Zénaïde Rossi
Zénaïde Rossi (1 May 1923, Nice, France – 28 October 2005, Grasse, France). Born to Luigi Rossi (Bari, Italy) and Armida Niccolaï (Florence, Italy). A singer, actress, and entertainer. She was also known under the stage name of Irene Reni,
Life and work
The middle sister of three, she was married to French military officer Alphonse Emil Alfred Latrique for a few years. She had three sons with him: Alain, Marc Y.C. and Jean-Luc Latrique. Later, divorced, she met and fell deeply in-love with Gabriel Roche, a successful urban developer during the rebuilding years of France after World War II. They remained together into their elderly ages for more than 40 years only to marry in 2000.
She lived the majority of her years in Nice, France. The last few in Gagne-sur-mer, France. She died in a hospital in Grasse, France.
Early in her career she was mostly a singer and eventually became an actress. She most notably played the role of Madame Lajoie in François Truffaut's Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film winner, Day for Night (1973) (originally billed as La Nuit américaine, France) for which Truffaut was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director. The film won the 1973 BAFTA Award for Best Film. She played the role of Madame Pouche in Philippe Ducrest's television programme Chambre 17 (1981), as well as an "old woman" in the mini-television-series A Year in Provence (1993).
Filmography
- 1993 : A Year in Provence (Television) - Zénaïde Rossi credited as "old woman"
- 1981 : Chambre 17 (Television) directed by Philippe Ducrest. - Zénaïde Rossi credited as "Madame Pouche"
- 1979 : Ils sont grands, ces petits (Motion Picture/Film) directed by Joël Santoni, starring Catherine Deneuve. - Zénaïde Rossi credited as "Concierge"
- 1973 : La Nuit américaine (official release) / Day for Night (USA release) (Motion Picture/Film) directed by François Truffaut, starring Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Léaud - Zénaïde Rossi credited as "Madame Lajoie"
Death
On 28 October 2005, Mme Roche passed. She is survived by her youngest two sons, 4 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren who she lived to see. Her remains were donated to science by her choice.