Yvonne Suzanne Chazelles du Chaxel, later known as Dany Carrel, was born on September 20, 1932, in Tourane, Annam, French Indochina. The illegitimate daughter of a French expatriate father and a Vietnamese mother, Carrel's early life was marked by a tumultuous beginning. She was taken away from her biological mother at the tender age of three by the wife of her father, and sent to France to be raised in orphanages and boarding schools under the strict supervision of St. Vincent de Paul.
It would take Carrel a staggering twenty years to uncover the truth about her mother's identity. Despite this challenging start, Carrel persevered and went on to pursue a career in acting, making her film debut in 1953. Over the course of four decades, she appeared in numerous movies, television programs, and stage productions, solidifying her place in the entertainment industry.
However, Carrel's life was not without its challenges. In 1980, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent surgery. Despite this health scare, Carrel continued to work and eventually wrote her autobiographical book, "The Girl from Annam", in the early 1990s. The book was adapted into a French made-for-TV film in 1995.
Today, Dany Carrel has long since retired from acting, and is living a quiet life in her home in Paris, France. Despite the obstacles she faced throughout her life, Carrel's determination and resilience have left a lasting impact on those who know her.
