Macha Méril
Princess Maria-Magdalena Vladimirovna Gagarina (born 3 September 1940), known by her stage name Macha Méril, is a French actress, writer, and public commentator.
Also recorded as Princess Maria-Magdalena Vladimirovna Gagarina · Macha Meril
Macha Méril

Foto Casolini · Italian magazine Radiocorriere · Public domain
- Name
- Macha Méril
- Born
- 3 September 1940
- Birthplace
- Rabat, French Morocco
- Occupation
- Actress
- Full name
- Мария-Магдалина Владимировна Гагарина.
- Nationality
- France.
- Honours
- Knight of the Legion of Honour, Officer of the National Order of Merit, Officer of Arts and Letters and Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit.
- Languages
- French, English and Italian.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
The documentary record
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Macha Méril appears in the authority records of the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek as an actress (born 3 September 1940).
Life
The birth of Macha Méril is recorded on 3 September 1940 in Rabat, Marokko.
Institutions cited
Bibliothèque nationale de France · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q275066 · wikipedia · Macha Méril
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Macha Méril • Born — 3 September 1940 • Birthplace — Rabat, French Morocco • Years Active — 1960–present • Occupation — Actress
Biography
Biography
Méril is descended by her father from the Russian princely house Gagarin and by her mother from a Ukrainian noble family. She appeared in 125 films between 1959 and 2012, including films directed by Jean-Luc Godard (A Married Woman / Une femme mariée), Luis Buñuel (Belle de jour), and Rainer Werner Fassbinder (Chinese Roulette). She also appeared in the Quebec television series Lance et Compte. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Helga Ulmann in Dario Argento's Deep Red and in Aldo Lado's Night Train Murders (1975).
Theater
Theater
• Year — Title — Author — Director — Notes • 1987 — L'Éloignement — Loleh Bellon — Bernard Murat — Nominated for: Molière Award for Best Actress • 1988-1989 — The Seagull — Anton Tchekhov — Andrei Konchalovsky • 1990 — L'Aiglon — Edmond Rostand — Jean-Luc Tardieu • 1993-1995 — Roman Fever — Edith Wharton — Simone Benmussa • 1997 — Bel Ami — Guy de Maupassant — Didier Long • 2006-2008 — The Importance of Being Earnest — Oscar Wilde — Pierre Laville • 2006-2009 — Feu sacré — George Sand — Simone Benmussa • 2009 — Le Voyage de Victor — Nicolas Bedos — Nicolas Bedos • 2013 — Rapport intime — Didier Van Cauwelaert — Alain Sachs • 2018 — La Légende d'une vie — Stefan Zweig — Christophe Lidon
Filmography
Filmography
• Year — Title — Role — Director — Notes • 1960 — La main chaude — Yvette — Gérard Oury • Une question d'assurance — Pierre Kast • Dow Hour of Great Mysteries — William Graham — TV series (1 episode) • 1961 — Route 66 — Perette Dijon — Sam Peckinpah — TV series (1 episode) • Naked City — Gaby — William Graham — TV series (1 episode) • 1962 — Adorable Liar — Sophie — Michel Deville • The Sign of Leo — The blond at the 14th July — Éric Rohmer • Love on a Pillow — Raphaële — Roger Vadim • 1963 — Sweet and Sour — The striptisist — Jacques Baratier • Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? — Jacqueline Edwards — Daniel Mann • 1964 — A Married Woman — Charlotte — Jean-Luc Godard • Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Jean-Marc — Nicole — André Cayatte • Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Françoise • Les petites demoiselles — Michel Deville — TV movie • 1965 — The Oil Prince — Lizzy — Harald Philipp • Der Fall Han van Meegeren — Tineke van Meegeren — André Michel — TV movie • 1966 — The Defector — Frieda Hoffmann — Raoul Lévy • Trois étoiles en Touraine — Maurice Régamey — TV movie • 1967 — L'horizon — Elisa — Jacques Rouffio • Belle de jour — Renée — Luis Buñuel • 1968 — Au pan coupé — Jeanne Delaître — Guy Gilles • Ne jouez pas avec les Martiens — Maryvonne Guéguen — Henri Lanoë • L'auréole de plomb — André Michel — TV movie • 1970 — L'amore coniugale — Leda Pataneo — Dacia Maraini • 1971 — We Are All in Temporary Liberty — Gisella — Manlio Scarpelli • 1972 — La notte dei fiori — Macha — Gian Vittorio Baldi • We Won't Grow Old Together — Françoise — Maurice Pialat • 1974 — Chinese in Paris — Madeleine Fontanes — Jean Yanne • Don't Hurt Me, My Love — Linda De Simone — Vittorio Sindoni • Sotto il placido Don — Caterina II — Vittorio Cottafavi — TV Mini-Series • 1975 — Deep Red — Helga Ulmann — Dario Argento • The Peaceful Age — Elsa — Fabio Carpi • Son tornate a fiorire le rose — Linda De Simone — Vittorio Sindoni • Last Stop on the Night Train — The Lady on the Train — Aldo Lado • The Last Day of School Before Christmas — Egle — Gian Vittorio Baldi • Il registratore — Gianni Amico — TV movie • L'uomo dei venti — Anna — Carlo Tuzii — TV movie • 1976 — Chinese Roulette — Traunitz — Rainer Werner Fassbinder • Perdutamente tuo... mi firmo Macaluso Carmelo fu Giuseppe — Baroness Valeria Lamia — Vittorio Sindoni • Sins in the Country — Vincenzina Lo Curcio — Tiziano Longo • 1977 — Pasión — Tonino Ricci • Delirio d'amore — Bianca — Tonino Ricci • Una donna di seconda mano — Clelia — Pino Tosini • Ride bene... chi ride ultimo — Esmeralda Benti Contini — Vittorio Sindoni • Emmenez-moi au Ritz — Barbara — Pierre Grimblat — TV movie • Cinéma 16 — Luce — Bernard Dubois — TV series (1 episode) • 1978 — Rock 'n' Roll — Annalisa — Vittorio De Sisti • En l'autre bord — Christine — Jérôme Kanapa • Robert et Robert — Agathe — Claude Lelouch • Ridendo e scherzando — Susy — Vittorio Sindoni • Tanto va la gatta al lardo... — Vera — Vittorio Sindoni • Va voir maman, papa travaille — Marianne — François Leterrier • Il y a encore des noisetiers — Jacqueline — Jean-Paul Sassy — TV movie • 1979 — La promessa — Signora Heller — Alberto Negrin — TV movie • The Roses of Danzig — Elvira von Lehner — Alberto Bevilacqua — TV Mini-Series • Morte a passo di valzer — Lady Flora Drayton — Giovanni Fago — TV Mini-Series • 1980 — Tender Cousins — Agnès — David Hamilton • Caméra une première — Jeanne — Jacques Fansten — TV series (1 episode) • 1981 — Beau-père — The Hostess — Bertrand Blier • Les Uns et les Autres — Magda Kremer — Claude Lelouch • Le bonheur des tristes — Madeleine — Caroline Huppert — TV movie • La felicità — Vittorio De Sisti — TV Mini-Series • Les enquêtes du commissaire Maigret — Lucie Decaux — Stéphane Bertin — TV series (1 episode) • 1982 — Le crime d'amour — Jeanne Bontemps / Odette Dumont — Guy Gilles • Chêne et lapins angora — Anna Grübel — Georges Wilson — TV movie • L'apprentissage de la ville — Luc's mother — Caroline Huppert — TV movie • 1983 — Deadly Circuit — Madeleine — Claude Miller • Le grand carnaval — Armande Labrouche — Alexandre Arcady • For Those I Loved — Martin's mother — Robert Enrico • Lettres du bagne — Anne-Marie Gavrinis — Jean L'Hôte — TV movie • Dorothée, danseuse de corde — The Comtesse de Chagny — Jacques Fansten — TV movie • Les poneys sauvages — Robert Mazoyer — TV Mini-Series • Les Uns et les Autres — Magda Kremer — Claude Lelouch — TV Mini-Series • 1984 — Les fauves — Sylvia — Jean-Louis Daniel • Cinéma 16 — Claire — Pierre Bureau — TV series (1 episode) • 1985 — Vagabond — Madame Landier — Agnès Varda — Nominated - César Award for Best Supporting Actress • Les Nanas — Françoise — Annick Lanoë • Les Rois du gag — Jacqueline — Claude Zidi • L'homme de pouvoir — Carole Cerf-Lebrun — Maurice Frydland — TV movie • La robe mauve de Valentine — Valentine — Patrick Bureau — TV movie • Colette — Colette — Gérard Poitou-Weber — TV Mini-Series • Au nom de tous les miens — Martin's mother — Robert Enrico — TV Mini-Series • 1986 — Duet for One — Anya — Andrei Konchalovsky • Suivez mon regard — The opener's woman — Jean Curtelin • Macho — Anne-Marie Dutuillel — Nicolas Gessner — TV movie • Investigatori d'Italia — Caterina — Paolo Poeti — TV series (1 episode) • 1986-1989 — He Shoots, He Scores — Maroussia Lambert — Jean-Claude Lord & Richard Martin — TV series (39 episodes) • 1987 — Chez le médecin — Madame Desrues — Pascal Aubier — Short • 1988 — La trajectoire amoureuse — The babouchka — Pascal Aubier — Short • L'éloignement — Denise — Yves-André Hubert — TV movie • 1989 — La Vouivre — La Rodinet — Georges Wilson • 1989-1990 — Laura und Luis — Viscida — Frank Strecker — TV series (6 episodes) • 1991 — Meeting Venus — Miss Malikoff — István Szabó • A Simple Story — Roccella's mother — Emidio Greco • Money — Madame Varles — Steven Hilliard Stern — TV movie • Les mouettes — Madame Rose — Jean Chapot — TV movie • 1992 — Zuppa di pesce — Caterina — Fiorella Infascelli • Double Vision — Mrs. Perfect — Robert Knights — TV movie • L'élixir d'amour — Madame Sabodet — Claude d'Anna — TV movie • Marie-Galante — Jean-Pierre Richard — TV Mini-Series • 1993 — Berlin '39 — Madame Vic — Sergio Sollima • Le Don — Margherita — David Delrieux — TV movie • L'éternel mari — Claudia Pogoretz — Denys Granier-Deferre — TV movie • 1994 — Délit mineur — Madeleine — Francis Girod • Voyage en Pologne — Jeanne — Stéphane Kurc — TV movie • Ho un segreto con papà — Gianpaolo Tescari — TV movie • 1995 — Le juge est une femme — Madame Vernier — Claude Grinberg — TV series (1 episode) • 1996 — Alla turca — Mélanie — Macha Méril — TV movie • L'île aux secrets — Bruno Herbulot — TV movie • Le crabe sur la banquette arrière — Catherine — Jean-Pierre Vergne — TV movie • Morlock — Juliette d'Ortes — Yves Boisset — TV series (1 episode) • 1997 — Et si on faisait un bébé? — Lucille — Christiane Spiero — TV movie • 1998 — A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries — Madame Beauvier — James Ivory • L'inventaire — Viviane Boyelles — Caroline Huppert — TV movie • Belle grand-mère — Babou — Marion Sarraut — TV movie • 1999 — In punta di cuore — Mamie Berthe — Francesco Massaro — TV movie • Tramontane — Bianca — Henri Helman — TV Mini-Series • 2000 — Le sciamane — Madre — Anne Riitta Ciccone • 2001 — Un citronnier pour deux — Hélène — Élisabeth Rappeneau — TV movie • Méditerranée — Carla — Henri Helman — TV series (2 episodes) • 2002 — Âges ingrats — Sabine — Cyril Gelblat — Short • 2003 — Rien, voilà l'ordre — Alexis's mother — Jacques Baratier • Rien ne va plus — Virginie Maurel de Ronchard — Michel Sibra — TV movie • Belle grand-mère 2 - La trattoria — Babou — Marion Sarraut — TV movie • L'agence coup de coeur — Jeanne — Stéphane Kurc — TV series (1 episode) • 2004 — Clochemerle — Baroness Alphonsine de Courtebiche — Daniel Losset — TV movie • Famille, je vous haime — Jacqueline — Laurent Carcélès — TV movie • Le fond de l'air est frais — Jacqueline — Laurent Carcélès — TV movie • 2006 — Mademoiselle Gigi — Mamita — Caroline Huppert — TV movie • C'est arrivé dans l'escalier — Mademoiselle de Tassigny — Luc Béraud — TV movie • Josephine, Guardian Angel — Tania Fournier — Laurent Levy — TV series (1 episode) • 2007 — René Bousquet ou Le grand arrangement — Evelyne Baylet — Laurent Heynemann — TV movie • 2009 — Trésor — Madame Girardon — Claude Berri & François Dupeyron • Hopital — Rose Marie — Maud Geffray & Sebastien Chenut — Short • 2010 — Les nuits d'Alice — Bettina — Williams Crépin — TV movie • 2012 — Happiness Never Comes Alone — Fanfan Keller — James Huth • Climats — Henriette Marcenat — Caroline Huppert — TV movie • Malgré-elles — Alice Fabre — Denis Malleval — TV movie • À dix minutes des naturistes — Suzy — Stéphane Clavier — TV movie • 2013 — Le bal des secrets — Rose — Christophe Barbier — TV Mini-Series • Doc Martin — Bernadette Derville — François Velle — TV series (1 episode) • 2014 — The Price of Fame — Oona Chaplin (voice) — Xavier Beauvois • La Trouvaille de Juliette — Juliette — Jérôme Navarro — TV movie • 2016 — Alliances rouge sang — Béatrice — Marc Angelo — TV movie • Mongeville — Natasha de Frénac — René Manzor — TV series (1 episode) • 2017 — Mr. Stein Goes Online — Marie — Stéphane Robelin • 2019 — L'enfant que je n'attendais pas — Christine — Bruno Garcia — TV movie
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
Macha Méril was recorded at birth as Мария-Магдалина Владимировна Гагарина. She also worked under the name Macha Méril. The authorities additionally record the headings Princess Maria-Magdalena Vladimirovna Gagarina and Macha Meril. Her recorded languages were French, English, Italian and Russian. Her recorded confession was Eastern Orthodoxy. She was the child of Vladimir Gagarin and Marie Gagarine. She married Michel Legrand and Gian Vittorio Baldi.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1940
Macha Méril born at Rabat.
Recognition and collections
Where the work is held
Recognition and collections
Macha Méril received Knight of the Legion of Honour, Officer of the National Order of Merit, Officer of Arts and Letters and Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit.
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Macha Méril”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q275066: Macha Méril
General reference · Wikidata
Literature
Literature
[Pdf/ePub] Je marche vers elle par Macha Méril téléchargement ebook, 2026.
Méril, Macha (Marie-Madeleine Merilova) (1940–), Journeys of Desire, 2006
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Macha Méril, revision 1374186638 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
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References
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
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