Etchika Choureau

Choureau's first feature film was The Other Side of Paradise, in 1953. Over her short career, she appeared in 17 feature films, and one TV movie, before retiring in 1966.^[1]

She was born Jeaninne Paulette Verret, in Paris, France.^[1] Her first husband was Max Choureau.^[1] The couple had been divorced for some time^[2] when she met Prince Moulay Hassan in 1956, who was then heir to the Moroccan throne.^[1][3] The couple entered a relationship until February 1961, when Hassan succeeded his father as king; Hassan's culture, and his royal responsibilities, required him to break up with the foreign, Christian and divorced Choureau and marry a Muslim Moroccan—marrying Lalla Latifa in November 1961.^[1][3] Choureau and Hassan remained close lifelong friends, and their friendship extended to her second husband, Philippe Rheims, whom she married in 1968 in Cassis.^[2][1]

While filming Lafayette Escadrille, Choureau grew very close to her costar Tab Hunter. Their relationship became serious enough that they almost got married. However Tab backed out after he decided that, as a closeted gay man, being married to a woman would be unfair to her and wouldn't be fulfilling to him.^[4]

Choureau died on 25 January 2022, at the age of 92.^[5]