Skip to content 
The news marks the end of an extraordinary life that took Vlady from an artistic Russian immigrant family outside Paris to some of the most celebrated stages and film sets in European cinema.
Born Catherine Marina de Poliakoff-Baïdaroff on May 10, 1938, in Clichy, France, Vlady grew up surrounded by the arts.
Her father, Vladimir Poliakoff, was an opera singer, while her mother, Militza, was a dancer. Vlady initially appeared destined to follow her mother into dance before finding her future in front of the camera.
She entered the film world remarkably young.
By her teenage years, it was already clear that she possessed something audiences and filmmakers noticed.
At just 16, Vlady received the Suzanne Bianchetti Prize, recognizing her as one of France’s most promising young actresses, for her work in André Cayatte’s Avant le déluge.
Her beauty initially helped establish her screen presence, but Vlady would ultimately build a career that went far beyond glamorous roles.
She moved between popular cinema and ambitious auteur projects, becoming a significant figure in both French and Italian film.