioned commercial photographer that Capucine came up with her stage name.
Capucine attended college and received a bachelor’s degree in foreign languages, though she was arguably much more focused on her burgeoning career in the entertainment industry at the time. Following being found by the aforementioned photographer, Capucine went on to find fairly quick success modeling in France. During this period of time, Capucine also struck up a friendship with a similarly young Audrey Hepburn, who was actually a year Capucine’s junior. Though Audrey had been born in Belgium, she had been lured out to France to do some modeling work.
Capucine Was Friends with Audrey Hepburn
Following Capucine and Audrey Hepburn becoming friends during their early modeling years in France, the two would remain friends up until Capucine’s suicide many decades later. However, Capucine would never become anywhere near as big of a star as Audrey. Still, this wasn’t for a lack of trying! After a few years of modeling, Capucine made her debut as an actress in a 1949 French film by the name of Rendez-vous de Juillet. It was on the set of this French film that Capucine would meet the man that would go on to become her first and only husband, though their marriage didn’t last for very long. That man’s name was Pierre Trabaud, and he and Capucine were only married for six months before their divorce. Though Capucine was involved with numerous men afterwards, she never remarried.
How Capucine Wound Up in America
Nearly a decade after making her debut on the screen via the aforementioned French film, Capucine found herself in New York City working as a model. It was here that Capucine first caught the attention of a Hollywood film producer. This producer’s name was Charles K. Feldman, and he offered Capucine the chance to come out to Hollywood. There, Capucine worked on her English accent and studied her craft under famed actor Gregory Ratoff.
In 1958, Capucine signed a contract with Columbia Pictures. In 1960, she made her English-speaking debut on the screen via the motion picture Song Without End. In the film, she starred alongside actor Dirk Bogarde. Capucine would make quite an impression on her male costar, and rumor has it that Dirk asked her to marry him around the time of the movie’s filming. Capucine ended up turning that man’s offer down, and some speculate it was because he was actually gay. It seems that, around the same time that he asked Capucine to marry him, Dirk was living with a homosexual lover by the name of Anthony Forwood. Anthony also apparently served as the actor’s manager, and Dirk himself claimed that Anthony was only living with him as a friend.
It’s possible that Dirk Bogarde asked Capucine to marry him to quell the rumors of his alleged homosexuality. There were also similar rumors that Capucine herself was open to experimenting with members of the same sex, which may have been why she never got remarried after her first husband. If you’re enjoying this video so far, be sure to hit the like button to show your support! Also, subscribe to the channel if you’d like to be among the first to know when more Facts Verse videos are on their way!
Capucine’s Short-Lived Hollywood Career
After making her English-speaking debut on American cinema screens in 1960, Capucine appeared in a few other notable Hollywood productions over the course of the ensuing decade before eventually making the decision to return back to Europe and resume making films there. The handful of Hollywood pictures that the actress made saw her appearing alongside such stars as John Wayne and Jane Fonda. Capucine appeared alongside John Wayne in 1960’s North to Alaska, and alongside Jane Fonda in 1962’s Walk on the Wild Side. Capucine appeared alongside British comedic actor Peter Sellers in the two roles that arguably remain her most iconic. Those two roles came via the pictures The Pink Panther and What’s New, Pussycat?, which were released in 1963 and 1965, respectively.
Capucine Returned to Europe After Hollywood
Following Capucine’s time in Hollywood, the model and actress returned to Europe and appeared in films with such notable stars as Alain Delon. One of the most notable films that Capucine appeared in following her return to Europe is Fellini Satyricon, which was directed by famed filmmaker Federico Fellini. The film was released in 1969. Though Capucine continued to work through the years, her star status only decreased into the 1970s and beyond. Her last film appearance was in The Curse of The Pink Panther, which was released in 1984. Several years later, Capucine would end up successfully committing suicide after having made several attempts over the preceding decades.
Capucine Had an Extramarital Affair with William Holden
Besides her strange, and possibly romantic, relationship with Dirk Bogarde, Capucine also become romantically involved with another actor during her relatively brief time in Hollywood. One amongst the handful of Hollywood features that Capucine appeared in was named The 7th Dawn, and it starred actor William Holden in the lead role. William became smitten with Capucine over the course of the picture’s filming, despite the fact hat the actor was married at the time. Even though William was married, he couldn’t help himself when it came to Capucine. The two ended up becoming involved in an extramarital affair that was said to have lasted for two years. Though the affair eventually came to an end, Capucine was said to have remained friends with William Holden up until the actor’s death in 1981.
At the time of William Holden’s death in 1981, the actor was only 63 years old. While this is relatively young age to pass away, Capucine would go on to beat the actor when she passed away at the age of only 62. William Holden had died accidentally after gnashing his head on a piece of furniture during a drunken stupor. Meanwhile, Capucine would die very much intentionally, and by the actress’s own hand.
Capucine Was Never Happy and Died by Her Own Hand
Though Capucine received a modest amount of success over the course of her life and remained working in the entertainment industry up until her final years, she was never quite satisfied with the way things had turned out for her. A big part of the actress’s mental turmoil may have stemmed from the fact that she suffered from bipolar disorder. Over the course of her life, Capucine attempted suicide several times. It has been said that Capucine often turned to lifelong friend Audrey Hepburn to talk her down during these suicidal episodes. Despite numerous attempts from a relatively young age, Capucine had never succeeded at taking her own life by the time that she made it to her 60s.
In 1990, Capucine turned 62 years old. By that point in the actress’s life, one might’ve assumed that she had come to terms with her mental turmoil. However, it appears that Capucine was in just as dire straits as ever when it came to her personal life. That year, the actress decided to give suicide another go. This time, she succeeded in her endeavor. At the age of 62, Capucine was pronounced dead by her own hand. After several attempts that didn’t work, Capucine decided that she was going to commit suicide by jumping out the window of her apartment. Given that the apartment was on the eighth floor of it’s building, Capucine believed that there was no chance of failure. The actress ended up finally being successful in her longtime quest to end her own life, and Audrey Hepburn wasn’t there to talk her down. A few years later, in 1993, Audrey herself would pass away after suffering through a battle with cancer. Although Capucine never became the star that she arguably set out to be, she still appeared in some classic films and worked consistently up until her 1990 suicide.
Some of the most memorable films that Capucine appeared in over the course of her career include 1963’s The Pink Panther and 1965’s What’s New, Pussycat?, both of which starred Peter Sellers. Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that French model and actress Capucine was said to have been bisexual, and that she had an extramarital affair with actor William Holden that lasted for two years? As always, like this video to show your support, and subscribe and hit the notification bell if you’d like to be among the first to know when more Facts Verse videos are on their way!
