Portrait of Lilyan Chauvin

Lilyan Chauvin

Acting

Biography

French character actress Lilyan Chauvin may be one of those actors or actresses whose face you know without knowing their names. Chauvin was a long time veteran of the European stage, and was adept at playing strict, but sometimes loving characters. To horror fans, she might be best known as the sinister Mother Superior in Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984), but her career started back in the 1950s when she was plucked from the stage to appear in small minor roles in motion pictures. One notable film was with John Wayne in North to Alaska (1960). For about thirty years, Chauvin was one of the busiest character actresses in Hollywood, appearing in over forty films as well as on television. Her many film credits include Private Benjamin (1980), Predator 2 (1990), No Place to Hide (1992), Universal Soldier (1992) as Jean-Claude Van Damme's mother, and Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can (2002) with Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Born: August 6, 1925

Place of Birth: Paris, Île-de-France, France

Filmography

2011
The Passing

as Rebecca Naibert

2007
Sublime

as European Nurse

2006
Ugly Betty

as Yolanda

2004
2002
Catch Me If You Can

as Mrs. Lavalier

2002
Duty Dating

as Dr. Hartley

2001
Alias

as Signora Ventutti

2001
2000
Skeleton Woman

as Bone Gatherer

2000
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

as Mrs. Aloyna Ivanovna

1999
Five Aces

as Grandmother Kalliope

1996
The Pretender

as Mrs. Nikkos, the Greek Lady

1995
Tyson

as Camille Ewald

1994
Earth 2

as Katrina

1994
Friends

as Grandma Tribbiani

1994
ER

as Nurse Edna

1993
Cafe Americain

as Madame Dussolier

1993
Frasier

as Mama

1993
The X-Files

as Golda

1993
1992
No Place to Hide

as Mother Superior

1992
1992
Universal Soldier

as Mrs. John Devreux

1992
Stormy Weathers

as Mrs. Comden

1990
Predator 2

as Irene Edwards

1990
Bad Influence

as Art Gallery Patron

1989
Death Doll

as Madame Zerba

1989
Baywatch

as Dr. Lester

1987
Born in East L.A.

as German Woman

1987
Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2

as Mother Superior (archive footage)

1985
Beyond Reason

as Nurse Johnson

1984
Silent Night, Deadly Night

as Mother Superior

1984
Murder, She Wrote

as Dispatcher

1982
The Junkman

as French Reporter

1981
Falcon Crest

as Sister Jeannette

1980
Magnum, P.I.

as Maria

1980
Private Benjamin

as Mrs. Trémont

1978
1978
Flying High

as Miss Simmons

1978
Child of Glass

as Madame Dumaine

1976
Victory at Entebbe

as French Nun

1975
Funny Lady

as Mademoiselle

1972
Cool Million

as Party guest

1971
Once Upon a Dead Man

as Madame Jarnac

1971
The Mephisto Waltz

as Woman Writer

1968
Yours, Mine and Ours

as French Actress on TV Screen

1967
1966
Mission: Impossible

as Mrs. Beruch

1965
Tickle Me

as Ronnie

1964
Daniel Boone

as Madame Simon

1962
Two Weeks in Another Town

as Bar Girl (uncredited)

1961
Bloodlust!

as Sandra Balleau

1960
North to Alaska

as Jenny Lamont

1960
North to Alaska

as Jenny Lamont (uncredited)

1960
Walk Like a Dragon

as Mme. Lili Raide

1959
1959
1959
One Step Beyond

as Francesca

1958
King Creole

as Catherine (uncredited)

1958
Lost, Lonely and Vicious

as Tanya Pernaud

1957
Maverick

as Sydney Sue Shipley

1957
Perry Mason

as Matron

1957
Silk Stockings

as Dancer Sonia (uncredited)

1957
Ten Thousand Bedrooms

as Reporter (uncredited)

1957
1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as Sybil Delamont

1951