Bernhardt, Sarah (Henriette Rosine Bernard)

(1844–1923)

   French actress. ‘The Divine Sarah’, as she was called by Victor Hugo, was born in Paris, the illegitimate daughter of a Dutch Jewess and a Frenchman. As a leading lady at the Comédie Française, she was especially noted for her roles in the plays of Racine.

   In 1879 she formed her own company and toured the world, playing to packed houses. Returning to Paris, Bernhardt was triumphant in three Sardou plays, as Fédora (1882), Théodora (1884) and La Tosca (1889). It was Sardou who finally crystallized the melodramatic Bernhardt style. Audiences were enthralled by her melodious voice and histrionic gestures, and her name became synonymous with dramatic acting.

   In 1899 she opened the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt, which she directed until her death. Among her presentations was Hamlet, with herself in the title role. When she was seventy, her right leg had to be amputated, but she indomitably continued her stage appearances. She died while at work on a film. She remained proud of her Jewish heritage and referred to it in her autobiography Ma Double Vie (1907). Sarah’s hobby was painting and, later, sculpture for which she had a genuine talent. An exhibition of her work was held in London in 1973.