Odile Versois, a delicate and light-haired Parisian actress, was born Katiana de Poliakoff-Baidaroff on June 14, 1930, as the second of four Poliakoff sisters, all of whom would go on to become renowned actresses in their own right.
Born into an artistic family, with her father being the opera singer Vladimir de Poliakoff, Versois began her career as a child ballerina with the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet. She later transitioned to film acting at the age of 18 and made her major debut in The Last Vacation (1948).
Throughout her career, Versois took on leading lady parts in numerous films, with her most notable roles being those of fragile and often tragic heroines in romantic dramas. Some of her most notable films include Paolo e Francesca (1950),Bel amour (1951),Domenica (1952),Grand gala (1952),and Toi... le venin (1958),which co-starred her sister Marina Vlady.
Versois also appeared in British films of the 1950s, including A Day to Remember (1953),Chance Meeting (1954),To Paris with Love (1955),Checkpoint (1956),and Room 43 (1958),which starred Diana Dors and Herbert Lom.
In the 1960s, Versois matured in taut crime thrillers and lively costume dramas, with notable roles in Le rendez-vous (1961) and Cartouche (1962),in which she starred alongside Jean-Paul Belmondo.
Versois also worked extensively on the French, Belgian, Swiss, and North African stages and on television, lending some touching performances toward the end of her career, particularly in the films Églantine (1972) and Le Crabe-Tambour (1977).
Despite her talent and beauty, Versois was dogged by ill health, and she was seen less frequently in the 1970s. She passed away from cancer just a week after her 50th birthday, leaving behind a legacy as a gentle and beautiful soul gone too soon.
