Born in Paris, Valerie started performing at the age of seven with an acrobatic troupe, winning first prize with jury commendation when she was ten. The award was presented by the Mayor of Paris.

Valerie did not seriously pursue acting until her late teens, enrolling in acting classes to overcome what she considered an almost terminal case of shyness. Acting intrigued her, what was meant to be therapy soon became a vocation. Valerie enrolled at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts et Techniques du Theatre, the French equivalent of the New York City High School for the Performing Arts.

After six months, she left school to act full time, appearing in various plays and at sixteen she played her first movie role as a 'Nietzce student' in 'La Tortue sur le dos'. Valerie soon went on to play in 'Le Plein de super' and Jacqes Fansten's 'Le Petit Marcel'.

In 1976 Valerie competed to matriculate at the prestigious Conservatoire National d'Art Dramatique de Paris, where she studied for three years, supplementing class lessons with professional productions. Among Valerie's theatrical credits are Racine's "Bajazet" and the stage adaptation of "Phedre" by Antoine Bouseiller and Chantel Darget, which played at the Theatre Recamier and Jean Anouille's "Chers Oixeaux " at the Comedie des Champs-Elysees. During this time Valerie acted in 'Martin et Lea' and then her first part with an international cast.

Valerie co-starred in 'French Postcards' as a charming French girl who befriends some American students, played by Miles Chapin and Debra Winger with Mandy Patinkin, all of whom were in the early part of their careers. "Valerie was a lot of fun to work with. High-spirited, beautiful, eager to try different things (including acting in English for the first time), she is sorely missed. French Postcards was a great script, and a great opportunity for a bunch of young actors. It's still one of my favorite films and I remember it, and the experience of making it, fondly", said Miles Chapin.

To balance her formal training Valerie spent the summer of 1978 in Avignon developing a work-in-progress "Babylon", and after a series of developmental exercises with the director, the piece was set and commenced a regular run.

During her time at the Conservatoire Valerie formed a new wave rock band, "Look d'Enfer" (A Glance from Hades) and wrote songs for the group.

In 1979 Valerie graduated from the Conservatoire and to capitalize on the success of "French Postcards, she travelled to the United States. John Milius cast Valerie as Princess Yasimina in 'Conan the Barbarian'. "When I read the script, I thought it was just a matter of sword fighting. But when I read the books, I found they were filled with sorcery, and I liked that very much. I've always loved fairy tales", Valerie said.

Valerie is best known for her role as the captivating 'Lena', a French archaeologist in the movie 'Summer Lovers'.
'The production secured an unprecedented permission to film at an actual dig -- Akrotiri, the presumed "lost city of Atlantis". Instructed by a real archaeologist, Valerie set to work before the cameras in an area of the site selected for light and production values. She had hardly started when, much to the joy of everyone, she uncovered several pieces of 3500-year-old pottery. They were turned in and added to the scientific collection'.

After 'Summer Lovers' Valerie left the movie industry to devote time to her family life.

             In March 1989 Valerie Quennessen died as a result of a car accident.

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