PARIS, Nov 6 — French actress Catherine Deneuve, 76, was admitted to hospital in Paris after falling ill overnight, French newspaper Le Parisien reported today.

Deneuve, a legend of French cinema often described as the embodiment of French womanhood, was in a “serious state”, added the newspaper.

Nicknamed the “Ice Maiden” because of her exquisite, fragile beauty and detached manner, Deneuve became France’s leading screen actress and a top international star in the 1960s. — Reuters