Photo: Whitey Schafer / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Claudette Colbert is one of those Golden Age talents who could do absolutely everything — screwball comedy, Biblical epic, wartime melodrama — and make it all look effortless. Born in France and raised in New York, she had this irresistible mix of European sophistication and all-American wisecracking wit that nobody else could quite replicate. Her Oscar win for It Happened One Night in 1935 is completely deserved; that film is still a masterclass in comic timing and chemistry, and she went toe-to-toe with Clark Gable without blinking. I love that she kept working well into her eighties, picking up a Golden Globe for a TV miniseries in 1988, which tells you everything about her discipline and craft. She passed away in Barbados in 1996, but her best performances feel as sharp and alive as ever.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Claudette Colbert
- Name (Japanese)
- クローデット・コルベール
- Reading
- くろーでっと・こるべーる
- Born
- September 13, 1903 – July 30, 1996
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Rabbit
- Origin
- Saint-Mandé, France
- Occupation
- film actor / stage actor / television actor / actor
2. Background
- High school
- Washington Irving High School
Awards & achievements
- 1990 Donostia Award
- 1935 Academy Award for Best Actress
- Kennedy Center Honors
- 1988 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Ellis Island Medal of Honor
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Claudette Colbert born?
September 13, 1903 – July 30, 1996.
Where is Claudette Colbert from?
Claudette Colbert is from Saint-Mandé, France.
What does Claudette Colbert do?
Claudette Colbert works as film actor, stage actor, television actor, actor.
Film actor — see all → · Stage actor — see all → · More people from France →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.