Sylvia Kristel Dead, Life Of 'Emmanuelle' Star In Pictures (CONTAINS NUDITY)

Sylvia Kristel: Life Of 'Emmanuelle' Star In Pictures (CONTAINS NUDITY)

Sylvia Kristel, the Dutch actress who made her name playing sex-mad housewife Emmanuelle, died on Thursday. Kristel, who was suffering from cancer, was admitted to hospital in July following a stroke.

Kristel went on to make several sequels of Emmanuelle, as well as a series of Hollywood movies including Private Lessons, Lady Chatterley's Lover and Mata Hari.

She was just 22 when she shot Emmanuelle - having stumbled into the audition by accident. Kristel had been about to attend a casting call for soap detergent next door when she met director Just Jaeckin.

Scroll down for a gallery of Sylvia Kristel

Sylvia Kristel photographed in 1974 - the year Emmanuelle was released

In 1994 she told The Evening Standard just how she secured the part, explaining: "He asked me to take my dress off.

"Luckily it was an easy dress to take off. It had spaghetti straps which I just slipped over my shoulders and it just fell off.

"I carried on talking and smoking in the nude. I was not inhibited at all."

Her agent Marieke Verharen told the AFP news agency: "She died during the night during her sleep."

Scroll down for a gallery of her life and career, which spanned 58 movie titles.

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