All The Babes
Sylvia Kristel
Career
Active 1973 – 2010
Biography
About Sylvia Kristel
Sylvia Maria Kristel began modeling when she was 17, and her life changed in 1973 when she won the Miss TV Europe contest. The following year she gained international attention as the title character in the softcore film Emmanuelle, which remains one of the most successful French films ever produced. She went on to play Emmanuelle in five of the seven films in the series, originating the role. The Emmanuelle image followed her to the United States, where she played a seductive maid in the sex comedy Private Lessons (1981), one of the highest-grossing independent films of that year. She also had a brief comic turn in The Nude Bomb (1980).
A Dutch actress and model, Kristel appeared in over 50 films. Her career included an adaptation of Lady Chatterley's Lover (1981) and a nudity-filled biopic of Mata Hari (1985). In 1990 she appeared in the television series My Riviera, filmed at her home in Saint-Tropez. After a hiatus of eight years, she returned to acting in Two Sunny Days (2010) and that same year played Eva de Leeuw in the TV series The Swing Girls, her last role. In 2006 she received an award at the Tribeca Film Festival for directing the animated short film Topor and Me.
Kristel was born in Utrecht, Netherlands, on 28 September 1952, and passed away on 18 October 2012 after a battle with cancer. She was 5'9" with brown hair, blue eyes, and an average body type, and she had no tattoos or piercings. She was bisexual and began her career around age 20, staying active for 37 years. In her personal life, she had a son, Arthur, with Belgian author Hugo Claus, and later left Claus for actor Ian McShane.
Record
Profile details
Personal
- Died
- Thursday 18th of October 2012 (age 60)
- Years Active
- 1973-2010 (started around 20 years old; 37 years active)
- Birthplace
- Utrecht, Netherlands
- Ethnicity
- Caucasian
- Sexuality
- Bisexual
Body
- Hair Color
- Brown
- Eye Color
- Blue
- Weight
- 121 lbs (or 55 kg)
- Measurements
- 35–24–34 (B–W–H) · WHR 0.71
- Bra/Cup Size
- 34B show conversions - UK: 34B, EU: 75B, AU: 12B, JP: 75B
- Boobs
- Real/Natural
- Tattoos
- None
- Piercings
- None
Performances
- Solo
- Nudity (Full)
Extra
- Instagram Followers
- 1k (as of March 2026)
Frequently asked
Why is Sylvia Kristel most recognized?
She played the title character in Emmanuelle (1974), a film that became one of the most successful French productions ever, and she reprised the role in four more Emmanuelle films.
What was notable about her role in Private Lessons?
As Nicole Mallow, a maid who seduces a teenage boy, she starred in one of the highest-grossing independent films of 1981, though she reportedly saw none of the profits.
Did she have a career beyond acting?
Yes, she directed the animated short film Topor and Me, which earned her an award at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2006.
Did you know
- She appeared in over 50 films over a 37-year career.
- She won the Miss TV Europe contest in 1973.
- She starred in five of the seven Emmanuelle films.
- Her last acting role was Eva de Leeuw in The Swing Girls (2010).
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