Brigitte Lahaie

Brigitte Vanmeerhaeghe, known as Brigitte Lahaie (born 12 October 1955), is a French radio talk show host, mainstream film actress and former pornographic actress. She performed in erotic films from 1976 through 1980 and is a member of the XRCO Hall of Fame.[1]

Brigitte Lahaie
Lahaie in 2014
Born (1955-10-12) 12 October 1955
Tourcoing, France
Other namesBrigitte Simonin; Fanny; Brigitte Bordeaux; Brigitte Lahaye; Brigitte Van Meerhaegu
OccupationActress, radio host
Years active1976–1995 (pornographic films)
1978–present (film & TV)
Height173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Websitewww.brigittelahaie.fr

Early life and background

Brigitte Lucie Jeanine Vanmeerhaeghe was born in Tourcoing, France. She left home for Paris when 18 years old, where she started working as a shoe salesgirl. Soon, she was noticed for her physique and accepted a proposal to pose in the nude for erotic magazines.[2]

Cinema

Porn

She started working in the adult film industry in 1976, one year after the legalization of hardcore pornography in France, as "Brigitte Lahaie" and various others stage names. In her first film she was a body double for some of another actress' scenes.[3]

Lahaie eventually played in more than one hundred erotic films,[2] most of them hardcore, directed by among many others, Claude Mulot, José Bénazéraf, Gérard Kikoïne, Claude Bernard-Aubert, and Francis Leroi.

She chose to be listed as "Brigitte Lahaie" in most of them, her surname a transfer to French of her Flemish name "vanmeerhaeghe", in which "haeghe" means "fence," since "la haie" is "the fence" in French.[4]

Horror

While she was still working in the adult-movie industry, Jean Rollin, who had directed her in the porn film Vibrations Sensuelles (Sensual Vibrations) in 1976, noticed Lahaie's "distinctly different personality," as he later recalled, and thought she had "incredible charisma."[5] He offered her a role in his 1978 mainstream film, Les Raisins de la Mort (Grapes of Death), the first gore film produced in France, with Marie-Georges Pascal in the leading role.[6] He then made her the protagonist of his next film, Fascination, in 1979.[5]

Mainstream

Lahaie appeared in I as in Icarus (1980), which starred Yves Montand, playing a stripper, in For a Cop's Hide (1981), which starred Alain Delon, in the role of a nurse. She continued to also make softcore and Nazi exploitation movies as well as "video nasties" during this time. In 1987, she played a singer in Michel Denisot's television special "La Plus Belle Nuit du Cinéma" ("The Most Beautiful Night of the Cinema"), transmitted from the Zénith.

The same year, she recorded and released the single "Caresse tendresse" ("Caress tenderness").[3]

According to a 2018 article in Sight & Sound about Jean Rollin, Lahaie plays in his La Nuit des Traquées (Night of the Hunted, 1980) the woman suffering from amnesia with "devastating effect," while she is credited with "lovely, open, untutored performances" for her work in Les Raisins and Fascination.[7]

Lahaie acted in several other mainstream films, including Henry & June (1990) and Calvaire (2004).

Books and radio

Throughout her career, Lahaie published several books, mostly autobiographical, as well as some novels. In the 2000s, she was often featured on the Les Grosses Têtes radio program, broadcast on RTL,[8] while she was also, from 2001, the host of Lahaie, l'Amour et Vous on Radio Monte Carlo, a daily talk show from 14:00 to 16:00 that dealt mostly with love and sex. The show ended in 2016, with the station praising her work on the subject of sexuality as "unique" in terms of success and longevity.[9]

Personal life

Lahaie has two sons, with only the first name, Patrick, of her partner being known.[2] She lives in a country estate, near Paris.[4]

She is a fan of equestrianism, an interest reportedly first inspired when she saw the film White Mane as a teenager. She commentated live on the equestrian events at the 2012 London Olympics for RMC.[10] [11]

In the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the subsequent Me Too movement, one hundred women in France signed, on 9 January 2018, a public declaration in which they denounced what they claimed was a return to "puritanism" that "actually serves the interests of the enemies of sexual freedom, the religious extremists, the worst reactionaries."[12] Lahaie was a co-signatory of that declaration, along with other celebrities such as Catherine Deneuve, Ingrid Caven, and Catherine Millet. Lahaie went on a TV debate the same evening, where she stated that women could have an orgasm when being raped.[13] A few months later, in May, Lahaie stated, in interviews and on television, that her comment was "taken out of context," that she "does not regret [it]", and that she never supported non-consensual sex or violence of any kind against women.[14][15]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1970 Frissons africains Credited as Brigitte Deslages
English title: Africa Erotica
1977 Jouir jusqu'au délire Annie
1977 Couples en chaleur The saleswoman
1977 Vibrations sexuelles The psychiatrist
1977 Suprêmes jouissances Doris English title: Exquisite Pleasure
1977 Les plaisirs fous Claude
1977 Chaleurs intimes Anneer Uncredited
1977 Sarabande porno
1977 Parties fines Baroness Solange Credited as B. Lahaye
English title: Education of the Baroness
1977 Entrecuisses Patricia
1977 Cathy, fille soumise Mélanie
1977 C'est la fête à mon cul
1977 Arrête, tu me déchires
1977 La face cachée d'Hitler
1977 Je suis une belle salope Marianne English title: Illusions within Girls
1978 Rentre c'est bon The cousin
1978 Bordel SS
1978 Inonde mon ventre Lise English title: Night Fever
1978 Caresses Infernales
1978 Le bijou d'amour Gordonna
1978 La rabatteuse Jocelyne
1978 Touchez pas au zizi Karen
1978 Je suis à prendre Hélène English title: I'm Yours to Take
1978 Les grandes jouisseuses Marianne
1978 Étreintes
1978 Bouches expertes Claudine
1978 Cuisses infernales Jocelyne
1978 Chaude et perverse Emilia
1978 La mouillette
1978 Blondes humides
1978 Les raisins de la mort The blond woman Credited as Brigitte Lahaye
English title: The Grapes of Death
1978 Prends-moi de force Brigitte
1978 Tout pour jouir The make-up girl English title: The Window of Pleasure
1978 Excès pornographiques Marie-Christine
1978 Ondées brûlantes Brigitte
1978 Langues cochonnes English title: Sex Roulette
1978 Festival érotique
1978 Viol, la grande peur Veterinary student Credited as Brigitte Lahaye
1978 La clinique des fantasmes Marilyn Richards English title: Rx for Sex
1978 Porno roulette
1978 Les chattes English Title: Female Cats
1979 La Vitrine du plaisir
1979 Le chouchou de l'asile Chief warden
1979 Couple cherche esclave sexuel Barbara English title: Serviced with a Smile
1979 New Generation
1979 Une femme spéciale Uncredited
1979 Je brûle de partout Lorna
1979 Estivantes pour homme seul Mélanie
1979 Anna cuisses entrouvertes
1979 Parties chaudes Hélène
1979 Photos scandale Juliette
1979 Auto-stoppeuses en chaleur Denise, the girl who escapes Credited as Brigitte Lahaye
1979 Soumission Madam Clarisse Credited as Brigitte Lahaye
English title: The House of Fantasies
1979 La grande mouille A hunter English title: Hot and Horny
1979 Sechs Schwedinnen im Pensionat Greta
1979 Tremblements de chair
1979 Fascination Eva
1979 Pénétrez-moi par le petit trou Christiane
1979 Cette malicieuse Martine A client of uncle Credited as Brigitte Bordeaux
1979 I comme Icare Ursula Hoffmann, stripper English title: I as in Icarus
1979 L'histoire des 3 petits cochons
1980 Les petites garces A swinger
1980 Die Nichten der Frau Oberst Julia English title: Come Play with Me 2
1980 Pénétrations méditerranéennes Brigitte
1980 Gefangene Frauen Rita
1980 Le retour des veuves English title: Take Me Down
1980 Ta gueule, je t'aime! Ingrid
1980 Le journal érotique d'une Thailandaise Claudine Credited as Brigette Lahaye
English titles: Emanuele 3; Emmanuele 3
1980 La Nuit des traquées Elysabeth English title: The Night of the Hunted
1980 Maîtresse pour couple Brigitte
1980 Sechs Schwedinnen von der Tankstelle Greta English title: High Test Girls
1980 Le coup du parapluie Girl in the pool Uncredited
1980 Les enfilées The woman on the rotating bed
1980 Les petites écolières The school director
1980 Le segrete esperienze di Luca e Fanny Credited as Brigitte van Meerhaegue
1981 Enquêtes
1981 Diva The girl who escapes Credited as Brigitte Simonin
1981 Parties très spéciales
1981 Deux gamines Uncredited role
1981 Body-body à Bangkok
1981 For a Cop's Hide The nurse Credited as Brigitte Simonin
1981 Si ma gueule vous plaît... The stripper Credited as Brigitte Simonin
1981 Les paumées du petit matin Femme couple bourgeois English titles: The Escapees; The Runaways
1982 Te marre pas... c'est pour rire! Sandra Credited as Brigitte Simonin
1982 Nestor Burma, détective de choc Young girl at the party Uncredited
English title: Nestor Burma, Shock Detective
1982 Paul Raymond's Erotica Brigitte
1982 N'oublie pas ton père au vestiaire Mother of the brat Credited as Brigitte Simonin
1982 Julchen und Jettchen,
die verliebten Apothekerstöchter		 Jenny
1982 Hot Action
1982 Electric Blue 5 Fanny Video
1983 Baisers exotiques Elisabeth
1983 Éducation anglaise Henriette
1984 La France interdite
1985 Brigade des mœurs Credited as Brigitte Simonin
1985 Joy et Joan Joy Alternative title: "Joan and Joy"
1986 L'exécutrice Martine
1986 Suivez mon regard Woman forsaken English title: Follow My Gaze
1986 Le couteau sous la gorge Valérie Landis
1987 On se calme et on boit
frais à Saint-Tropez		 Alexandra
1987 Le diable rose Naska / Lolita
1988 Faceless Nathalie With Helmut Berger and Telly Savalas
1988 Dark Mission: Flowers of Evil Mauria
1990 Henry & June Henry Miller's whore With Fred Ward, Uma Thurman, Maria de Medeiros, Richard E. Grant and Kevin Spacey
1995 Electric Blue: Sex Model File #4 Fanny
1997 Les deux orphelines vampires English title: The Two Orphan Vampires
1998 Cornets in Time
2002 La fiancée de Dracula She-wolf English titles: Fiancée of Dracula; Dracula's Fiancée
2004 Calvaire Miss Vicky English title: The Ordeal
With Laurent Lucas
2009 Quelque chose à te dire Voice
2013 Le bonheur Dr Alice

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1981 Antoine et Julie Television film
Credited as Brigitte Simonin
1982 Les brigades vertes Television film
1983 Au théâtre ce soir The phone operator Episode: "Je leur laisserai un mot"
1983 Le lavabo Television mini-series
1987 Cinéma 16 The prostitute Episode: "Johnny Monroe"
1989 Le triplé gagnant Episode: "Le dernier rendez-vous du président"

Short films
Year Title Role
1987 Thérèse II La mission Thérèse
1993 Illusions fatales
1999 Les fourches caudines
2000 La dame pipi

See also

References
  1. Sanford, John (18 February 2014). "XRCO Announces 2014 Hall of Fame Inductees". XBIZ. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  2. "Brigitte Lahaie". Gala. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  3. Paul, Louis (2007). Tales from the Cult Film Trenches: Interviews with 36 Actors from Horror, Science Fiction and Exploitation Cinema. North Carolina: McFarland. pp. 129–136. ISBN 978-0786429943.
  4. Biography & Interview, Brigitte Lahaie official website
  5. "Jean Rollin interview". Shocking Images. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  6. "Jean Rollin interview" (in French). Objectif Cinéma. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  7. Pinkerton, Nick (June 2018). "Anatomy of Melancholy". Sight & Sound. 28 (6): 82–84.
  8. Bouvard, Philippe (25 April 2011). "Lundi 25 avril : Les Grosses Têtes reçoivent Brigitte Lahaie". RTL (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2018.; Bouvard, Philippe (4 May 2012). "Vendredi 4 mai : Les Grosses Têtes reçoivent Brigitte Lahaie". RTL (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2018.; Bouvard, Philippe (4 April 2014). "Vendredi 4 avril : Les Grosses Têtes reçoivent Brigitte Lahaie". RTL (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  9. Chassagnon, Marine (5 May 2016). "L'émission de Brigitte Lahaie sur RMC 'Lahaie, l'amour et vous' s'arrête" [Brigitte Lahaie show in RMC "Lahaie, love, and you" stops]. RTL (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  10. Gay, Constance (26 July 2012). "Brigitte Lahaie retrouve ses étalons" [Lahaie reunited with her studs]. Le Point (in French). Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  11. Geffrotin, Thibaut (27 October 2012). "Lahaie, l'amour et le cheval" [Lahaie, love, and the horse] (in French). La République des Pyrénées. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  12. ""Nous défendons une liberté d'importuner, indispensable à la liberté sexuelle"" [«We defend the freedom to annoy, indispensable for sexual freedom»]. Le Monde (in French). 9 January 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  13. Kucinskas, Audrey (9 January 2018). ""On peut jouir lors d'un viol": Brigitte Lahaie choque sur un plateau télé" [«We can orgasm during a rape»: Brigitte Lahaie shocks on a TV show]. L'Express (in French). Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  14. ""On peut jouir lors d'un viol" : Brigitte Lahaie revient sur ses propos polémiques" [«One can orgasm during a rape»: Brigitte Lahaie returns to her impassioned views] (in French). Paris Match. 3 May 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  15. "Très émue, Brigitte Lahaie s'explique sur ses propos polémiques sur le viol" [Very emotional, Brigitte Lahaie explains herself on her controversial suggestions on rape] (in French). Vanity Fair. 4 May 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2018.

Bibliography
  • Lahaie, Brigitte (1987). Moi, la scandaleuse [Me, the scandalous one] (in French). Filipacchi/J'ai Lu. ISBN 2-277-22362-X.
  • Lahaie, Brigitte (1989). Le zodiaque érotique [The erotic zodiac] (in French). Ergo Press. ISBN 978-2739500266.
  • Lahaie, Brigitte (1990). La femme modèle [The model woman] (in French). J'ai Lu. ISBN 2-277-23102-9.
  • Lahaie, Brigitte (1994). Les sens de la vie [The senses of life] (in French). Michel Lafon/J'ai Lu. ISBN 2-277-23916-X.
  • Lahaie, Brigitte (1996). La sexe défendu [Sex defended] (in French). Michel Lafon. ISBN 2-84098-169-6.
  • Lahaie, Brigitte (2018). Le Bûcher des sexes: La révolution n'aura pas lieu [The Pyre: The revolution will not happen] (in French). Albin Michel. ISBN 978-2226396099.

Further reading
  • Alexandre, Claude; Bourgeade, Pierre (1999). Brigitte Lahaie (in French). France: La Musardine. ISBN 2-84271-032-0.
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