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Jean Seberg 1938 - 1979

Jean Seberg was born on November 13, 1938 in Marshalltown, Marshall County, Iowa United States, and died at age 40 years old on August 30, 1979 in Paris, Paris County, IDF France. Jean Seberg was buried at Paris, France..

Jean Seberg

Jean Dorothy Seberg

November 13, 1938

Marshalltown, Marshall County, Iowa, 50158, United States

August 30, 1979

Paris, Paris County, IDF, France

Female

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Jean Seberg Jean Seberg (1938 - 1979)

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Jean Seberg's History: 1938 - 1979

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Introduction

Jean Seberg Born November 13, 1938 in Marshalltown, Iowa, USA Died August 30, 1979 in Paris, France (barbiturate overdose) Birth Name Jean Dorothy Seberg Height 5' 3" (1.6 m) Mini Bio (1) Jean Dorothy Seberg was born in Marshalltown, Iowa, to Dorothy Arline (Benson), a substitute teacher, and Edward Waldemar Seberg, a pharmacist. Her father was of Swedish descent and her mother was of English and German ancestry. One month before her eighteenth birthday, Jean landed the title role in Otto Preminger's Saint Joan (1957) after a much-publicized contest involving some 18,000 hopefuls. The failure of that film and the only moderate success of her next, Bonjour Tristesse (1958), combined to stall Seberg's career, until her role in Jean-Luc Godard's landmark feature, Breathless (1960), brought her renewed international attention. Seberg gave a memorable performance as a schizophrenic in the title role of Robert Rossen's Lilith (1964) opposite Warren Beatty and went on to appear in over 30 films in Hollywood and Europe. In the late 1960s, Seberg became involved in anti-war politics and was the target of an undercover campaign by the FBI to discredit her because of her association with several members of the Black Panther party. She was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Paris in 1979. - IMDb Mini Biography By: v) Spouse (3) Dennis Berry (12 March 1972 - 30 August 1979) ( her death) Romain Gary (16 October 1962 - 1 July 1970) ( divorced) ( 1 child) François Moreuil (5 September 1958 - 21 September 1960) ( divorced) Trivia (27) Buried in the exclusive Montparnasse cemetery, Paris, France. Her involvement with the Black Panther Party attracted the attention of the FBI, which spread the rumor about her pregnancy in 1970 being a child by Raymond 'Masai' Hewitt, a Black Panther movement leader. Although Seberg initially claimed Romain Gary was the father, after the baby's death she confessed that the father was actually a student revolutionary named Carlos Navarra. The incident may have contributed to her persistent depression over the years, and her decision to take her own life in 1979. Son, Alexandre Diego Gary, AKA: Diego Gary was born out of wedlock on July 17, 1962 in Barcelona, Spain. To avoid public scrutiny, Jean lied about her son's year of birth, claiming he was born in 1963 after her marriage to Romain Gary. Met the father of daughter Nina, Carlos Navarra, while filming Macho Callahan (1970) in Durango, Mexico. Gave birth to her daughter by Carlos Navarra, Nina Hart, two months prematurely on August 23, 1970. Nina died, as a result of complications sustained from Jean overdosing on sleeping pills during her pregnancy, on 25 August 1970, two days after her birth. She was a close friend of Nico, and David Keller. On every subsequent anniversary of her daughter Nina's death, Jean attempted suicide. In 1978, she somehow survived an attempt, throwing herself under a train on the Paris Metro. Committed suicide in the back seat of an automobile in Paris. Her body wasn't found until 11 days later. Otto Preminger chose her to play Joan of Arc out of nearly 18,000 hopefuls. Her marriage to 24-years-older Russian novelist Romain Gary was tempestuous and profoundly unhappy due to his obsessive, Svengali-like influence on her. Separated in 1968 and divorced in 1970 after she bore Carlos Navarra's daughter, she committed suicide in 1979. Gary took his own life by gunshot the very next year; however, he stated in his suicide note that Jean's suicide had nothing to do with his. A musical, simply titled "Jean Seberg," based on her life, premiered at the Royal National Theatre, London in 1983. It was written by Julian Barry, with music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Christopher Adler. Julie Andrews, Faye Dunaway, Mia Farrow, Diana Rigg and Tuesday Weld each turned down the role that went to Seberg in Paint Your Wagon (1969). (Kim Novak actually wanted to play it but was rejected.) Actresses considered for Seberg's role in Lilith (1964) included Yvette Mimieux, Natalie Wood, Samantha Eggar, Sarah Miles and Diane Cilento. Of her own movies, she considered Lilith (1964) to be her favorite. On May 31, 1979, she went through a form of marriage to 19-year-old Algerian playboy Ahmed Hasni. Reverend Thomas Duggan had officiated a "blessing" of the couple at the American Church in Paris, but the ceremony had no legal force because Seberg was still legally married to Dennis Berry. Considered one of the Nouvelle Vague's icons. Survived by both parents, Edward Seberg and Dorothy Benson. Her father died in 1984 and her mother died in 1997. She had an affair with Clint Eastwood during the filming of Paint Your Wagon (1969) in Baker, Oregon. Unbeknownst to Seberg, Eastwood was simultaneously involved in a two-year affair with one of the extras. He ghosted Jean once production moved to Paramount, leaving her traumatized. Was a huge fan of Marlon Brando, since seeing his screen debut in the movie The Men (1950). As a teenager, Seberg wrote to Brando and invited him to stay with her parents in Iowa. She met him years later and Brando asked her to renew the invitation. Ex-daughter-in-law of John Berry. Wrote and published an open letter to drug addicts in the daily paper Libération: 27th February 1978. François Truffaut wanted her to play in Day for Night (1973), but she never returned his calls. Was considered for one of the two female leads in Fahrenheit 451 (1966) before François Truffaut decided Julie Christie would play both parts as a dual role. Another role Seberg was considered for that ultimately went to Christie was that of Lara Antipova in Doctor Zhivago (1965). Had an older sister, Mary Ann (b. 1936) and two younger brothers, Kurt (b. 1942) and David (1950-1968). Because they never divorced, Dennis Berry is technically Seberg's widower, not Ahmed Hasni. On August 29, 1979, Seberg and Ahmed Hasni went to see Womanlight (1979). The owner of their apartment, Marie-Odile Bouilhet, reported having three telephone conversations with Seberg that evening, but the following morning Hasni told her that Seberg and he had argued, and that she had left the flat in the early hours. It was only ten days later, on September 8, that police finally located the missing actress. Her decomposing body was discovered in the back seat of her car, parked in the nearby rue du Général-Appert. The autopsy, confirming the initial findings of the police pathologist, revealed that she had absorbed an overdose of barbiturates. More puzzlingly, it also showed a level of alcohol in her system which would rapidly have resulted in coma, making driving impossible. Police suspected that her body had been moved after her death, but were unable to prove the involvement of any other individual. Final cause of death was left as "probable suicide," and the re-examination of the case in June 1980 was no more conclusive. The circumstances surrounding her death remain a mystery never satisfactorily clarified. Of all her leading men, only Jean-Paul Belmondo went to her funeral. One of the last of her lovers was French filmmaker Jean-Claude Messager, who spoke to CBS's Mike Wallace for a 1981 profile of the actress. Personal Quotes (6) My first marriage was not happy. I married him because I was impressed that he knew which wines to order and how to leave his visiting card. Ridiculous reasons. Money doesn't buy happiness. But happiness isn't everything. I know that the greatest of actresses has about 20 good years of acting in her and that she will go on living for 30 or 40 years as a human being. So, the conclusion I have come to is that I can't make acting my whole life. I never knew until I came here [Hollywood] that somebody could be really nice to you for years and really hate your guts. Happens all the time here. In my long and difficult and mature life, I have come to learn that the less I know about acting and the more I know about everything else, the better I'll be at both acting and living. [on Clint Eastwood] I misjudged him. It's disheartening to find out people aren't sincere. Salary (1) Macho Callahan (1970) $100,000
11/13

1938

Birthday

November 13, 1938

Birthdate

Marshalltown, Marshall County, Iowa 50158, United States

Birthplace

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Ethnicity & Family History

Swedish and German.
Early Life & Education

Marshalltown, Iowa.
Professional Career

One month before her eighteenth birthday, Jean landed the title role in Otto Preminger's Saint Joan (1957) after a much-publicized contest involving some 18,000 hopefuls. The failure of that film and the only moderate success of her next, Bonjour Tristesse (1958), combined to stall Seberg's career, until her role in Jean-Luc Godard's landmark feature, Breathless (1960), brought her renewed international attention. Seberg gave a memorable performance as a schizophrenic in the title role of Robert Rossen's Lilith (1964) opposite Warren Beatty and went on to appear in over 30 films in Hollywood and Europe.
Personal Life & Family

I met Jean Seberg when she was promoting "Bonjour Tristesse" at NBC Studios in New York. I was a teenager and she couldn't be nicer.
08/30

1979

Death

August 30, 1979

Death date

Barbiturate Overdose in an automobile.

Cause of death

Paris, Paris County, IDF France
Death location

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Gravesite & Burial

mm/dd/yyyy
Funeral date
Paris, France.
Burial location
Obituary

Jean Seberg Found Dead in Paris; Actress Was Missing for 10 Days Sept. 9, 1979 According to the police, Ahmed Hasni, a 29‐year‐old Algerian who recently became Miss Seberg's fourth husband, reported that the 40‐year‐old actress disappeared 10 days ago, wearing only the blanket and carrying a supply of barbiturates prescribed by a physician. The police speculated that the auto had been moved and said Miss Seberg had been dead for several days. They said an autopsy was planned. A Life of Personal Tragedy By GEORGE GOODMAN Jr. PARIS, Sept. 8 (UPI) — The body of Jean Seberg, the actress, was found today wrapped in a blanket in the back seat of her small, white Renault in an exclusive section of Paris. Jean Seberg's life was filled with the glamorous highs and the unglamorous lows of personal tragedy that are often associated with a movie career. Friends and the police said the actress had undergone psychiatric treatment for serious depressions. In “Blue Jeans,” her autobiography, she described some of those experiences. Miss Seberg was born in Marshalltown, Iowa. The pretty, blue‐eyed daughter of Lutheran druggist, she became the star of “Saint Joan,” a 1957 film directed by Otto Preminger, after winning a highlypublicized nationwide talent search over 80,000 applicants. However, that success at the age of 17 did not compensate for the bad reviews the film received. Miss Seberg later told an interviewer, “I am the greatest example of a very real fact, that all the publicity in the world will not make you movie star if you are not also an actress.” Among her other film credits were “Bonjour Tristesse” in 1958 and “The Mouse That Roared,” a comedy with Peter Sellers. In 1961, she appeared in “Let No Man Write My Epitaph.” Her later films included “In the French Style,” “Lilith,” “A Fine Madness,” “Paint Your Wagon” and “Airport.” Following her divorce from a French lawyer, Francois Moreuil, Miss Seberg became associated with the New Wave of French directors and won excellent notices for her role in “Breathless,” a 1961 film with Jean‐Paul Belmondo. In 1970, Miss Seberg's daughter by Romain Gary, her second husband, died three days after birth. The incident came only weeks after Miss Seberg and Mr. Gary decided to separate and also followed reports in gossip magazines that Mr. Gary was not the child's father. The child was buried in Marshalltown and Miss Seberg suffered what she later called a “crack‐up.” Miss Seberg and Mr. Gary also had a son, Diego, who lives with his father. A third marriage, to the American director Dennis Berry, ended in divorce. Jean Seberg Famous memorial BIRTH 13 Nov 1938 Marshalltown, Marshall County, Iowa, USA DEATH 30 Aug 1979 (aged 40) Paris, City of Paris, Île-de-France, France BURIAL Cimetière du Montparnasse Paris, City of Paris, Île-de-France, France Show Map PLOT Division 13 MEMORIAL ID 1646 · View Source MEMORIAL PHOTOS 5 FLOWERS 726 Actress. She is best remembered for her roles in such movies as "Bonjour Tristesse" (1958), "The Mouse that Roared" (1959), "Paint Your Wagon" (1969), and "Airport" (1970). Born in Iowa, and educated at Iowa University, she landed the lead role of 'Joan of Arc' in Otto Preminger's "Saint Joan" (1957), after a much publicized contest. When the film failed, and her next film, "Bonjour Tristesse" (1958) was a moderate success, her career seemed stalled. When "Breathless" (1959) came out, her career picked up interest overseas in Europe, but again, only had moderate success in the United States. She began to spend more time in France, and during the late 1960s, took interest in radical political causes, including the Black Panthers. When she became pregnant again, a rumor circulated that Black Panther leader Raymond Hewt fathered the child. Depressed, Seberg overdosed on sleeping tablets, and her daughter, Nina, died two days after birth on August 25, 1970, from complications. She answered the press's continuing innuendo about the father by presenting the white body of her daughter at a press conference. Although her husband, Romain Gary, acknowledged Nina as being his, she later confessed that the child was the product of an affair with student revolutionary Carlos Navarra. She and Romain were divorced later that year. She continued to make movies, mostly in France, where she had gone to escape the unrelenting media coverage, and achieved some success with French films. Her last film, "La Legion sauté sur Kolwezi," was released after her death in 1980. She committed suicide in Paris, by taking an overdose of sleeping pills. She once stated at an interview, "Money doesn't buy happiness, but happiness isn't everything." Bio by: Kit and Morgan Benson Family Members Parents Edward Seberg Edward Waldemar Seberg 1906–1984 Dorothy Seberg Dorothy Arline Benson Seberg 1909–1997 Spouses Romain Gary Romain Gary 1914–1980 (m. 1962) Dennis Berry Dennis Charles Berry 1944–2021 (m. 1972) Siblings David Seberg David Alan Seberg 1950–1968 Children Nina Gary Nina Hart Gary 1970–1970 Diego Gary - son

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Jean Seberg lived 38 years shorter than the average family member when died at the age of 40.

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6 Memories, Stories & Photos about Jean

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/23/2020

Jean Seberg

This is a photo of Jean Seberg added by Amanda S. Stevenson on March 23, 2020.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/23/2020

Jean Seberg

This is a photo of Jean Seberg added by Amanda S. Stevenson on March 23, 2020.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/23/2020

Jean Seberg

This is a photo of Jean Seberg added by Amanda S. Stevenson on March 23, 2020.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/23/2020

Jean Seberg

This is a photo of Jean Seberg added by Amanda S. Stevenson on March 23, 2020.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/23/2020

Jean Seberg

This is a photo of Jean Seberg added by Amanda S. Stevenson on March 23, 2020.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/23/2020

Jean Seberg

This is a photo of Jean Seberg added by Amanda S. Stevenson on March 23, 2020.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

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Jean Seberg's Family Tree & Friends

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Jean Seberg Nov 13, 1938 - Aug 30, 1979

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Other Biographies

Other Seberg Family Biographies

Seberg, Dana (Jun 16, 1952 - Aug 13, 2007) Seberg, Verena (Nov 1, 1912 - Dec 30, 2007) Seberg, George (Jul 25, 1907 - Jan 20, 1994) Seberg, Herman (Jun 14, 1930 - Jul 13, 2009) Seberg, Herman (Feb 12, 1895 - Dec 1977) Seberg, Myrtle (May 31, 1907 - Sep 1995) Seberg, Marion (Apr 23, 1927 - Apr 11, 2003) Seberg, George (Oct 14, 1941 - Feb 26, 2005) Seberg, Dorothy (Jul 29, 1906 - May 22, 2005) Seberg, George (Apr 12, 1924 - Sep 11, 1992)

Seberg, Oscar (Jul 30, 1897 - Nov 1969) Seberg, Richard (Feb 7, 1930 - Apr 30, 1992) Seberg, Charlene (Jan 26, 1958 - Mar 7, 2006) Seberg, Ludwig (Jun 15, 1891 - Sep 1968) Seberg, Delores (Jul 11, 1929 - Feb 7, 2003) Seberg, Marie (Sep 25, 1896 - Oct 1982) Seberg, Harold (Oct 4, 1898 - Jul 1971) Seberg, Elizabeth (Dec 14, 1921 - Sep 22, 2006) Seberg, Jeanette (Jan 9, 1923 - Apr 24, 2002) Seberg, Harold (Mar 6, 1924 - Feb 13, 2003)

About the AncientFaces Community

Jean Seberg 1938 - 1979

Jean Seberg's History: 1938 - 1979

Introduction

Birthday

Ethnicity & Family History

Early Life & Education

Professional Career

Personal Life & Family

Death

Gravesite & Burial

Obituary

6 Memories, Stories & Photos about Jean

Jean Seberg's Family Tree & Friends

Jean Seberg's Family Tree

Jean's Friends

Other Seberg Family Biographies