Sorry, this is not French actress Maria Schneider, just a fan page! Je suis désolé, mais cette page n'est pas gérée par Maria elle même. Je suis simplement un fan.
Born Marie Christine Gélin, she is the daughter of French actor Daniel Gélin and Romanian / German model Marie-Christine Schneider. Abandoned by Gélin, Maria was raised by her single mother in France close to the German border. After having a fight with her mother she moved alone to Paris when she was only fifteen. Gélin died without ever acknowledging his paternity to Maria.
She began her career in the theater without the advantage of any formal training nor education. Acting seemed to be her second nature. Maria's first role on the big screen was "L'Arbre de Noel" (The Christmas Tree) with Terence Young which was followed by "Madly" with Alain Delon.
Ms. Schneider began appearing not only in French films but German and Italian ones as well. Meeting the teenage Ms. Schneider on the set of "Les Femmes" in 1969, Brigitte Bardot took young Maria under her wing to protect her from the exploitive side of the movie industry. Maria lived in Mme Bardot's mansion for more than two years and it was Mme. Bardot's agents and contacts that secured additional roles for Maria in film.Ms. Schneider caught the eye of director Bernardo Bertolucci after he saw modeling pictures of her in a magazine. She was cast in the lead of "Last Tango In Paris" along with Marlon Brando. This was a ground breaking film, with its dark theme, nudity, and detached sexuality. Ms. Schneider was applauded by some for her bravery for appearing nude in the film, which was quite scandalous for mainstream movies in the early 70s. She was only 20 years old at the time and Brando 49. There were, however, many critics of the movie who considered it simply a vehicle for pornography. It was rated "X" and even banned in many U.S. cities. Director Bertolucci, Brando, and Ms. Schneider were even brought up on obscenity charges in Italy, which were finally dropped.
The most controversial rape scene was, in fact, not in the original script. It was added at the insistence of Marlon Brando. Ms. Schneider has mentioned in interviews that she felt debased by Brando, and the notorious segment really contributed little to the overall story line of the film. The film was eventually nominated for two Oscars, but not for Best Picture most likely due to its strong sexual content.
Despite the fact that "Last Tango" has grossed millions of dollars, Maria was only paid $5000 for the role. She was never paid any residuals for VHS and DVD sales.Ms. Schneider rode a wave of notoriety after "Tango" and had a high profile in the European scandal press. She was featured in a nude photo layout in Playboy magazine in 1973; one might even say that she was the Paris Hilton of her time.However, Ms. Schneider continued to get prestigious acting offers and was cast in other important European films such as Antonioni's "The Passenger" with Jack Nicholson. Nicholson had been slated to work with Maria in a prior film project, which was never completed. In a press interview, Nicholson called her "the female James Dean".
Schneider was then offered the role of Conchita in Luis Buñuel's final film, "That Obscure Object of Desire" (1977), but was fired shortly into filming due to increasingly unpredictable and unreliable behavior. Ms. Schneider walked off of the set of Bertolucci's "1900" which might have also significantly advanced her career. The on-set tantrums had now became a habit, and she also left Tinto Brass' "Caligula", which was bankrolled by Penthouse magazine, because of what she felt was its pornographic nature. She continued to appear in ground-breaking films such as "La Dérobade" where she played a prostitue with French actress Miou Miou and "Een Vrouw als Eva" which dealt with a child custody issues resulting from a lesbian love affair. It was one of the first films to portray a lesbian relationship in a positive light.
Maria's fame at such a young age had come with a price; Ms. Schneider hard-partying lifestyle eventually led to multiple drug addictions; including to heroin and cocaine. As her life spun out of control, she eventually admitted herself to an asylum for help. Her numerous paramours, both male and female, gave the Yellow Press ample fodder for scandal. Ms. Schneider also had a high profile, but very dysfunctional, affair with American heiress Joan "Joey" Townsend, whose father had been President of Avis and written "Up The Organization". When Ms. Townsend was picked up at Fiu-micino Airport babbling incoherently and taken to a psychiatric hospital, Ms. Schneider rushed to her side and checked in to be with her. The scandal of their bisexual relationship made the pages of Time magazine and ample fodder for the paparazzi. Some Italian politicians were "scandalized" by their behavior and called for an investigation. It is hard to imagine this happening today; but this was 1975, after all. Unfortunately, this event only served to further type cast Maria as a "wild child".By the late 1970s, Ms. Schneider had become uninsurable and hence unemployable in Hollywood. After relocationg to California, Maria spent a period time on American Indian reservations in an attempt to find peace in her life.
She continued to appear in small roles in European films in the early 80s but work became more and more difficult to come by. It was during this decade she met a life partner who stabilized her life and moved her away from a lifestyle of drug abuse and casual relationships. She continued to seek out challenging roles despite her now tarnished reputation. During the 90s Ms. Schneider appeared in "Les Nuits Fauves" and "Jane Eyre".
But it was in "Les Acteurs" which was considered by many to be auto-biographical for her, which earned praises from many sources, including the national French newspaper "Liberation" which applauded her "happy return to the cinema".In 2001, Ms. Schneider was the Guest of Honor at the Créteil Films de Femmes International Women's Film Festival. Despite fall from grace similar to the one experienced many young actresses who get caught up in the darker side of Hollywood, Ms. Schneider has matured as a person and finally found the recognition she deserves as a serious artist. She has appeared in more than 40 films as well as many small screen roles. She has mentioned in interviews that she lost seven years of her life to drugs, but is very happy to be sober and alive. Currently, she lives in the Paris area and runs "The Wheel Turns" an organization which takes care of aging actors, dancers, and perfomers. We wish this beatiful actress peace, success, and happiness. Bonne courage, Maria.
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