Cabaret

Background:

New York-born actress and top fashion model in the 1960s Marisa Berenson became famous in the early to mid-1970s for her outstanding roles in the movies “Death in Venice” (1971), “Cabaret” (1972) and “Barry Lyndon” (1975). For her work in the “Cabaret,” she even took home two Golden Globe nominations, a BAFTA nomination and a National Board of Review Award. Since her relocation to France in the late 1980s, Berenson has been largely seen in European projects, including “The Great White of Lambarene” (1995), “Elles” (1997), Primetime Murder” (2000), “Lisa” (2001), “People” (2004), “Colour Me Kubrick: A True...ish Story” (2005), “24 mesures” (2007). Her upcoming film credits are “Cineman” and “Miss Oliver a filé à l'anglaise” (both 2008). Apart from films, the tall actress of Lithuanian, Italian, Egyptian, Swiss, and French ethnicity has also acted in a number of television projects either in America or France.

Berenson lost her photographer/actress sister Berry Berenson during the the 9/11 attacks. Commenting about her death, she stated, “I hope she didn't suffer. It's hard to take in. I have hope and tremendous faith. I think that's what gets you through life...through tragedies is when you have faith.”

A two-time divorcee, Berenson and ex-husband James Randall (together from 1976 to 1978) have one daughter together, Starlite Melody Randall, who once appeared in the E! reality show “Gastineau Girls” (2005). She married second husband Aaron Richard Golub from 1982 to 1987. Prior to the marriages, Berenson, who was labeled “The Queen of the Scene” for her often appearances at nightclubs and other social venues during her early days, was romantically involved with French banking heir Baron David René de Rothschild (together in the early 1970s).

Aristocratic Daughter

Childhood and Family:

Marisa Berenson was born on February 15, 1947, in New York, New York. She is the eldest daughter of Robert L. Berenson, an American diplomat of Lithuanian Jewish extraction, and Countess Maria Luisa Yvonne Radha de Wendt de Kerlor (aka Gogo), a socialite of Italian, Egyptian, Swiss, and French lineage. Her maternal grandparents were Count Wilhelm de Wendt de Kerlor, a Believer and psychic medium, and celebrated fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. She had a younger sister named Berry Berenson (born in 1948), a famous photographer and actress who became one of the victims of the terrorist-hijacked plane that collided into the WTC on September 11, 2001. Marisa attended Heathfield St Mary's School in England.

Marisa has been married twice. She tied the knot with first husband James Randall, an ornament manufacturer, in 1976 and gave birth her first child, daughter Starlite Melody Randall, in 1977. They divorced a year later in 1978. During the marriage, the couple lived in a million-dollar mansion in Beverly Hills which Randall bought from actress Debbie Reynolds. The house had a private movie theater, three swimming pools, as well as a personal barbershop, sauna and gym, not to mention the couple's bathrooms whose floors and walls were made up from marble and granite. Four years after the divorce, Marisa married an attorney named Aaron Richard Golub. The bond lasted for five years in 1987.

Lady Lyndon

Career:

“I once was one of the highest paid models in the world.” Marisa Berenson

The grandchild of famous designer Elsa Schiaparelli, Marisa Berenson entered the showbiz as a fashion model and became one of the most successful models during the 1960s thanks to her frequent appearance on Vogue magazine. After doing a cover shot for the major publication in 1970, Berenson made her feature acting debut in the adaptation of Thomas Mann's novel “Death in Venice” (1971), starring Dirk Bogarde, but it was her subsequent film role that gained the model-turned-actress true recognition. As Natalia Landauer, a Jewish inheritor, in the Bob Fosse-directed musical “Cabaret” (1972), which starred Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles, she was handed a National Board of Review for Best Supporting Actress and both a BAFTA nomination and Golden Globe nomination in the same category. She earned an additional Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer - Female.

Berenson was brought back to the limelight two years later when she was cast in the striking role of the tragic beauty Lady Lyndon on Stanley Kubrick's critically acclaimed “Barry Lyndon” (1975), which collected seven Oscar nomination including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Although the role made her famous, Berenson's performance was mostly neglected by critics. She spent much of her time after the project appearing in newspapers and magazines and only made two films, the German-language “Casanova & Co.” (1977, with Tony Curtis) and the Brazilian-shot “Killer Fish” (1979, opposite Lee Majors and Karen Black).

Although her presence on the English-language movies became fizzled out, Berenson still wanted to act. In 1980, she was discovered making her stage debut in an L.A production of “Holiday,” in which she was cast as somewhat ill-natured heiress. Besides, she started to venture to American television to keep herself busy. Making her TV acting debut in 1980's “Tourist,” a Fox telepic directed by Jeremy Summers, her follow-up projects include the CBS telepic “Playing for Time” (also 1980), the miniseries “Sins” (1986) and a guest spot in an episode of the ABC series “Who's the Boss?” (1986). She even acted in an episode of “ABC Afterschool Special” called “Getting Even: A Wimp's Revenge” (also 1986).

Having relocated to Paris, France after the breakup of her second marriage in the 1980s, Berenson managed to pursue her Hollywood career by costarring with Kris Kristofferson and Jeffrey Meek in the thriller movie “Night of the Cyclone” (1990) and later that same year, Clint Eastwood tapped her to play movie star Kay Gibson on his adventure, “White Hunter, Black Heart.” She continued to have an important part in the Arts & Entertainment series “Hollywood Detective” (1991), play the wicked Katarina in the Lifetime remake of “Notorious” (1992, with John Shea, Jenny Robertson and Jean-Pierre Cassel) and make a guest appearance in an episode of “Murder, She Wrote” (1992). In addition, she resumed prolific credits in European productions like the movies “Sonne über dem Dschungel, Die” (1992), “The Cherry Orchard” (1992), “The Great White of Lambarene” (1995, as Helene Schweitzer), Jean-Hugues Anglade's “Tonka” (1997) and “Elles” (1997, released in America in 1999).

Entering the new millennium, Berenson costarred as Martha Werther on “Primetime Murder” (2000), a Canadian independent film directed and written by Alessandro Capone, before taking on the role of Julie on the American film “The Photographer” (2000), and acting on Broadway in the revival of “Design for Living,” in the following year. Still in 2001, she had a supporting part in the independent film “Lonesome.” After “Lisa” (2001), the actress returned to French film in “People” (2004), which starred Rupert Everett, and had the noted role of Madame de Maintenon on the Emmy-nominated two-part series “Julie, chevalier de Maupin” (2004). She followed them up with performances in the festival-premiered “Colour Me Kubrick: A True...ish Story” (2005), a true story of a man who poses as director Stanley Kubrick, the miniseries “Mafiosa, le clan” (2006) and “Mystère” (2007), and the drama film “24 mesures” (2007).

Currently, Berenson is filming “Cineman” (2008), a French comedy directed and co-penned by Yann Moix. She will also be cast opposite Jane Birkin and Pierre Arditi in the upcoming comedy “Miss Oliver a filé à l'anglaise” (2008).

Awards:

• National Board of Review: Best Supporting Actress, “Cabaret,” 1972