French acting icon Anouk Aimée has been hailed as "timeless" and a "beautiful person" after her death aged 92

Her agent announced her death, sparking a wave of tributes to the actress from celebrities and fans.

One of the most moving tributes was from 'A Man and a Woman' director Claude Lelouch, 86, who said on X: "Anouk, my Nanny, left us this morning. She's gone to join Jean-Louis, Pierre, Francis, and others.

"She has been my road companion, my friend forever. She gave me all my chances and said yes when, young filmmaker, others said no.

"Because of her and only her, I've guarded the light. Her silhouette and grace will forever be etched on a Normandy beach.

"After making the whole earth dream, now she will make angels dream."

Claude's tribute was posted on X as a typed letter with his signature at the bottom.

A cause of death for Anouk is yet to be revealed.

She also starred in big-screen masterpieces including Federico Fellini's 'La Dolce Vita' and '8 ½'.

Her career from 1947 until her retirement in 2019 saw her appear in 70 films.

Born Nicole Françoise Florence Dreyfus in Paris, she started her film career aged 14 after studying drama and dance.

Along with appearing in a string of French classics, she also made films in Spain, Italy, Germany, the US and Britain.

She was renowned for her haunting beauty and voted one of the sexiest actresses in history, with her awards including best actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her work in Marco Bellocchio's 1980 movie 'A Leap in the Dark', and in 2002 she received an honorary César Award.