Capucine

Capucine
Capucine on 25 April 1962
Born	Germaine Hélène Irène Lefebvre (1928-01-06)6 January 1928 Saint-Raphaël, Var, France
Died	17 March 1990(1990-03-17) (aged 62) Lausanne, Switzerland
Cause of death	Suicide
Occupation	Model, actress
Years active	1948–1990
Spouse(s)	Pierre Trabaud (m. 1950–50)

Capucine (6 January 1928 – 17 March 1990) was a French fashion model and actress known for her comedic roles in The Pink Panther (1963) and What's New Pussycat? (1965). She appeared in 36 films and 17 television productions between 1948 and 1990.

The future Capucine was born Germaine Hélène Irène Lefebvre on 6 January 1928 in Saint-Raphaël, Var, France. She often confused the issue of her birth by claiming that she was born in 1931 or 1933, and most sources indicate those years. She attended school in Saumur, France, and received a B.A. in foreign languages.

In 1945, at age 17, while riding in a carriage in Paris, Lefebvre was noticed by a commercial photographer. Adopting the name "Capucine" (French for nasturtium), she became a fashion model, working for fashion houses Givenchy and Christian Dior.

Capucine met Audrey Hepburn while modeling for Givenchy in Paris. The two would remain close friends for the rest of Capucine's life.

In 1949, Capucine made her film debut in the French film Rendez-vous de juillet.

In 1957, film producer Charles K. Feldman spotted Capucine while she was modeling in New York City. Feldman brought her to Hollywood to learn English and study acting under Gregory Ratoff. She was signed to a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1958 and landed her first English-speaking role in the film Song Without End (1960) for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.