Claudette Colbert (born Lily Claudette Chauchoin, 1903-1996) was a French-American actress, an icon of the Golden Age of Hollywood. She achieved stardom and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Frank Capra's comedy *It Happened One Night* (1934), which cemented her status as the queen of screwball comedy.

Her career was marked by remarkable versatility. She excelled in both dramatic roles, such as *Cleopatra* (1934) and *Imitation of Life* (1934), and other brilliant comedies, including Preston Sturges' *The Palm Beach Story* (1942). She was renowned for her refined elegance, witty acting, and ability to portray intelligent and sophisticated characters, often with a touch of vulnerability.