Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Odile Astie

 [These daily posts will cover little known actors or people that have appeared in more recent films and TV series. Various degrees of information that I was able to find will be given and anything that you can add would be appreciated.]

Odile Danièle Astie was born in Paris, France on May 22, 1941. Odile took ballet lessons at a young age and after thirteen years and several prizes, she turned to acrobatics. She saw an ad in a French newspaper that as seeking someone to hurl themselves and their car into another vehicle parked alongside a precipice, she answered the ad and was hired because she was the candidate.

 She then joined the circus and became an acrobat and trapeze artist. This led to her becoming a double and stuntwoman in films beginning with work in 1964’s “La bonne soupe” starring Annie Giradot. In 1968 she appeared for the first time as an actress in “Mr. Freedon” starring Donald Pleasence. Nicknamed ‘Bibi’ she was sometimes credited as BiBi O’Deal and sometimes her last name was spelled Astier.

During the filming of Christian-Jaque's film “Le Saint prend l'affût” (1966), which took place on a portion of the Autoroute du Nord which was under construction. Unfortunately, the new coating was too slick. It would have been possible to cover the road with gravel to facilitate the skidding of the Renault Floride S convertible that stuntman Gil Delamar was to drive, but it would have been visible on screen. Time was pressing, Delamar nevertheless decided to continue the scene, with stuntmen Gaston Woignez and Odile Astie at his side. Around 5:30 p.m., the car, instead of sliding, ripped, an arm of the rear axle broke and threw the car which rolled over, ejecting the passengers and trapping Gil, killing him instantly. Odile was injured in the accident but recovered and continued her film career. She worked on dozens of films both in France and in the United States, sometimes appearing in small roles.

During her career she fractured her skull four times, broke her ribs multiple times, both arms and was badly burned.

Astie doubled for both Brigitte Bardot and Claudia Cardinale on “The Legend of Frenchie King” (1971). Her other Euro-western was a actress in 1971’s “In the Dust of the Sun” where she played a country woman.

True to form Odile Astie died on November 14, 1980, in Los Angeles while filming a stunt for the film “The Cannonball Run”.

ASTIE, Odile (aka Odile Astie 'Bibi', Odile Astier, Odile Astié, Odile Astre) (Odile Danièle Astié) [5/22/1941, Paris, Île-de-France, France – 11/14/1980, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. (accident)] – circus performer, stuntwoman, film actress.

In the Dust of the Sun – 1971 (country woman)

The Legend of Frenchie King – 1971 [stunts]