Romy Schenider was a German-French film actress who appeared in such features as Sissi and The Swimming Pool before her tragic death. Though Romy initially pigeonholed as a naïve and innocent waif during the early days of her career. She eventually managed to transform herself into a slightly more intimidating sex symbol. Sadly, not long after making this successful career transition, Romy passed away. Join Facts Verse as we explore how troubled German goddess Romy Schneider met a tragic end.
Romy Schneider Had Acting in Her Blood
Romy Schneider was born on September 32, 1938, in Vienna, Austria. The young girl was born into a family of established actors. And it was her mother who ended up pushing her into becoming an actress herself at the age of only 15. Though Romy made her debut on the screen at the age of 15. It wouldn’t be until a couple years later that the young woman would receive the role that would make her a star. That role came in the 1955 film Sissi, which saw Romy tasked with playing the titular role. For those who are unaware, Sissi was the first film in a trilogy of features depicting the life of the real-life figure Empress Elisabeth of Austria. And who known colloquially by the name “Sissi”.
The audience adored Romy in the role of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, and the young actress went on to reprise the role in both of Sissi’s sequels. In 1958, Romy took a part in the 1958 film Christine, which was a remake of the 1933 film Playing at Love. Romy’s mother had been the female lead of Playing at Love. And Romy’s role in Christine saw her playing the same role that her mother had popularized in the original. Given that Romy’s mother was the one in charge of the burgeoning star’s career. It stood to reason that the stage mother was grateful for the opportunity to literally see her daughter step into her shoes. Notable French actor Alain Delon played Romy’s romantic interest in the film. And the two stars fell in love during the picture’s filming.
Romy Fell in Love with Alain Delon
Romy and Alain first met at the Orly Airport shortly before filming of Christine began. According to Romy, she initially put off by how vain she perceived Alain Delon to be. However, she eventually warmed up to the handsome French star over the course of the ensuing shoot. By the time that Christine done filming, Romy and Alain were in love. The two became engaged during the movie’s filming, but never ended up actually tying the knot. Still, they stayed together for a period of several years, with their relationship not coming to an end until Romy received a breakup letter from Alain in 1963. Despite this breakup, the two would reunite on the screen many years later in the picture La Piscine. If there was any bad blood between the two stars, they were able to effectively hide it for the cameras.
During Romy Schneider’s relationship with Alain Delon, the two stars moved to Paris. Romy experiencing some career ennui as a result of being typecast in roles similar to her titular turn in Sissi. The actress desperately wanted a change of scenery, and hoped that moving to Paris might help initiate a new and more rewarding stage of her career. The actress’s intuition ended up paying off, as she went on to collaborate with such notable directors as Orson Welles and Luchino Visconti after moving to the French city.
Romy Schneider’s First Marriage Ended in Suicide
Not long after Romy Schneider received her breakup letter from Alain Delon, the actress went on to marry her first husband. Romy’s first husband was a fellow German film star by the name of Harry Meyen, and the two tied the knot in 1966. Not long afterwards, the two had a child together by the name of David. Despite this little miracle, the two were having an incredibly hard time making their marriage work. Romy and Harry ended up staying married from 1966 to 1975, though their marriage was turbulent throughout the majority of that time period. In fact, their marriage was so turbulent that it ended up inspiring Harry Meyen to commit suicide. Whereas Romy’s relationship with Alain ended with a decidedly impersonal breakup letter, her relationship with Harry ended when she received news of his passing.
While it sounds like Romy Schneider and Harry Meyen’s marriage was pretty hard on the latter figure, it was also hard on Romy herself. It was during her marriage to Harry that Romy started up a habit of substance abuse that would plague her until her own tragic end not all that long afterwards. Before then, however, Romy would have to deal with another shocking tragedy that was soon to come her way: the death of her son. If you’re enjoying this video so far, be sure to hit the like button to show you 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!
Romy’s Career Was Still Going Well Amidst Tragedy
Although Romy Schneider’s personal life wasn’t going great during the 1970s, her career was still going fairly well. Around the same time as her first husband’s suicide, Romy Schneider became the first actress in history to win in the category of Best Actress at the César Awards. The awards ceremony created as France’s alternative to the Academy Awards. And Romy won for her performance in 1975’s That Most Important Thing: Love. In addition to Sissi, that film stands as one of Romy’s most iconic works.
After becoming the first-ever star to win Best Actress at the César Awards, Romy went on to win the award again only a few years later for her performance in 1978’s A Simple Story. After several decades in the entertainment industry, Romy was a bigger star than ever in the country of France. However, the actress only had a few years left in her before her life would tragically cut short at the age of only 43.
Romy Remarried Incredibly Fast
While one might assume that Romy Schneider needed time to heal after learning about her first husband’s suicide, she actually seems to have gotten over the ordeal fairy fast! The same year that her marriage to Harry Meyen ended as a result of the actor’s tragic death, Romy married a writer by the name of Daniel Biasini. Romy and Daniel were married from 1975 to 1981, and had a daughter named Sarah.
Though Romy Schneider was essentially at the top of the world as far as her career was concerned entering into the 1980s, the actress’s personal life wasn’t nearly as perfect. Romy continued using illicit substances over the course of her marriage to Daniel, and it soon grew apparent that the true love of the actress’s life was tranquilizers. In 1981, Romy would be forced to live through the most tragic experience of her relatively short lifetime when her first child was tragically impaled on a fence. This proved to be the end of young David, and Romy never recuperated from the loss.
Romy Couldn’t Overcome the Death of Her Son
Not long after the death of her firstborn child, Romy Schneider passed away herself. Romy died in May of 1982, at the aforementioned age of only 43 years old. Romy’s death came as a shock to the public, with many people the world over having grown to adore the actress thanks to her numerous iconic roles. Many suspected that Romy took her own life in the wake of her son’s tragic death, though the authorities eventually decreed that it was a spontaneous cardiac arrest that ended up doing the actress in. Still, there are many who suspect that Romy’s death was intentional, and that the devastated actress intentionally overdosing on sleeping pills was the cause of the cardiac arrest.
Romy Schneider’s Complicated Legacy
At the time of her tragic death, Romy Schneider had been at it in the entertainment industry for well over two decades. The actress had become a star at the age of 17 thanks to her titular turn in Sissi. Before her passing, Romy had managed to eschew the innocent demeanor that had been imposed on her as a result of that classic role. The actress never quite liked being associated with her role in Sissi and it’s two sequels, with her instead wanting to be appreciated by audiences for her more mature roles. One of the roles the actress was most proud of was her turn in 1969’s The Swimming Pool, which showed off her depth as an actress.
According to Romy Schneider, being pigeonholed into roles similar to her titular turn in Sissi felt like being imprisoned in a strait jacket, and she was incredibly grateful when she was able to leave behind this innocent demeanor as an adult and perform in more risqué roles. Despite the fact that Romy ended up being incredibly successful in her transition from innocent teen waif to full-blown cinematic seductress, this victory wasn’t enough to satisfy the German-French star.
Romy’s Lesser-Known Love Interests
Besides the numerous aforementioned love interests that Romy Schneider had over the course of her life, there were also a few other notable figures that the actress was romantically involved with at one point or another. Romy’s costar in the feature That Most Important Thing: Love was a popular singer by the name of Jacques Dutronc, and the two started up a relationship during the picture’s filming. Romy was still married to Harry Meyen at the time, though they were separated. Perhaps it was seeing that Romy had moved onto another man that caused Harry to pull the trigger! Besides Jacques Dutronc, another costar that Romy hooked up with later in her life was Jean-Louis Trintignant. The pair hooked up during the filming of a picture in the early 1960s, and then reunited on the screen in the early 1970s.
Although Romy Schneider was at the top of her game as she entered into her 40s, the actress’s tragic personal life sadly won out over her career success and caused her to spiral downwards towards her untimely death, which may or may not have been a suicide. Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that there are many who believe to this day that actress Romy Schneider’s death was actually a suicide, and that one of the actress’s early roles saw her playing a part that her mother had popularized many years previously? 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!
