Anna Karina

Birthday: September 22, 1940 in Frederiksberg, Denmark

Birth Name: Hanne Karin Bayer

Height: 172 cm

Born in Denmark, she came to Paris at 18. She met Coco Chanel and Pierre Cardin and started as a top model. She met Jean-Luc Godard about a cameo in À bout de souffle (1960), but she had to be naked and she refused to play in the movie. One year later, they got married and she became famous with the "Nouvelle vague" movies directed by him, Jacques Rivette or Agnès Varda.In 1967, Serge Gainsbourg wrote his only film musical Anna (1967) for her, with the hit "Sous le soleil exactement". Then, she went to Hollywood for a few movies and came back to Paris. She wrote and directed Vivre ensemble (1973) after her divorce from Pierre Fabre. She's now married to Dennis Berry. Show less «

It's about being human. It's beautiful, it's touching, it's acting. It's acting and reality at the s...Show more »

It's about being human. It's beautiful, it's touching, it's acting. It's acting and reality at the same time. Show less «

I don't want to do just "Hello, goodbye," only for very, very good directors like Jonathan Demme, wh...Show more »

I don't want to do just "Hello, goodbye," only for very, very good directors like Jonathan Demme, who asked me to sing this tango in his film La vérité sur Charlie (2002). If not, I really take my choices, because I'm too old to say yes to everything, and also, I've done too many good things to go do whatever now. Show less «

[on the different filmmakers she worked with] Everybody, even all the people with talent and genius,...Show more »

[on the different filmmakers she worked with] Everybody, even all the people with talent and genius, they had their own kind of way. But there is one way they are all the same: They're very human, and they have this sense of giving to you. It doesn't matter what kind of way they're doing it, as long as it's getting to you-as long as you're on the same road. Show less «

Jean-Luc Godard would say, "Don't you understand that if somebody is going to work, he's going to wo...Show more »

Jean-Luc Godard would say, "Don't you understand that if somebody is going to work, he's going to work at least eight hours a day? Why would you not work eight hours a day in front of your mirror to learn about yourself, to learn about what you're doing, to learn how ridiculous you can be, how good you can be, how stupid you can be, and so-and-so?" Of course, he was right that we should all do that every day, even when we're not working, because after all, everybody's working eight hours a day. Show less «

Some people have scripts and scripts and lots of scripts, and they change it all the time. Even thou...Show more »

Some people have scripts and scripts and lots of scripts, and they change it all the time. Even though [Jean-Luc Godard] had no script, he had it all in his heart and in his brain. He can explain it to you in a way where even if you get the dialogue five minutes before in the morning and you have to shoot it later, at least you have an idea about it, because he takes his time to explain things and to do the movements with you. There was always lots of rehearsal. Show less «

I left home when I was 17, because I couldn't get along with my second stepfather, from Denmark. At ...Show more »

I left home when I was 17, because I couldn't get along with my second stepfather, from Denmark. At that age young people can be very brave. Show less «

My part in Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution (1965) was very challenging beca...Show more »

My part in Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution (1965) was very challenging because it was a very strange part. Coming from this other planet, speaking funny French, not knowing how to express feelings. Show less «

[on her Vivre sa vie: Film en douze tableaux (1962) hair] I said to Jean-Luc, "I want to look very d...Show more »

[on her Vivre sa vie: Film en douze tableaux (1962) hair] I said to Jean-Luc, "I want to look very different next time." And he said, "Yes, I would like that, too." So we went to see a hairdresser, and little by little Jean-Luc decided we would cut my long black hair shorter and shorter to get this Louise Brooks style. Show less «

When I had my cover on Elle magazine, everyone wanted to work with me, you know... I earned a lot of...Show more »

When I had my cover on Elle magazine, everyone wanted to work with me, you know... I earned a lot of money in six months, because I did Coca-Cola for England, Palmolive, Pepsodent for the Germans. Everything I could find. So that's how Jean-Luc Godard saw me, because on one side of the Champs Elysées I was selling one brand of soap, and on the other I was selling Palmolive. Show less «

I was the youngest actress to win the Best Actress award at the Berlin festival. Everybody was talki...Show more »

I was the youngest actress to win the Best Actress award at the Berlin festival. Everybody was talking about me, and my mother was very proud. Show less «

Anna Karina

Anna Karina's FILMOGRAPHY

Feedback about this page?