Sylvia Kristel

Sylvia Kristel (born 28 September 1952) is a Dutch actress, model and singer. Her most famous role is in the French film Emmanuelle (1974). Kristel was born in Utrecht, The Netherlands, the daughter of Piet and Jean-Nicholas, who ran an inn in Utrecht. In her 2006 autobiography Nue she claims to have been sexually abused by an elderly guest at the hotel at the age of nine, an event which she still refuses to discuss in detail. Her parents divorce... more

Sylvia Kristel (born 28 September 1952) is a Dutch actress, model and singer. Her most famous role is in the French film Emmanuelle (1974). Kristel was born in Utrecht, The Netherlands, the daughter of Piet and Jean-Nicholas, who ran an inn in Utrecht. In her 2006 autobiography Nue she claims to have been sexually abused by an elderly guest at the hotel at the age of nine, an event which she still refuses to discuss in detail. Her parents divorced when she was 14 years old after her father left home for another woman. "It was the saddest thing that ever happened to me", she says of the experience of her parents' separation. She has a younger sister, Marianne. When she was 17, she began modeling. She entered the Miss TV Europe contest in 1973 and won. She speaks Dutch, English, French, German and Italian. She gained international attention in 1974 for playing the title character in the softcore film Emmanuelle which remains one of the most successful French films ever produced. Kristel... less