Françoise Hardy
I like to be free. I like making my own decisions.
Françoise Madeleine Hardy is a French singer-songwriter. She made her musical debut in the early 1960s on Disques Vogue and found immediate success with her song "Tous les garçons et les filles".
Hardy "found herself at the very forefront of the French music scene", and became "France's most exportable female singing star", recording in various languages, appearing in several movies, touring throughout Europe, and gaining admiration from musicians such as Bob Dylan, Miles Davis and Mick Jagger.
With the aid of photographer Jean-Marie Périer, Hardy also began modeling, and soon became a popular fashion icon as well.
Lisa
In “Grand Prix” Hardy plays Lisa, the girlfriend of Nino Barlini.
In truth, her part in the film is not substantial, but in the still shots she occupies many more frames than her role in the film really warranted. After all she was a big star, and her effortless, elegant beauty and Parisian chic obviously drew the camera towards her.
New York Times | May 9, 2018
Ms. Hardy’s voice, lyrics and silhouette enthralled both public and critics. She only needed to walk down the street in London to be offered a part in a film. That’s how she came to be in John Frankenheimer’s 1966 movie “Grand Prix.”
“I was very naïve and a well-brought up young woman,” Ms. Hardy said. “I couldn’t see how I could turn down offers by well-known film directors. However, I far preferred music to cinema. Music and chanson allow you to go deep into yourself and how you feel, while cinema is about playing a part, playing a character who might be miles away from who you are.”
