Nicknamed "Reine Christine" by her colleagues because of her tragedian style especially as tragic queen.
She became "pensionnaire" at the Comédie-Française on September 1 1965 and was named "sociétaire" on January 1 1976. She became in the last years doyenne.
She took her stage name from her mother's maiden name.
In Fernand Ledoux's class at the Conservatoire, in 1965, she got a second prize for tragedy and 2 first prizes for comedy for her final school competition.