Biography
A cool, reserved beauty of the French stage, Edwige Feuillere was noted for her sophisticated demeanor that was particularly suited to costume dramas. Born in France as Edwige Caroline Kunati, she spent most of WWI living in Italy while her father served in the Italian army. After the war, the family settled in Dijon where she began acting in school plays. By 1928, she had enrolled at the Paris Conservatoire and began her career billed as Cora Lynn. After her marriage to Pierre Feuillere, she adopted his surname and began to make inroads on stage. It was a 1939 production of "La Dame aux Camelias" which solidified her stage reputation, but by then, the actress had already created a stir in films. In the title role of Abel Gance's "Lucrece Borgia" (1935), Feuillere engendered controversy for a brief nude scene. Following her stage triumph in the Dumas work, she went on to create a number of unforgettable roles including the Queen in Jean Cocteau's "L'Aigle a deux tetes/The Eagle With Two Heads" (which she recreated in the 1948 film version) and a femme fatale in "Partage de Midi," opposite Jean-Louis Barrault. She continued to act onstage and in the occasional film until her official retirement in 1992.
