Dominique Michel

With an illustrious career spanning several decades, Dominique Michel's natural comedic gifts established her as one of Canada's most beloved actresses. She was born Aimée Sylvestre on Sept. 24, 1932 in Sorel-Tracy, Québec, Canada. Later changing her name to Dominique Michel, she launched her career by performing in cabarets and made her acting debut on the Société Radio-Canada series "Le petit monde du père Gédéon" (1960). It would take over a decade for Michel to make her film debut in "Tiens-toi bien après les oreilles a Papa" (1971). That same year, Michel made her debut appearance on "Bye-Bye," Quebec's New Year's Eve countdown show. The actress landed her first lead role as the wife of a French insurance worker in "I've Had It" ("J'ai mon voyage!") (1973). Often cast in lighthearted roles, Michel nonetheless showed range throughout her career, most notably in "The Decline of the American Empire" (1986), a poignant character-study written and directed by Denys Arcand. Michel's small screen career also endeared her to audiences, whether it was with a supporting role on "Métro-boulot-dodo" (Société Radio-Canada, 1982-83) or a lead role on the series "Dominique" (Télémétropole, 1992). Her work did not go unnoticed by her countrymen. On April 13, 1994, Michel was named an Office of the Order of Canada for her contributions to French-Canadian culture. In 2003, she starred in "The Barbarian Invasions," the long-awaited sequel to "The Decline of the American Empire." In 2010, Michel announced she was battling colon cancer and underwent chemotherapy treatments.