Lafont,
who made her debut in Francois Truffaut's 1957 "Les Mistons," worked
with other famed French directors including Claude Chabrol, Louis Malle, Nelly
Kaplan and Jean Eustache during a career that spanned more than 50 years.
She
won a Cesar, the French equivalent of the US Academy Award, for her role in
Claude Miller's 1985 film "L'Effrontee" and received an Honourary
Cesar in 2003.
A
self-trained actress known for her direct and natural style, Lafont continued
to work until recently, including with an appearance in Julie Delpy's 2011 film
"Le Skylab."
She
had been hospitalised in her home town of Nimes on Monday after falling ill and
died early Thursday, the hospital said in a statement.
She
also appeared in several French films for television and in many plays.
Married
to Hungarian sculptor-turned-director Diourka Medveczky, she had three children
including actress Pauline Lafont, who died in a hiking accident in 1988 aged
25.