Maria Schneider (actress) miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth" (1979), in which Schneider said she did not feel right for the part of Mary, mother of Jesus, though later regretted missing out on this opportunity and instead eventually appeared in Zeffirelli's 1996 film "Jane Eyre" in a brief appearance as Bertha Mason. The 1970s were turbulent years for Schneider, marked by drug addiction, overdoses, and a suicide attempt. Schneider said that she disliked the instant fame accorded to her from "Last Tango in Paris". She suffered abuse and began taking drugs. By the 1980s, however, her life had improved: Schneider died of breast cancer on
Maria Schneider (actress) (1989), Marco Bellocchio's "The Conviction" (1991), Mehdi Charef's "In the Country of Juliets" (1992), Cyril Collard's "Savage Nights" (1992), Franco Zeffirelli's "Jane Eyre" (1996), and Josiane Balasko's "A French Gigolo" (2008). Throughout her career, she was a strong advocate for improving the work conditions of women in film. In 2001, Schneider was the guest of honor at the 23rd Festival Créteil Films de Femmes. Schneider was born in Paris to Daniel Gélin, a French actor, and Marie-Christine Schneider from Romania, who ran a bookshop in Paris. Gélin was married to actress and producer Danièle Delorme during his affair with Marie-Christine