Corinne Cléry
A French screen siren who captivated audiences by embodying literary eroticism and sharing the screen with James Bond.
Born 1950 (age 76)·French actress (b. 1950)·Birthday: March 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born Corinne Picolo in Paris, Corinne Cléry's path to acting was one of elegant defiance. She stepped onto the international stage not with a whisper but a cultural tremor, taking the daring lead role in the film adaptation of 'Story of O' in 1975. The performance required a formidable blend of vulnerability and strength, establishing her as a figure of sophisticated allure. This notoriety paved the way to a robust career in European cinema, particularly in Italy, where she became a familiar face in genre films. Her most mainstream recognition came when she entered the orbit of 007, playing flight attendant Corinne Dufour in 'Moonraker' (1979), a role that cemented her status as a glamorous fixture of 1970s pop culture. Cléry's career is a study in navigating the complexities of fame born from boundary-pushing art.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Corinne was born in 1950, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Corinne Was Born
The biggest hits of 1950
#1 Movie
Cinderella
Best Picture
All About Eve
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Corinne's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1950Born
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1955Started school
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1963Became a teenager
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Could drive
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1968Could vote
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Turned 21
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1980Turned 30
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 40
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 50
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 60
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 70
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 76 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred as the lead in the controversial and landmark 1975 film adaptation of 'Story of O'.
- Played the Bond girl Corinne Dufour in the 1979 James Bond film 'Moonraker'.
- Built a significant secondary career as a leading actress in numerous Italian films throughout the 1970s and 80s.
Did You Know?
She was a trained ballet dancer before turning to acting.
Her birth name is Corinne Marie-Madeleine Geneviève Pierrette Picolo.
She was considered for the role of Anya Amasova in 'The Spy Who Loved Me' before landing her part in 'Moonraker'.
“I chose the roles that scared me, that demanded everything.”
