When people search for the Around the World in 80 Days actress, they usually aren’t looking for just one person. That’s the tricky part. Depending on whether you grew up with the Technicolor grandeur of the 1956 classic or the chaotic energy of the 2004 Jackie Chan reboot, you’re thinking of two completely different women. Honestly, it’s kinda fascinating how these two roles reflect exactly what Hollywood wanted from women at those specific moments in time.
In the 1956 version, we’re talking about Shirley MacLaine. She played Princess Aouda. It was her breakout, but man, looking back, it’s a weird bit of casting. Then you have the 2004 version where Cécile de France stepped in as Monique La Roche. Two different eras. Two different vibes. One very famous Jules Verne story that keeps getting poked and prodded by directors every few decades.
Shirley MacLaine: The Original Princess Aouda
Shirley MacLaine was basically a newcomer when she got cast in the 1956 epic. She was twenty-two. Imagine being that young and getting dropped into a massive production that won Best Picture. She had just finished The Trouble with Harry with Alfred Hitchcock, so she wasn’t a complete ghost, but this was the big leagues.
The weird thing? She’s playing an Indian princess.
Yeah. 1950s Hollywood didn't really care about authentic casting. They put a red bindi on her, darkened her makeup, and called it a day. MacLaine has been pretty open in her memoirs—like My Lucky Stars—about how she felt like a "total amateur" on that set. She was surrounded by legends like David Niven and Robert Newton. She was just this kid from Virginia trying to figure out why she was wearing a sari.
The 1956 film was a monster. It had 40 star cameos. Frank Sinatra was there. Marlene Dietrich popped up. It was basically the "Avengers: Endgame" of its time in terms of star power. But at the center of it, MacLaine’s Aouda was the emotional anchor. She was the reason Phileas Fogg actually changed. He started the movie as a clockwork robot and ended it as a human being because of her.
Why the 1956 Role Was Controversial (and Why It Still Ranks)
If you watch it now, the "brownface" is uncomfortable. There’s no getting around that. But if you're looking for the Around the World in 80 Days actress from the perspective of cinema history, MacLaine is the giant. She used this role as a springboard to become one of the greatest actresses of all time. We’re talking The Apartment, Terms of Endearment, and a career that spanned over seven decades.
It’s worth noting that Princess Aouda in the original book was actually Parsi and had been educated in England, which was Verne's way of justifying her "Western" sensibilities. Hollywood took that and just ran with "let’s cast a white girl." It’s a relic. A beautiful, high-budget, slightly cringey relic.
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Cécile de France and the 2004 Reimagining
Fast forward to 2004. Everything changed.
The Around the World in 80 Days actress in this version isn't even a princess. They created a whole new character named Monique La Roche, played by the Belgian actress Cécile de France. Honestly, this was a smart move. Instead of trying to recast a problematic version of Aouda, they turned the female lead into an aspiring impressionist artist.
Cécile brought this frantic, bubbly French energy that actually matched Jackie Chan’s stunt-heavy comedy. She wasn't just a damsel to be rescued from a funeral pyre. She was part of the crew. She was scrappy.
- She actually gets in on the action.
- Her chemistry with Steve Coogan (who played Fogg) was surprisingly sweet.
- She represented a shift toward "girl power" that was big in early 2000s blockbusters.
The movie itself was a bit of a box office disaster. It cost about $110 million and barely made its money back. But for a certain generation, Cécile de France is the face of that journey. She didn't let the CGI or the slapstick drown her out.
The 2021 TV Series: A New Perspective
We can't talk about the Around the World in 80 Days actress without mentioning Leonie Benesch. She played Abigail "Fix" Fortescue in the 2021 BBC/PBS series starring David Tennant. This was the biggest departure yet.
In the book, "Fix" is a male detective chasing Fogg. The showrunners decided, "Hey, let's make the lead woman a journalist instead." It was a brilliant pivot. Benesch’s character is based loosely on Nellie Bly, the real-life woman who actually traveled around the world in 72 days in 1889 to beat Verne’s fictional record.
- Leonie Benesch is German.
- She’s incredible in The White Ribbon and The Crown.
- Her Abigail is stubborn, ambitious, and slightly annoying in the best way possible.
This version finally gave the female lead her own agency. She wasn't just traveling because she was saved or because she was in love. She was traveling to prove she could be a reporter in a man's world. If you want the most "modern" take on this role, Benesch is the one to watch.
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The Impact of Casting on Jules Verne’s Legacy
Verne’s original 1872 novel is very much a product of its time. It’s colonial. It’s British-centric. The "actress" role in every adaptation is usually the bridge between Verne's old-world views and our modern ones.
Think about it. In 1956, the actress was a trophy. In 2004, she was a sidekick. In 2021, she was the one writing the story.
When you’re digging into who these women are, you’re really looking at a timeline of how we view women in adventure stories. Shirley MacLaine’s Aouda was a quiet survivor. Cécile de France’s Monique was a dreamer. Leonie Benesch’s Abigail was a pioneer.
What Most People Get Wrong About These Roles
Most people think the movie is just about Phileas Fogg and Passepartout. They think the woman is just "along for the ride." That’s a mistake. In almost every version, the journey fails without her.
In the 1956 film, Aouda is the one who notices the time difference (kinda). In the book, she’s the one Fogg marries, which is his only real "win" since he thought he lost the bet. The Around the World in 80 Days actress isn't just a supporting role; she’s the person who humanizes the high-stakes gambling addict that is Phileas Fogg.
Quick Snapshot of the Actresses
You don't need a table to see the diversity here. You've got MacLaine, the Hollywood icon. You've got Cécile de France, the European powerhouse (go watch High Tension if you want to see her in something completely different and terrifying). Then you have Benesch, who is currently taking over European television.
It’s also worth mentioning Julia Nickson, who played Aouda in the 1989 miniseries opposite Pierce Brosnan. That version is actually quite faithful to the book and Nickson, who is of English and Chinese descent, brought a bit more authenticity to the role than MacLaine did.
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Actionable Steps for Fans of the Franchise
If you’re down the rabbit hole of these adaptations, don’t just stop at the movies.
First, go watch the 1956 film just for the sheer scale of it. It’s three hours long, has an intermission, and features real locations. No green screen. When they’re in India, they’re actually using dozens of elephants. It’s nuts.
Second, check out the 2021 series if you want a character-driven drama. David Tennant is fantastic, but Leonie Benesch steals the show. It’s the most "human" version of the story.
Third, if you're a history nerd, look up Nellie Bly. She’s the real-life Around the World in 80 Days actress who didn't need a film crew. She did the trip solo with one small bag. Her book, Around the World in Seventy-Two Days, is a better adventure than most of the movies.
Finally, track down Cécile de France's other work. She’s a massive star in France for a reason. Her performance in the 2004 movie is often overlooked because the film was a "flop," but her comedic timing is actually top-tier.
The legacy of this story isn't just about a man and a watch. It’s about the people he meets who disrupt his rigid, lonely life. The actresses who have stepped into these roles—from MacLaine to Benesch—have had to do a lot of heavy lifting to make these characters more than just a footnote in a travelogue. They succeeded.