Marion Michael (October 17, 1940 – October 13, 2007) was a German film actress and singer. She was best known for her role in the 1956 film, Liane, Jungle Goddess.[1] She was also the second German actress, after Hildegard Knef, to appear nude on film, when she starred in the German film, The Sinner in the 1950s.[1]
Michael was born Marion Ilonka Michaela Delonge in Königsberg (now Kaliningrad).[1] She was selected for the role of Liane in Liane, Jungle Goddess out of 12,000 prospective actresses.[1] She was only 16 at the time of the filming, which took place om location in Africa, and she controversially appeared topless during the first half of the movie.[1] The movie was a box office success. However, none of her following 10 films over the next six years were as successful.[1]
Michael suffered injuries in a car accident during this time period.[1] She returned to acting, but stopped again in 1965.[1] She suffered a bout of depression and, unusually, moved from West Germany to Communist East Germany.[1]
Michael sometimes returned to film and television acting later in her life, but only rarely. However, despite her lack of screen time after the 1960s she remained a well known German film icon.[1] Her last onscreen appearance was in a 1996 German television musical about her life, entitled Liane.[1]
Michael died of heart failure in Gartz, Brandenburg, at the age of 66.[1]