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Berthe Cerny (born Françoise Berthe-Hélène-Lucie de Choudens; 31 January 1868 – 27 March 1940) was a French actress, known as an elegant blonde beauty. She had a brilliant career, interpreting both classical and contemporary roles. She had several affairs, including with the politicians Aristide Briand and Paul Reynaud, and had two sons by other lovers. She joined the Comédie-Française in 1906 and became a sociétaire in 1909.
Les Annales du Théâtre et de la Musique for 1893 reported three plays that featured Berthe Cerny. In January she appeared at the Théâtre du Gymnase Marie Bell in Je dîne chez ma mère by Adrien Decourcelle. The critic wrote, "Mlle. Berthe Cerny, who had just had a great success in Brussels, had taken over Sophie Arnould's role with infinite charm and grace." In April she appeared again at the Théâtre du Gymnase Marie Bell as Maman Clémentine in the Homme à l'oreille cassée by Pierre Decourcelle and Antony Mars, after the novel by Edmond About. She appeared at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in November as Etiennette in the romantic comedy Leurs Gigolettes by Henri Meilhac and Albert de Saint-Albin. The critic said, "Berthe Cerny is fine and perverse; she shows us, moreover, with laudable disinterest, two exquisitely molded legs in pretty stockings of black silk."
In 1895 Alexandre Dumas, fils repeated the stale idea that actresses must be immoral, saying the "feverish work, the quest for feigned emotions, the thirst for applause, the joys of triumph ... raise their bodies to a temperature they must maintain in real life." Berthe Cerny was among those who contradicted him in the pages of Le Temps, saying that a well-behaved but talented actress could easily portray vice.
Berthe began a relationship with the politician Aristide Briand in 1907. When Briand fell for her she was a blonde beauty, charming and elegant in the long dresses and high hats of the period. She had natural assurance and was financially secure due to her "bon ami" Johnston. By 1910 the former socialist's politics had moved to the right due to her influence. He had taken a liking to visiting salons, where he met writers, artists and women of high society. In 1913 Briand met Princess Marie Bonaparte, wife of Prince George of Greece. For a long time she refused Briand's advances, since she did not want to share him with Berthe. The rupture finally came in April 1916, when Berthe wrote to Briand telling him not to visit her again, and to let her gently forget him.
Later Berthe Cerny formed a relationship with the politician Paul Reynaud.
In the postwar period she was able to relax, playing only 20 times a year for the Comédie-Française. She appeared in the 1922 documentary film Molière, sa vie, son oeuvre directed by Jacques de Féraudy. In modern theater she gave excellent performances as heroines in the plays of Paul Géraldy, François de Curel and Henry Bataille, including the baronne Irène in Bataille's Maman Colibri. She retired in 1930 and was at once named an honorary member of the Comédie-Française. She died on 27 March 1940 in Paris, and was buried in the Cimetière d'Auteuil.
| Les Flambeaux de la noce – Saint-Georges de Bouhélier |
| La Carcasse – Denys Amiel |
| Robert et Marianne – Paul Géraldy |
| Les Fâcheux – Molière |
| Le Sicilien – Molière staged by Georges Berr |
| Maman Colibri – Henry Bataille |
| Les Effrontés – Émile Augier |
| Le Voile déchiré – Pierre Wolff |
| Les Soeurs d'amour – Henry Bataille |
| Les Noces d'argent – Paul Géraldy |
| Deux couverts – Sacha Guitry |
| Amphitryon – Molière |
| Bagatelle – Paul Hervieu |
| L'Embuscade – Henry Kistemaeckers |
| Le Ménage de Molière – Maurice Donnay |
| The Misanthrope – Molière staged by Jules Truffier |
| L'Autre – Paul Margueritte |
| La Rivale – Henry Kistemaeckers… |
| Le Mariage de Figaro – Pierre Beaumarchais |
| Poliche – Henry Bataille |
| Les Mouettes – Paul Adam |
| La Courtisane – André Arnyvelde |
| Paraître – Maurice Donnay |
| La Cousine Bette – Pierre Decourcelle… |
| L'Armature – after Paul Hervieu |
| La Gueule du loup – Maurice Hennequin… |
| Décadence – Albert Guinon |
| Le Passé – Georges de Porto-Riche |
| La Meute – Abel Hermant |
| Le Collier de la reine – Pierre Decourcelle… |
| L'Homme à l'oreille cassée – Pierre Decourcelle… |
| Monsieur chasse ! – Georges Feydeau |
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