Paulette Dubost

Paulette Dubost (born Paulette Emma Marie Deplanque on 8 October 1910 in Paris, France) was a prolific French actress whose career spanned nine decades, making her one of the longest‑active performers in European cinema. She entered the world of the performing arts at the tender age of seven, joining the prestigious Paris Opera as a child dancer and singer, which gave her early exposure to stage discipline and the rigors of professional performance. By 1917 she was already appearing in silent short films, and her transition to sound cinema in the early 1930s marked the beginning of an extraordinarily productive period during which she would appear in more than 250 films. Dubost became especially noted for her collaborations with the great directors of French poetic realism, including Jean Renoir, Marcel Carné, Max Ophüls and François Truffaut. Her most celebrated role is that of Lisette, the vivacious maid in Renoir’s masterpiece The Rules of the Game (1939), a part that was originally intended to be minor but expanded dramatically as the four‑month production progressed, showcasing her talent for improvisation and subtle comedy. In addition to Renoir, she delivered memorable performances in Carné’s Hôtel du Nord (1938) and Ophüls’s Lola Montès (1955), where her elegance and timing contributed to the film’s lavish tableau. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s she remained a fixture of both popular comedies and serious dramas, adapting effortlessly to the changing styles of post‑war French cinema. In the 1960s she worked with Truffaut on The Last Metro (1980), proving her relevance across generations. Dubost’s ability to portray a wide range of characters—from modest servants to aristocratic women—earned her a reputation as a reliable character actress, beloved by directors and audiences alike. She continued to act on screen and television well into her nineties, with her final film appearance recorded in 2007, a testament to her enduring passion for the craft. Paulette Dubost lived to the remarkable age of 100, passing away on 21 September 2011 in Longjumeau, France, leaving behind a legacy that reflects both the evolution of French cinema and the timeless appeal of a dedicated performer.