She began acting in England , with some minor TV roles . Then , in 1953 , she relocated to France and while occasionally working as a governess also sang and danced in nightclubs , where she met director Marcel Camus . At the age of 24 she won the role of " Eurydice " in his film '' Black Orpheus '' . The film won the Palme d'Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival and the 1960 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film . She married Camus , but divorced him soon after and married Belgian actor Eric Vander . Considered a great beauty , she was featured in November 1959 by '' Ebony '' and has been hailed as " one of '' Ebony '' magazine 's prettiest cover girls , along with the likes of Dorothy Dandridge , Halle Berry , Vanessa Williams and Lena Horne "
1959 Cannes Film Festival
1959 Cannes Film Festival
Marpessa Dawn