Liliane Rovère () (born 30 January 1933) is a French actress.

Personal life Liliane Rovère was born Liliane Cyprienne Cukier. Of Jewish origin, she hid in Catholic institutions under a fake name during the German occupation of France in World War II. Her parents survived the Holocaust, but many of her family did not.

Rovère's lifelong love of jazz began at the age of 12, when she began to frequent jazz clubs. At the age of 18, after a visit to the Club Saint-Germain, Rovère survived a rape by two acquaintances.

In 1954, Rovère's parents sent her to live with an uncle in the United States. She visited Birdland in New York City, where she met cool jazz trumpeter Chet Baker at the height of his fame and they began a romantic relationship. She lived with Baker and accompanied him on tour for two years, and he introduced her as his wife despite his existing marriage. The couple was frequently photographed together, including in a famous shot by William Claxton where Rovère, with a curly pixie cut and black dress, gazes at the viewer while resting her hand on Baker's head. The photograph appears as part of a collage on the cover of Chet Baker Sings and Plays. While on tour, Rovère caused a stir when she spent time with Black people in racially segregated St. Louis. Baker and Rovère's romance ended in 1956, when Baker informed her by mail that he'd married another woman.

A few years later, Rovère married jazz bassist . In 1971, they adopted a daughter, who they named Tina.

After taking acting classes, Rovère began appearing as supporting characters on television and worked as a make-up artist in cinema and television.

In 1986, Rovère appeared as Madame Queen in Round Midnight, a film which features cameos by real-life jazz figures and stars bebop saxophonist, Dexter Gordon.

In 1998, Rovère received a Lutin, an award given to short films, for best actress in Christian Rouaud's Le Sujet.

In 2015, Rovère appeared as Arlette Azémar, a main character in Call My Agent!. Some of the role’s characteristics, such as a passion for jazz and a youthful romance with Chet Baker, are taken from Rovère's life.

Rovère published an autobiography in 2019 titled La folle vie de Lili.

In 2022, she supported the candidacy of Jean-Luc Mélenchon for the French presidential election.

Filmography Year Title Role Director Notes 1964 Christine ou La pluie sur la mer Mina Maurice Chateau TV movie 1969 Les Cinq Dernières Minutes The Girl Claude Loursais TV series (1 episode) 1971 Le portrait de Marianne Fannyy Daniel Goldenberg Le tambour du Bief Martine Jean Prat TV movie 1972 Raboliot Flora Jean-Marie Coldefy TV movie Les Cinq Dernières Minutes Jeanne Prinquiau Claude Loursais TV series (1 episode) 1973 The Day of the Jackal Hotel Chambermaid Fred Zinnemann Une larme dans l'océan The Mistress Henri Glaeser La chamaille Emma Jacques Pierre TV movie 1976 Calmos Soldier Bertrand Blier Andréa The Hotel Manager Henri Glaeser Monsieur Albert Madeleine Jacques Renard Je t'aime moi non plus Motel Client Serge Gainsbourg Hôtel Baltimore Avril Arcady TV movie 1977 March or Die Lola Dick Richards Cinéma 16 Zaza Jean Hennin TV series (1 episode) 1978 La jument vapeur Armelle's Friend Joyce Buñuel Get Out Your Handkerchiefs Marthe Bertrand Blier Médecins de nuit The Concierge Philippe Lefebvre TV series (1 episode) Messieurs les jurés Dominique Blandy André Michel TV series (1 episode) Les procès témoins de leur temps Anne Cotteron Philippe Lefebvre TV series (1 episode) 1979 Buffet froid Josyane Bertrand Blier Une femme dans la ville Madame Etchat Joannick Desclers TV movie 1980 La bande du Rex Maria Jean-Henri Meunier Le Voyage en douce The Voice Michel Deville Comment passer son permis de conduire Rafaela Crépineau Roger Derouillat Les dossiers éclatés Honorade Venette Alain Boudet TV series (1 episode) Julien Fontanes, magistrat Rolande Gripport Bernard Toublanc-Michel TV series (1 episode) 1981 Sans famille Fernande Jacques Ertaud TV series (1 episode) 1982 Enigma Jeannot Szwarc L'ours en peluche Edouard Logereau TV movie Joëlle Mazart Marie Castano Jean-Claude Charnay TV mini-series Cinéma 16 Colette Dubreuil Jean Hennin TV series (1 episode) 1983 Pablo est mort Philippe Lefebvre TV movie 1984 Quidam Gérard Marx TV movie Mistral's Daughter Woman Kevin Connor & Douglas Hickox TV mini-series Les enquêtes du commissaire Maigret Mademoiselle Motte Georges Ferraro TV series (1 episode) 1985 Pour quelques je t'aime de plus Marc Adjadj Short 1986 Round Midnight Madame Queen Bertrand Tavernier Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story Madame Kadousche Michael Lindsay-Hogg TV movie 1987 De guerre lasse Bérénice Robert Enrico American Playhouse Bordello Madame Jill Godmilow TV series (1 episode) Série noire The Department Manager Serge Moati TV series (1 episode) 1988 Prisonnières Pictures Woman Charlotte Silvera Black mic-mac 2 Madame Sauret Marco Pauly 1989 La Révolution française Woman Robert Enrico Meurtre avec préméditation Fabienne Philippe Lefebvre TV movie 1990 Les Cinq Dernières Minutes Mado Bernard Choquet TV series (1 episode) Renseignements généraux Mado Philippe Lefebvre TV series (1 episode) 1991 Les époux ripoux Colette Brialy Carol Wiseman TV movie 1992 La Fille de l'air Mother Maroun Bagdadi Les danseurs du Mozambique The Maid Philippe Lefebvre TV movie Les genoux cagneux Martha Hervé Baslé TV movie 1995 Adultery: A User's Guide Simon's Mistress Christine Pascal Les grandes personnes Madame Martinot Daniel Moosmann TV movie Les gens de Faillac Mireille Laurent Heynemann TV mini-series Navarro Rosy Gailland Nicolas Ribowski TV series (1 episode) C'est mon histoire Suzanne Dominique Tabuteau TV series (1 episode) 1996 A Saturday on Earth Claire's Mother Diane Bertrand Les Cinq Dernières Minutes The Shrew Jean-Marc Seban TV series (1 episode) L'avocate Fanny's Mother Philippe Lefebvre TV series (1 episode) 1997 Artemisia The Rich Merchant's Wife Agnès Merlet Le sujet Stella Christian Rouaud Short 1998 De l'art ou du cochon The Proprietress Yves Beaujour Short Ici Woman Jérôme Bouyer Short 1999 Lila Lili The Director Marie Vermillard Voyages Regine Emmanuel Finkiel Peut-être Marie-Jeanne Cédric Klapisch Le bleu des villes Solange's Mother Stéphane Brizé Venus Beauty Institute Client Tonie Marshall Le plus beau pays du monde Jewish Woman Marcel Bluwal Marc Eliot Josée Dayan TV series (1 episode) 2000 La Captive Françoise Chantal Akerman Passionnément Yvette Bruno Nuytten Harry, He's Here to Help Michel's Mother Dominik Moll Recouvrance Franck Saint-Cast Short Mary Lester Madame Le Fur Christiane Lehérissey TV series (1 episode) 2001 Veloma Simone Marie de Laubier La fille de son père The Secretary Jacques Deschamps Les fantômes de Louba Paula Martine Dugowson Demain et tous les jours après Lisa's Mother Bernard Stora TV movie 2002 L'idole Gilberte Samantha Lang Seaside Odette Julie Lopes-Curval Safe Conduct Mémaine Bertrand Tavernier Froid comme l'été Claire's Mother Jacques Maillot TV movie La crim''' | Marguerite Zahl | Denis Amar | TV series (1 episode) |- | rowspan=4 | 2003 | Variété française| Eric's Grandmother | Frédéric Videau

| À la petite semaine| Colette | Sam Karmann

| Raining Cats and Frogs| The Old Frog | Jacques-Rémy Girerd

| La bastide bleue| Mother Nicolet | Benoît d'Aubert | TV movie |- | rowspan=5 | 2004 | L'origine du monde| | Erick Malabry | Short |- | La nourrice| Pagevin | Renaud Bertrand | TV movie |- | Nature contre nature| Rose | Lucas Belvaux | TV movie |- | La crim'| Odette Prieur | Vincent Monnet | TV series (1 episode) |- | Les Montana| Madame Suresne | Benoît d'Aubert | TV series (1 episode) |- | rowspan=3 | 2005 | Alex| Annie | José Alcala

| Je vous trouve très beau| Madame Lochet | Isabelle Mergault

| Le souffle| Grandmother | Mathieu Vadepied | Short |- | rowspan=2 | 2006 | J'invente rien| Claude | Michel Leclerc

| Retrouver Sara| Cécile | Claude d'Anna | TV movie |- | rowspan=2 | 2007 | The Grocer's Son| Lucienne | Éric Guirado

| La vérité ou presque| Liliane | Sam Karmann

| rowspan=2 | 2008 | Vilaine| Mélanie's Grandmother | Jean-Patrick Benes & Allan Mauduit

| Anything for Her| Julien's Mother | Fred Cavayé

| rowspan=4 | 2009 | L'absence| Anna | Cyril de Gasperis

| La grande vie| Véronique's Mother | Emmanuel Salinger

| Eleanor's Secret| Wicked Fairy Carabosse | Dominique Monféry

| Panique !| Marie Morisset | Benoît d'Aubert | TV movie |- | 2010 | Les Bougon| Gisèle | Sam Karmann | TV series (1 episode) |- | 2011 | Coup d'éclat| Fabienne's Mother | José Alcala

| rowspan=3 | 2012 | La Ville Lumière| Odette | Pascal Tessaud | Short |- | Les chrysanthèmes sont des fleurs comme les autres| Huguette Pruvost | Yann Delattre | Short |- | Quand les poules auront des dents| Bubulle | Bertrand Van Effenterre | TV movie |- | 2013 | La storia di Cino| The Curator | Carlo Alberto Pinelli

| rowspan=3 | 2014 | Brooklyn| Odette | Pascal Tessaud

| Du grain à moudre| Mémé | Sonia Larue | Short |- | Détectives| Chantal Duroy | Renaud Bertrand | TV series (1 episode) |- | rowspan=3 | 2015 | Le combat ordinaire| Marco's Mother | Laurent Tuel

| Prozac tango| Lady Paname | Michaël Souhaité | Short |- | Les yeux ouverts| Louise | Lorraine Lévy | TV movie |- | 2015–2020 | Call My Agent!| Arlette Azémar | Cédric Klapisch, Lola Doillon ... | TV series (24 episodes) |- | rowspan=3 | 2017 | Sales gosses| Josette | Frédéric Quiring

| On l'appelait Ruby| The Patient | Laurent Tuel | TV movie |- | Candice Renoir| Claudie | Adeline Darraux | TV series (1 episode) |- | rowspan=3 | 2018 | Dilili in Paris| Louise Michel | Michel Ocelot

| Scènes de ménages| Françoise | Francis Duquet | TV series (1 episode) |- | The Tunnel| Edith Dutheil | Gilles Bannier | TV series (2 episodes) |- | rowspan=4 | 2019 | Roxane| Auntie Simone | Mélanie Auffret

| Damien veut changer le monde| Madame Lopez | Xavier de Choudens

| Un café sans musique c'est rare à Paris| Madame | Johanna Pauline Maier

| Les intranquilles| Françoise | Marie Vermillard | Short |- | 2019-2020 | Family Business| Ludmila Rozenberg | Igor Gotesman | TV series (12 episodes) |- | rowspan=2 | 2020 | Mama Weed| Patience's Mother | Jean-Paul Salomé

| H24| Hélène Brossard | Octave Raspail | TV series (1 episode) |- | rowspan=2 | 2021 | Stuck Together| Louise | Dany Boon

| À fleur de peau| Huguette Benamou | Jordan Anefalos | Short |- | 2022 | Maison de retraite| Sylvette Leroux | Thomas Gilou

| 2024 | Emily in Paris| Sylvie's mother | | Season 4 |- | 2025 | The Safe House| | Lionel Baier

| 2025 | Dix pour cent (Call My Agent!, the Movie)'' Arlette Azémar Émilie Noblet

Theatre Year Title Author Director Notes 1967 The Ghost Sonata August Strindberg Jean Gillibert Théâtre de l'Alliance française 1969 Le Concile d’amour Oscar Panizza Jorge Lavelli Théâtre de Paris 1970 Jeux de massacre Eugène Ionesco Jorge Lavelli Théâtre Montparnasse 1985 Les Violettes Georges Schehadé Gilles Guillot Théâtre de l'Athénée 1990 Grandma Roberto Cossa Jorge Lavelli Théâtre national de la Colline 1994 Les Grandes Personnes Olivier Dutaillis Jean-Michel Vanson Théâtre de Poche Montparnasse 2009 Minetti Thomas Bernhard Gerold Schumann Théâtre de l'Athénée

References

External links