French actress Annie Girardot has died after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. She was 79.
The star passed away in Paris, France on Monday (28Feb11).
Girardot began her career in the theatre before moving to the silver screen in the 1950s.
She rose to prominence portraying a prostitute opposite Alain Delon and Italian actor Renato Salvatori in 1969's Rocco and his Brothers. She and Salvatori went on to wed in 1962 and had a daughter, Giulia.
Girardot's acting honours include two Cesar awards, the French equivalent of the Oscars; she earned Best Actress in 1977 after appearing in Jean-Louis Bertucelli's Doctor Francoise Gailland, and landed her second in 2002 for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Piano Teacher.
She separated from Salvatori but the pair never divorced.