Arielle Dombasle born April 27, 1953 is an American-born French singer, actress, director and model. Her breakthrough roles were in Éric Rohmer’s Pauline at the Beach (1983) and Alain Robbe-Grillet’s The Blue Villa (1995). She also starred in the 1984 miniseries Lace and its 1985 sequel Lace II. Since 1978 she has released twenty-one singles and ten albums and has directed four movies.
Early years
She was born Arielle Laure Maxime Sonnery in Hartford, Connecticut, the daughter of Jean-Louis Melchior Sonnery de Fromental, a silk manufacturer, and Francion Garreau-Dombasle. She descends from French-American immigrants in Mexico under her grandfather’s diplomatic tenure. The family’s surname was created in 1912, when Dombasle’s grandfather René Sonnery (1887–1925), an industrialist from Lyon, married Anne-Marie Berthon du Fromental. Arielle took the pseudonym Arielle Dombasle in memory of her mother who died at the age of 36. She was raised as a Roman Catholic.
Dombasle and her brother Gilbert were raised in Mexico by their maternal grandparents after their mother’s death in 1964. She attended the Lycée Franco-Mexicain. She was also raised at Château de Chaintré, the Sonnery family estate near Mâcon, Saône-et-Loire. Her maternal grandfather, Maurice Garreau-Dombasle, was a close friend of and advisor to Charles de Gaulle and served as the French ambassador to Mexico. Her maternal grandmother was Man’ha Garreau-Dombasle (née Germaine Massenet, 1898–1999), a writer and poet who translated Rabindranath Tagore’s works into French and was a longtime friend of the science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, who dedicated his 1972 novel The Halloween Tree to her.
Career
Dombasle embarked on a career as an actress and singer after attending the Conservatoire International de Musique de Paris and further studies in Mexico. Dombasle has appeared in several Hollywood productions, but most of her acting work has been in French, unlike her albums which are mostly in Spanish and English. She directed four films, Les Pyramides Bleues, Chassé-croisé, Opium and Alien Crystal Palace. She once described her own looks as “a Crazy Horse dancing girl”.
In 2006, she released both albums Amor Amor and C’est si Bon in the USA. In September 2006, she also performed three nights in a row at the Supper Club in New York City in front of Michael Douglas, John Malkovich, Lauren Bacall, Salman Rushdie, Andrée Putman and Charlie Rose. The latter invited Arielle Dombasle to promote her albums on The Charlie Rose Show.
Arielle Dombasle then released several albums in France; Glamour à Mort!, Diva Latina, Arielle Dombasle by ERA and La Rivière Atlantique with French rocker Nicolas Ker.
Dombasle joined Les Grosses Têtes, a French radio programme, in January 2016.
That same year, Arielle Dombasle released her fragrance, Le Secret d’Arielle, within Mauboussin. The promotional campaign was created by the French artist Leonardo Marcos.
Dombasle is the first contestant who was confirmed for the eighth season of Danse avec les Stars (the French version of Dancing with the Stars).
In 2018, along with Mareva Galanter, Inna Modja and Helena Noguerra, Arielle Dombasle recreated the French band Les Parisiennes.
Two years later, in 2020, Arielle Dombasle announced she would be releasing a second joint album with Nicolas Ker, named Empire. The album was supposed to be released on April 24, 2020, but was postponed to June 16, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Personal life
Dombasle is the third wife of writer Bernard-Henri Lévy. They married on June 19, 1993, at Saint-Paul-de-Vence on the Côte d’Azur where they have a villa. She has two stepchildren, Antonin-Balthazar Lévy and Justine Lévy, a novelist. She was previously married to Dr. Paul Albou, described by Vanity Fair as a “playboy society dentist, 32 years her senior.”
Dombasle is vegetarian. In 2016, she campaigned against abattoirs (slaughterhouses) for PETA.
Theater
| Year | Title | Author | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Das Käthchen von Heilbronn | Heinrich von Kleist | Éric Rohmer | Maison de la culture de Nanterre |
| La Fugue | Francis Lacombrade & Bernard Broca | Jean-Claude Brialy | Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin | |
| 1985 | Retour à Florence | Henry James | Simone Benmussa | Théâtre Renaud-Barrault |
| 1991 | L’Absolu naturel | Goffredo Parise | Simone Benmussa | Théâtre Renaud-Barrault |
| L’as-tu revue ? | Olivier Benezech | Olivier Benezech | Opéra-Comique | |
| 1992 | Le Jugement dernier | Bernard-Henri Lévy | Jean-Louis Martinelli | Théâtre de l’Atelier |
| 2003 | La Belle et la Toute Petite Bête | Jérôme Savary | Jérôme Savary | Opéra-Comique |
| 2008 | Don Quichotte contre l’Ange bleu | Jérôme Savary | Jérôme Savary | Théâtre de Paris |
| 2013 | El Tigre | Alfredo Arias | Alfredo Arias | Théâtre du Rond-Point |
| 2017 | Folle Amanda | Pierre Barillet & Jean-Pierre Gredy | Marie-Pascale Osterrieth | Théâtre de Paris |
Filmography
Actress
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Perceval le Gallois | Blanchefleur | Éric Rohmer | |
| Mazarin | Marie-Thérèse | Pierre Cardinal | TV Mini-Series | |
| 1979 | Tess | Mercy Chant | Roman Polanski | |
| Je te tiens, tu me tiens par la barbichette | Advertising Actress | Jean Yanne | ||
| The French Atlantic Affair | Hotel Operator | Douglas Heyes | TV miniseries | |
| Les dossiers de l’écran | Marie de Bourgogne | Alexandre Astruc | TV series (1 Episode) | |
| 1980 | Justocoeur | Guest | Mary Stephen | |
| Catherine de Heilbronn | Kunigunde de Thurneck | Éric Rohmer | TV movie | |
| 1981 | Fruits of Passion | Nathalie | Shūji Terayama | |
| Une robe noire pour un tueur | The drug addict | José Giovanni | ||
| Putain d’histoire d’amour | Antonella | Gilles Béhat | ||
| Les panthères | Micheline | Philippe Masson | TV movie | |
| La princesse lointaine | Clarisse | Jean-Pierre Prévost | TV movie | |
| Histoires extraordinaires | Lady Ligeia Fell | Maurice Ronet | TV series (1 Episode) | |
| 1982 | Le Beau Mariage | Clarisse | Éric Rohmer | |
| Chassé-croisé | Ermine | Arielle Dombasle | ||
| Laissé inachevé à Tokyo | Sophie | Olivier Assayas | Short | |
| Les dames à la licorne | Lazare Iglesis | TV movie | ||
| Mozart | Nancy | Marcel Bluwal | TV miniseries | |
| 1983 | La Belle captive | The hysterical woman | Alain Robbe-Grillet | |
| Pauline at the Beach | Marion | Éric Rohmer | ||
| Rosette sort le soir | Katie | Rosette | Short | |
| Un été nommé désir | Arielle | Fred de Fooko | Short | |
| 1984 | Los motivos de Berta | José Luis Guerín | ||
| Rosette prend sa douche | Sapho | Rosette | Short | |
| Penelope Last | The woman | Fernando Cobo | Short | |
| Lace | Maxine Pascal | William Hale | TV miniseries | |
| 1985 | La Nuit porte-jarretelles | The secretary | Virginie Thévenet | |
| Vive la mariée | Charlotte | Jean Valère | TV movie | |
| Lace II | Maxine Pascal | William Hale | TV miniseries | |
| 1986 | The Boss’ Wife | Louise Roalvang | Ziggy Steinberg | |
| Flagrant désir | Marguerite Barnac | Claude Faraldo | ||
| Sins | Jacqueline Gore | Douglas Hickox | TV miniseries | |
| Miami Vice | Callie Basset | Rob Cohen | TV series (Episode: “Definitely Miami”) | |
| 1987 | Jeux d’artifices | Arielle | Virginie Thévenet | |
| 1988 | Les pyramides bleues | Elise | Arielle Dombasle | |
| Rosette vole les voleurs | The dinner woman | Rosette | Short | |
| Sueurs froides | Juliette Bolbec | Hervé Palud | TV series (1 Episode) | |
| 1989 | Twisted Obsession | Marion Derain | Fernando Trueba | |
| Try This One for Size | Maggie | Guy Hamilton | ||
| Incognito | Renata | Alain Bergala | TV movie | |
| The Saint: Wrong Number | Stella Moreau | Marijan David Vajda | TV movie | |
| Around the World in 80 Days | Lucette | Buzz Kulik | TV miniseries | |
| L’or du diable | Emma Calve | Jean-Louis Fournier | TV miniseries | |
| 1990 | Moi, général de Gaulle | The Countess of Portes | Denys Granier-Deferre | TV movie |
| L’homme au double visage | Régine Larnin | Claude Guillemot | TV movie | |
| 1991 | Lola Zipper | Loretta | Ilan Duran Cohen | |
| Mémoires | Eric Summer | Short | ||
| 1992 | Off Season | Madame Studer | Daniel Schmid | |
| The Absence | Peter Handke | |||
| La vie crevée | Angele | Guillaume Nicloux | ||
| Villa Mauresque | Sandra | Patrick Mimouni | ||
| Terror Stalks the Class Reunion | Clive Donner | TV movie | ||
| La mare aux crocodiles | Florence Cross | Neal Sundstrom | TV movie | |
| 1993 | L’Arbre, le maire et la médiathèque | Bérénice Beaurivage | Éric Rohmer | |
| Miroslava | Miroslava | Alejandro Pelayo | ||
| Grand bonheur | The actress | Hervé Le Roux | ||
| 1994 | Un indien dans la ville | Charlotte | Hervé Palud | |
| Fado majeur et mineur | Leda | Raúl Ruiz | ||
| Red Shoe Diaries | Celeste | Rafael Eisenman | TV series (1 Episode) | |
| 1995 | One Hundred and One Nights | The singer | Agnès Varda | |
| The Blue Villa | Sarah La Blonde | Dimitri de Clercq & Alain Robbe-Grillet | ||
| Mécaniques célestes | Céleste | Fina Torres | ||
| Raging Angels | Megan | Alan Smithee | ||
| À propos de Nice, la suite | Raúl Ruiz | |||
| L’annamite | Jeanne | Thierry Chabert | TV movie | |
| 1996 | Three Lives and Only One Death | Hélène | Raúl Ruiz | |
| Les 2 papas et la maman | Delphine | Jean-Marc Longval & Smaïn | ||
| Soyons amis! | Arielle | Thomas Bardinet | Short | |
| 1997 | Day and Night | Laure | Bernard-Henri Lévy | |
| Heads or Tails | Rose Petipas | Claude Fournier | ||
| Jeunesse | Clémence | Noël Alpi | ||
| Opération Bugs Bunny | The fairy | Michel Hassan | TV movie | |
| Il deserto di fuoco | Magda | Enzo G. Castellari | TV miniseries | |
| Maigret | Mylène Turner | Pierre Koralnik | TV series (1 Episode) | |
| 1998 | L’Ennui | Sophie | Cédric Kahn | Nominated – César Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| Let There Be Light | The Blond God | Arthur Joffé | ||
| Bo Ba Bu | BA | Ali Khamraev | ||
| Hors jeu | Herself | Karim Dridi | ||
| Les amis de Ninon | The client | Rosette | Short | |
| Ivre mort pour la patrie | The bride | Vincent Hachet | Short | |
| 1999 | Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar | Madame Agecanonix | Claude Zidi | |
| Time Regained | Madame de Farcy | Raúl Ruiz | ||
| Les infortunes de la beauté | Daphné | John Lvoff | ||
| C’est pas ma faute! | Vanessa Goudard | Jacques Monnet | ||
| 2000 | Vatel | Princess of Condé | Roland Joffé | |
| The Libertine | The Marquise de Jerfeuil | Gabriel Aghion | ||
| Amazone | Margot | Philippe de Broca | ||
| 30 ans | Geneviève | Laurent Perrin | ||
| Les faux-fuyants | Luce Ader | Pierre Boutron | TV movie | |
| 2001 | Savage Souls | Madame Numance | Raúl Ruiz | |
| Gamer | Valérie Fisher | Patrick Levy | ||
| Les éléphants de la planète Mars | The woman | Philippe Barassat | Short | |
| 2002 | Two | Professor Barbez | Werner Schroeter | |
| Hideous Man | Crying woman | John Malkovich | Short | |
| Les frangines | Alix | Laurence Katrian | TV movie | |
| La bataille d’Hernani | Mademoiselle Mars / Dona Sol | Jean-Daniel Verhaeghe | TV movie | |
| 2003 | Lovely Rita, sainte patronne des cas désespérés | Mademoiselle Lecas | Stéphane Clavier | |
| La belle et la toute petite bête | The Beauty | Max Luna | TV movie | |
| 2004 | Les parisiens | Sabine Duchemin | Claude Lelouch | |
| Quand je serai star | Diane de Montalte | Patrick Mimouni | ||
| Albert est méchant | Barbara Lechat | Hervé Palud | ||
| Milady | Milady | Josée Dayan | TV movie | |
| Sissi, l’impératrice rebelle | Sissi | Jean-Daniel Verhaegh | TV movie | |
| 2005 | Le courage d’aimer | Sabine Duchemin | Claude Lelouch | |
| 2006 | Oh La La! | Bettina Fleischer | Anne Fontaine | |
| Gradiva | Leila / Gradiva | Alain Robbe-Grillet | ||
| L’homme de ta vie | Charlotte | Laurence Katrian | TV movie | |
| 2008 | Sagan | Astrid | Diane Kurys | |
| La Possibilité d’une île | Mexican Delegate | Michel Houellebecq | ||
| X Femmes | Inspector Blondie | Arielle Dombasle | TV series (1 Episode) | |
| 2009 | Au siècle de Maupassant | The Duchess of Carigliano | Jean-Daniel Verhaeghe | TV series (1 Episode) |
| Myster Mocky présente | Hélène Stone | Jean-Pierre Mocky | TV series (2 Episodes) | |
| 2010 | Roses à crédit | Madame Denise | Amos Gitai | |
| El baile de San Juan | Virreina | Francisco Athié | ||
| HH, Hitler à Hollywood | Herself | Frédéric Sojcher | ||
| Ni reprise, ni échangée | Julie | Josée Dayan | TV movie | |
| 2011 | La mer à l’aube | Charmille | Volker Schlöndorff | |
| Crédit pour tous | Madame Gobert | Jean-Pierre Mocky | ||
| La rouge et la noire | The daughter | Isabelle Prim | ||
| 2012 | Une mariée fascinante | The woman | Ali Mahdavi | Short |
| Scènes de ménages | Sybille | Karim Adda & Francis Duquet | TV series (1 Episode) | |
| 2013 | Opium | Mnémosyne | Arielle Dombasle | |
| À votre bon coeur mesdames | Aphrodite | Jean-Pierre Mocky | ||
| The Return | Karl Lagerfeld | Short | ||
| Doc Martin | Hortense Le Foll | François Velle | TV series (1 Episode) | |
| Y’a pas d’âge | Cathy | Stéphane Marelli, Vincent Puybaret, … | TV series (23 Episodes) | |
| 2014 | Valentin Valentin | Valentin’s mother | Pascal Thomas | |
| DitArielle | Herself | Ali Mahdavi | Short | |
| Magnum | Herself | Philippe Katerine & Gaëtan Chataignier | TV movie | |
| 2017 | Fais pas ci, fais pas ça | Herself | Michel Leclerc | TV series (1 Episode) |
| 2018 | Alien Crystal Palace | Dolores | Arielle Dombasle | |
| 2018 | Ma Mère est folle | Jess | Diane Kurys |
Director
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Chassé-Croisé | |
| 1988 | Les Pyramides Bleues | |
| 2008 | X Femmes : Le Bijou Indiscret | TV Series (1 Episode) |
| 2009 | La Traversée du Désir | Documentary |
| 2009 | Barbie by Arielle Dombasle | |
| 2013 | La Voiture d’Albert | |
| 2013 | Opium | |
| 2018 | Alien Crystal Palace |
Discography
Singles
- “Paris m’a séduit” (1980)
- “Cantate 78” (1985)
- “Je te salue mari” (1986)
- “Nada más” (1988)
- “Amour symphonique” (1989)
- “Liberta” (2000)
- “Odysseus” (2000)
- “Rhum and Coca-Cola” (2004)
- “C’est si bon” (2006)
- “Où tu Veux” (2007)
- “Extraterrestre” (2009)
- “Hasta siempre” (2010)
- “Porque te vas” (2011)
- “Mambo 5” (2011)
- “Ave Maria” (2013)
- “Cold Song” (2013)
- “My Love for Evermore” (2015)
- “I’m Not Here Anymore” (2016)
- “Carthagena” (2016)
- “Point Blank” (2016)
- “Ah c’qu’on est bête” (2018)
- “Il fait trop beau pour travailler” (2018)
- “Le chant des sirènes (We Bleed for the Ocean)” (2020)
- “Just Come Back Alive” (2020)
- “Le Grand Hotél” (2020)
- “Humble Guy” (2020)
- “Twin Kingdom Valley” (2020)
- “The Palace Of Virgin Queen” (2020)
- “Desdemona” (2020)
Albums
- 2000: Liberta
- 2002: Extase
- 2004: Amor Amor
- 2006: C’est Si Bon
- 2009: Glamour à Mort !
- 2011: Diva Latina
- 2013: Arielle Dombasle By Era
- 2015: French Kiss (with The Hillbilly Moon Explosion)
- 2016: La Rivière Atlantique (with Nicolas Ker)
- 2018: Les Parisiennes (with Mareva Galanter, Inna Modja & Helena Noguerra)
- 2020: Empire (with Nicolas Ker)