Jean Seberg

Jean Seberg was an American actress and an icon of the French New Wave, largely because of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless. Born in Marshalltown, Iowa, she studied dramatic arts at the University of Iowa. Otto Preminger chose her from 18,000 hopefuls for the title role of Saint Joan (1957), though the film and her performance received poor reviews. He cast her in Bonjour Tristesse (1958), which also drew negative notices. After signing with Columbia Pictures, she appeared in the comedy The Mouse That Roared (1959). In France, she starred as Patricia in Breathless (1960), an international success that earned critical praise. She played opposite Warren Beatty in Lilith (1964), which prompted critics to acknowledge her as a serious actress. Later films included A Fine Madness (1966), the musical Paint Your Wagon (1969), and Airport (1970). She also appeared in Macho Callahan (1970) and Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! (1971), both failures. She remained active in European films during the 1970s.