Marion Cotillard

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Birthday:

30 September 1975, Paris, France

Height:

169 cm

Academy Award-winning Actress Marion Cotillard was born on September 30, 1975 in Paris. Cotillard is the daughter of Jean-Claude Cotillard, an actor, playwright and director, and Niseema Theillaud, an actress and drama teacher. Her father's family is Breton and her mother has Kabyle ancestry.Raised in Orléans, France, she made her acting debut as a child with a role in one of her father's plays. She studied drama at the Conservatoire d'Art Dramatique in Orléans. After small appearances and performances in theater, Cotillard had occasional and minor roles in TV series such as Highlander (1992) and Extrême limite (1994), but her career as a film actress began in the mid-1990s. While still a teenager, Cotillard made her cinema debut at the age of 18 in the film L'histoire du garçon qui voulait qu'on l'embrasse (1994), and had small but noticeable roles in films such as Arnaud Desplechin's Comment je me suis disputé... (ma vie sexuelle) (1996) and Coline Serreau's comedy La belle verte (1996).In 1996, she had her first lead role in the TV film Chloé (1996), playing the title role - a teenage runaway who is forced into prostitution. Cotillard co-starred opposite Anna Karina, the muse of the Nouvelle Vague.In 1997, she won her first film award at the Festival Rencontres Cinématographiques d'Istres in France, for her performance as the young imprisoned Nathalie in the short film Affaire classée (1997).Her first prominent screen role was Lilly Bertineau in Gérard Pirès's box-office hit Taxi (1998), a role which she reprised in two sequels: Taxi 2 (2000) and Taxi 3 (2003), this role earned her first César award nomination (France's equivalent to the Oscar) for Most Promising Actress in 1999.In 1999, Cotillard starred as Julie Bonzon in the Swiss war drama La guerre dans le Haut Pays (1999). For her performance in the film, she won the Best Actress award at the Autrans Film Festival in France.In 2001, Marion starred in Les jolies choses (2001) as the twin sisters Marie and Lucie, and was nominated for her second César award for Most Promising Actress.Cotillard's breakthrough in France came in 2003, when she starred in Yann Samuell's dark romantic comedy Jeux d'enfants (2003), in which she played Sophie Kowalsky, the daughter of Polish immigrants who lives a love-hate relationship with her childhood friend. The film was a box-office hit in France, became a cult film abroad and led Cotillard to bigger projects.Her first Hollywood movie was Tim Burton's Big Fish (2003), in which she played Joséphine, the wife of William Bloom (played by Billy Crudup). A few years later, Marion starred in Ridley Scott's A Good Year (2006) playing Fanny Chenal, a French café owner who falls in love with Russell Crowe's character.In 2004, she won the Chopard Thophy of Female Revelation at the Cannes Film Festival.In 2005, Cotillard won the César award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance of Tina Lombardi in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Un long dimanche de fiançailles (2004).In 2007, Cotillard received international recognition for her iconic portrayal of Édith Piaf in La môme (2007). Director Olivier Dahan cast Cotillard to play the legendary French singer because to him, her eyes were like those of "Piaf". The fact that she can sing also helped Cotillard land the role of "Piaf", although most of the singing in the film is that of Piaf's. The role won Cotillard the Academy Award for Best Actress along with a César, a Lumière Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe. That made her only the second actress to win an acting Oscar performing in a language other than English next to Sophia Loren (La ciociara (1960)). Only two male performers (Roberto Benigni for La vita è bella (1997) and Robert De Niro for The Godfather: Part II (1974)) have won an Oscar for solely non-English parts. Trevor Nunn called her portrayal of "Piaf" "one of the greatest performances on film ever". At the Berlin International Film Festival, where the film premiered, Cotillard was given a 15-minute standing ovation. When she won the César, Alain Delon presented the award and announced the winner as "La Môme Marion" (The Kid Marion), he also praised her at the stage saying: "Marion, I give you this César. I think this César is for a great great actress, and I know what I'm talking about".Cotillard has worked much more frequently in English-language movies following her Academy Award recognition. In 2009, she acted opposite Johnny Depp in Michael Mann's Public Enemies (2009), and later that year played Luisa Contini in Rob Marshall's musical Nine (2009) and received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance. Time magazine ranked her as the fifth best performance by a female in 2009. The following year, she took on the main antagonist role, Mal, in Christopher Nolan's Inception (2010), and in 2011 she had memorable parts in Midnight in Paris (2011) and Contagion (2011) and reteamed with Christopher Nolan in The Dark Knight Rises (2012).In 2011 and 2012 respectively, Cotillard appeared on the top of Le Figaro's list of the highest paid actors in France, it was the first time in nine years that a female topped the list. Cotillard was also the highest paid foreign actress in Hollywood.In 2012, Cotillard received wide-spread critical acclaim for her role as the legless orca trainer Stéphanie in De rouille et d'os (2012). The film was a box office hit in France and received a ten-minute standing ovation at the end of its screening at the 65th Cannes Film Festival. Cotillard won the Globe de Cristal (France's equivalent to the Golden Globe), the Étoile d'Or award and was nominated for the Golden Globes, SAG, BAFTA, Critics' Choice and César Awards for her performance in the film. Cate Blanchett wrote an op-ed for Variety praising Cotillard's performance in "Rust and Bone", the two actresses competed for the Academy Awards for Best Actress in 2008, Cate was nominated for her performance in Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) and Marion for her performance in La môme (2007) and Cotillard won the Oscar.She had her first leading role in an American movie in 2013, in James Gray's The Immigrant (2013), in which she played Ewa Cybulska, a Polish immigrant who wants to experience the American dream. Cotillard received wide-spread acclaim for her performance in the film at the 66th Cannes Film Festival, where the film premiered, and also won several critics awards.In 2014, Cotillard played Sandra in the Belgian film Deux jours, une nuit (2014) by the Dardenne brothers. Her performance was unanimously praised at the 67th Cannes Film Festival, earned several critics awards, Cotillard won her first European Award for Best Actress and also received her second Oscar nomination and her sixth César award nomination.In 2015, she played Lady Macbeth opposite Michael Fassbender in Justin Kurzel's Macbeth (2015) and voiced two animated movies: The Little Prince (2015) in which she voiced The Rose, and Avril et le monde truqué (2015), in which she voiced the lead role, Avril.Her upcoming films for 2016 are Nicole Garcia's Mal de pierres (2016), Xavier Dolan's Juste la fin du monde (2016), Justin Kurzel's Assassin's Creed (2016), in which she will work again with her Macbeth co-star, Michael Fassbender; and Robert Zemeckis's Allied (2016). Show less «

[on acting] I don't think you learn how to act. You learn how to use your emotions and feelings, and my first teacher was my mother [Niseema...Show more »

[on acting] I don't think you learn how to act. You learn how to use your emotions and feelings, and my first teacher was my mother [Niseema Theillaud] and then I worked with my father [Jean-Claude Cotillard], who helped me to find in myself all those emotions and how to play with the emotions. Show less «

[on accepting the best actress Oscar for La môme (2007) (aka "La Vie en Rose")] Thank you life, thank you love, and - it is true - the...Show more »

[on accepting the best actress Oscar for La môme (2007) (aka "La Vie en Rose")] Thank you life, thank you love, and - it is true - there [are] some angels in this city [Los Angeles]. Show less «

Did a man really walk on the moon? I saw plenty of documentaries on it, and I really wondered. And in any case I don't believe all they tell...Show more »

Did a man really walk on the moon? I saw plenty of documentaries on it, and I really wondered. And in any case I don't believe all they tell me, that's for sure. Show less «

[on her French accent] The first thing I have to do to erase my French accent is think that it is actually possible, whereas for the moment,...Show more »

[on her French accent] The first thing I have to do to erase my French accent is think that it is actually possible, whereas for the moment, I think it's not. I have a lot of work. Show less «

My parents always told me that if you want something, you can do whatever you have to do to get it. As long as it's not against someone else...Show more »

My parents always told me that if you want something, you can do whatever you have to do to get it. As long as it's not against someone else. Show less «

I have a tendency to often share the point of view of the conspiracy theory.

[on extreme characters] I do like extreme characters, but I think they are extreme because they are full of passion - they are rich inside. ...Show more »

[on extreme characters] I do like extreme characters, but I think they are extreme because they are full of passion - they are rich inside. Tina Lombardi [from Un long dimanche de fiançailles (2004)] was such a beautiful character. What I love in her is that she's not a cliché of the femme fatale. She's just a girl who loves her man and feels desperate about losing him. It's not just about revenge. She is in that huge country, searching for something. She's lost, destroyed inside. Show less «

[on the beginning of her career as a child] I started in musicals when I was very young. Both my parents are stage actors, and I was fascina...Show more »

[on the beginning of her career as a child] I started in musicals when I was very young. Both my parents are stage actors, and I was fascinated by their jobs. My father was a mime. When I was 5, a director friend of my family put me in his movie. I played a little girl with a dog, but I remember my scenes and I was entranced by acting. It was a dream to me - the passion of the profession was contagious. Show less «

The first English-language movie I saw might have been E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). I remember I was so into it, I cried so loud that ...Show more »

The first English-language movie I saw might have been E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). I remember I was so into it, I cried so loud that the audience around me wanted to take me out of the theater. Show less «

[on her Public Enemies (2009) character] She's a real product of this really tough period in American history. Out of the Depression came al...Show more »

[on her Public Enemies (2009) character] She's a real product of this really tough period in American history. Out of the Depression came all of these people who struggled to live. Billie had no money, and she came from an Indian tribe, which, at the time, was not easy. By the time she came to Chicago and met Dillinger, she had already lived several lives - she had been to military boarding school, to learn military manners, to "get the Indian out." She's a mix of someone really sweet and tough. Show less «

When I was a little girl, I always wanted to be in a musical, an American musical. I knew Singin' in the Rain (1952) by heart.

I think that when you don't see the boundaries, you cross them without even knowing they exist in the first place.

I need to feel that for a director it's a matter of life and death; he needs to tell this story.

I adore my own life, more and more I love being myself, but I love this work of totally changing personalities, of creating something radica...Show more »

I adore my own life, more and more I love being myself, but I love this work of totally changing personalities, of creating something radically different from myself. I want to go profoundly into my roles. If not, what's the point? Show less «

[on De rouille et d'os (2012) in which she plays a woman who has lost both legs in an accident] In the beginning of the film she is empty, s...Show more »

[on De rouille et d'os (2012) in which she plays a woman who has lost both legs in an accident] In the beginning of the film she is empty, she doesn't know who she is or why she;'s alive. She is numb. It's as if she were drugged. I have never experimented with hard drugs, but I've been at certain moments of my life in a state of shock close to something where you lose your footing, your sense of reality. I think that's the gift of the actor, the ability to put ourselves in a state. Show less «

[on working with director Jacques Audiard in De rouille et d'os (2012)] Once he stopped a scene and said, 'How dramatic are YOU? Dramatic, d...Show more »

[on working with director Jacques Audiard in De rouille et d'os (2012)] Once he stopped a scene and said, 'How dramatic are YOU? Dramatic, dramatic, dramatic! It's boring!' We laughed, and it could seem a bit rude, but he was right. We were happy to have someone with that kind of genius to help us avoid going in the direction of things that are perhaps realistic but are not at all cinematic. And that's why he's a great director. Show less «

[on reincarnation] I don't know if we have many lives of if I will be reincarnated into a next life, but I really do think that when you die...Show more »

[on reincarnation] I don't know if we have many lives of if I will be reincarnated into a next life, but I really do think that when you die, it doesn't stop. Show less «

[on her musical career] A friend called me up who is an amazing singer who goes by the name Yodelice (Maxim Nucci). He said, "Would you come...Show more »

[on her musical career] A friend called me up who is an amazing singer who goes by the name Yodelice (Maxim Nucci). He said, "Would you come to the studio? I would love for you to sing one of my songs." So I went down and ended up going from a background singer to being in a duet. Then my friend said he was playing at the Olympia in Paris. So he asked me if I would sing with him there and I said, "Oh, yeah, of course." I went to rehearsals with them and he asked me, "Would you play bass guitar?" I had never played bass guitar before but it has always been my dream to play bass guitar. He said, "Just try it for a few songs." I took the bass guitar and suddenly it was so organic. So he said to me, "Would you play piano on this song?" I said, "I don't even play piano!" He told me to try. I took piano lessons when I was like 5 or 6 but that was a long time ago. I stopped when I was 13. But suddenly it was very organic when I started playing it. So he said, "How about playing the drums?" He made me try, and it went on and on like this for a week. I was part of the band, playing all of the instruments. One day I arrived at rehearsal and my friend said, "Okay, now that you've done everything else, how about singing a song by yourself alone?" I said, "Man, you are way out of your mind." But we did it and I ended up on tour with Yodelice for two months, traveling around to shows in different cities in France and Belgium. Show less «

[on The Dark Knight Rises (2012)] I didn't have a major part in the Batman movie, but I had to be available for it at all times. The script ...Show more »

[on The Dark Knight Rises (2012)] I didn't have a major part in the Batman movie, but I had to be available for it at all times. The script changed constantly, and I needed to be ready to get on the next plane and be on set as soon as they needed me. Show less «

I'm not somebody who opens up to people very easily. With this form of expression,I think I've found a way to speak to a lot of people and s...Show more »

I'm not somebody who opens up to people very easily. With this form of expression,I think I've found a way to speak to a lot of people and share something of myself, while still keeping my distance. I don't have anything against people who bare their souls to the media. I just know I can't do it. I want to share things that seem practical to me. It's the same if I go to a dinner party with guests I don't know. I'm not going to share my life story with them. Show less «

[on her school days] At school I was that black thing in the corner. I was not popular at all. I think I was very boring... not boring becau...Show more »

[on her school days] At school I was that black thing in the corner. I was not popular at all. I think I was very boring... not boring because I didn't talk, no, no it was terrible. I was not interesting at all. I thought I had no personality. I thought everybody was so cool, and I was not. You think things about yourself and then you start to give a little bit of love at least enough, to enjoy life. But I was, oooh. Show less «

I couldn't leave the character on La môme (2007). It was weird because I used to kind of judge actors who would stay in character on s...Show more »

I couldn't leave the character on La môme (2007). It was weird because I used to kind of judge actors who would stay in character on set or who would have a hard time leaving the character behind when the movie was done. I had this very dumb idea that "Okay, it's a big part of your life but it's your job. Go home and go back to yourself." It turns out it's not that easy. In the process I was in character almost all the time. Even when I went home, there was something that was not entirely me. Show less «

[on singing] I'm a very happy actress. But I've always loved to sing because in my childhood my mother would sing all the time. I cannot rem...Show more »

[on singing] I'm a very happy actress. But I've always loved to sing because in my childhood my mother would sing all the time. I cannot remember one journey in the car without singing. So music is part of my life. Show less «

[on blockbusters] I feel very lucky that I can travel from one very special universe to another very special universe. My experience in Holl...Show more »

[on blockbusters] I feel very lucky that I can travel from one very special universe to another very special universe. My experience in Hollywood with the big blockbuster, though, is very special too, because it's a blockbuster directed, written, produced by Christopher Nolan, who's not a studio director. I need to work with directors who have the need to tell a story - and he is definitely a director who needs to tell stories. Show less «

[on what changed her life] It's not the fame that changed my life but La môme (2007), which was a turning point for me. It put me in a...Show more »

[on what changed her life] It's not the fame that changed my life but La môme (2007), which was a turning point for me. It put me in a different universe and gave me the opportunity to really discover different worlds. But I'm not like some celebrities who live with paparazzi 24 hours a day. That's why I'm keeping my life in France. Show less «

[on becoming a mother] Since having Marcel, every day of my life has been alight with him. One of the things I have learned recently is that...Show more »

[on becoming a mother] Since having Marcel, every day of my life has been alight with him. One of the things I have learned recently is that I have the ability to be happy. I have found that in my family. And that is a new thing. And that hasn't always been the case for me - so I know how lucky I am. Show less «

[on her character in De rouille et d'os (2012)] I think Stéphanie has moved me more than any character I've ever played. She rediscovers th...Show more »

[on her character in De rouille et d'os (2012)] I think Stéphanie has moved me more than any character I've ever played. She rediscovers the carnal, sexuality, love. Everything is very positive in the tragedy she faces. Show less «

[on the first time she liked filming sex scenes in a movie with De rouille et d'os (2012)] I've never liked filming them as I don't feel com...Show more »

[on the first time she liked filming sex scenes in a movie with De rouille et d'os (2012)] I've never liked filming them as I don't feel comfortable. I am shaking; I feel very bad and I want to cry most of the time because I hate it so much. But here it was totally different. I was so involved with my character that I was happy she would enjoy something like that. It's a movie about love, about flesh, about rust and bone and heart and sex, so without the sex scenes the movie would have missed something. The most emotional scene was after Stéphanie and Alain (Matthias Schoenaerts) make love for the first time, because I felt something that I never felt for a character before. I felt very moved for her because it's the first time she's had sex since she lost her legs. I was very moved because I was so happy for her. Show less «

[on being exposed and judged because of her career] Nothing can ever be taken for granted in this métier. It makes you very exposed and tha...Show more »

[on being exposed and judged because of her career] Nothing can ever be taken for granted in this métier. It makes you very exposed and that can be violent. I'm strong but also fragile, and sometimes it's not easy to be exposed to judgment, and to play with your emotions, to go searching inside yourself to make yourself naked to the world. Show less «

I think this desire to protect the Earth comes from my family - especially my grandmother. I remember when I was a little girl at her house ...Show more »

I think this desire to protect the Earth comes from my family - especially my grandmother. I remember when I was a little girl at her house in Brittany. When she cooked, she wouldn't waste anything. And my parents always raised me to believe that the most important thing was respect. Respect the place you live, be aware of the impact that you have on things. I was lucky to have this education growing up. I was born in Paris and raised in the suburbs and then lived in the countryside. We had a beautiful house with a huge garden. When I moved to the country, I was really connected to nature and the seasons. So when I finally went back to Paris, I had a very hard time connecting with the city again and the way we waste so much. I started to read and teach myself about the environment - and why it was not organic and natural to be living in the city. I'm very happy with what's happening now and how the awareness is spreading. Because 10 years ago my mind-set wasn't really normal for most people. I sounded like a crazy person talking about the environment. People saw me as a hippie who wanted to make my own cheese and live with animals in a house without electricity. Show less «

When I was younger, I considered a lot of things, but I couldn't choose, so I thought that being an actor would let me have many lives. It w...Show more »

When I was younger, I considered a lot of things, but I couldn't choose, so I thought that being an actor would let me have many lives. It was a way to do all the jobs I wanted to do. Show less «

I just want to do my best. I just want to find the authenticity of each character. That's what matters to me. It would be horrible to have a...Show more »

I just want to do my best. I just want to find the authenticity of each character. That's what matters to me. It would be horrible to have an audience saying, 'Oh it's her.' It would be horrible. I want to experience something new each time. Show less «

I was fascinated by this world of telling stories, of having a different day every day. And my parents were -- still are -- passionate peopl...Show more »

I was fascinated by this world of telling stories, of having a different day every day. And my parents were -- still are -- passionate people, and to be raised with passionate people who open the door of your imagination and your creativity, I think it's why I am an actress now. Show less «

[on working in Hollywood] I feel very lucky that I can work in Hollywood. When I was a kid, I watched a lot of American movies and I never t...Show more »

[on working in Hollywood] I feel very lucky that I can work in Hollywood. When I was a kid, I watched a lot of American movies and I never thought this was something that would happen to me. But once I started acting I didn't see any boundaries. I wanted to be an actress. I didn't want to be a French actress. Show less «

[on her sex scenes in De rouille et d'os (2012)] The sex and flesh is part of the story. It's not sensational or a statement at all, it had ...Show more »

[on her sex scenes in De rouille et d'os (2012)] The sex and flesh is part of the story. It's not sensational or a statement at all, it had to be in there. You know how you feel when you rediscover your body, love, your life. That's what happens to both these characters and I think that is very sexy. Show less «

[on beauty] I was raised with the idea of beauty in a different way. To me, it is something that really comes out of you and surrounds you.

[on choose a different career] Well, I could have never done a profession that was not creative. You know, there's a fighter inside of me. W...Show more »

[on choose a different career] Well, I could have never done a profession that was not creative. You know, there's a fighter inside of me. When you have the capacity to fight, when you have the ability to love life and the ability to be happy, it's easy to be creative. And that's a treasure that my parents gave me. Show less «

[on fashion] To be honest, I didn't consider fashion to be an art until I became involved with Dior. They changed my vision of fashion where...Show more »

[on fashion] To be honest, I didn't consider fashion to be an art until I became involved with Dior. They changed my vision of fashion whereas I never paid attention to it before. Although I loved to dress and I liked clothes, now I see it as a very special form of art. Show less «

I looked terrible while filming La môme (2007), so my hat collection increased dramatically. I love men's hats because my father wears...Show more »

I looked terrible while filming La môme (2007), so my hat collection increased dramatically. I love men's hats because my father wears them. Show less «

[on her voice in Polish in The Immigrant (2013)] Language is part of a whole. I like creating characters who have their own approach, their ...Show more »

[on her voice in Polish in The Immigrant (2013)] Language is part of a whole. I like creating characters who have their own approach, their own body language, their own voice. Learning a language helps to build something different. I play a Polish woman in the film, so I had to speak Polish fluently, with a Polish accent. I understood that, in order to speak correctly, I had to sink into the Polish culture. I had the same experience with English and Italian. Culture enriches language and vice versa. Show less «

I've always wanted to be an actress but I never really asked myself why. I know now that I have this career for two major reasons: First, be...Show more »

I've always wanted to be an actress but I never really asked myself why. I know now that I have this career for two major reasons: First, because it allows me to take such pleasure in work that I happen to be overwhelmed with happiness while acting. And second, because this job puts me the most in danger in relation to my emotional past. Show less «

[on spending a day in a wheelchair in Paris with her co-star Samuel Jouy preparing for Du bleu jusqu'en Amérique (1999)] Others looki...Show more »

[on spending a day in a wheelchair in Paris with her co-star Samuel Jouy preparing for Du bleu jusqu'en Amérique (1999)] Others looking at us, us being dependent on others - we had a unique experience. The movie is a celebration of life and hope. Show less «

[about the dream roles of actresses (1999)] I would like to be offered to play Count Dracula as a consolation for not having been in Idioter...Show more »

[about the dream roles of actresses (1999)] I would like to be offered to play Count Dracula as a consolation for not having been in Idioterne (1998) by Lars von Trier. Show less «

More and more I love being myself, but I love this work of totally changing personalities.

[on why she became an actress - Elle, November 2013] When I was a kid, I started to have a lot of questions about human beings, and I was a ...Show more »

[on why she became an actress - Elle, November 2013] When I was a kid, I started to have a lot of questions about human beings, and I was a troubled child because of all of these questions. I guess that's why I became an actress. Not only because my parents were actors and, yeah, it's a beautiful thing to tell stories, but I think I became an actress because I wanted to explore this- to explore what a human being is. Show less «

[on getting old and wrinkly] You know what? I'm not looking forward to it. I know that it's going to come. Some of the women around me, they...Show more »

[on getting old and wrinkly] You know what? I'm not looking forward to it. I know that it's going to come. Some of the women around me, they tell me it's not fun to get old. But it's not about your look, it's about the fact that you cannot run like you did when you were younger, or - it's just about when your body gets tired and you don't have the hundred percent energy sometimes. So it's not something that I look forward to. But I have to say, since I'm a mum, I'm really looking forward to being a grandma. This is kind of my obsession right now. I hope my kids won't wait so long, like me, to have kids, because I want to be a very healthy and young grandma. So it's not getting old but being a grandmother ... this is really something that I look forward to. Show less «

[on why she'll never have Botox] When I have to have an injection I'm like a four-year-old, running around the room with the nurse behind me...Show more »

[on why she'll never have Botox] When I have to have an injection I'm like a four-year-old, running around the room with the nurse behind me trying to catch me. So I guess I won't have Botox or whatever you put inside yourself to look younger. In France... I was at my friend's house the other day, and all those women there, they were between 50 and 70, and they were so beautiful. Sometimes in LA, or even in New York, you run into a lot of products - a lot of women filled with all those products. It's not just about plastic surgery now, it's about injections... and all the women look kind of the same. It just shows fear, and that makes me sad. Show less «

[at Elle's 20th Annual Women In Hollywood] As far back as I can remember, I began questioning the world around me. Then I realized that by e...Show more »

[at Elle's 20th Annual Women In Hollywood] As far back as I can remember, I began questioning the world around me. Then I realized that by exploring different human beings and their stories, I felt the connection I was longing for. I know these women have also found answers in what they do, and share my passion for discovering the human soul. Show less «

[on why she thinks so many actors succumb to alcohol and drugs] Actors are fragile creatures. The wider the gap, the more vulnerable we are....Show more »

[on why she thinks so many actors succumb to alcohol and drugs] Actors are fragile creatures. The wider the gap, the more vulnerable we are. Any form of escape can seem good. You have to navigate through the different emotions because you're placed in tough positions as an actor. Everything we give in a performance can come back to torture. Show less «

[on become enthralled with the ideals of the 'American Dream'] In a certain respect, yes (I love the American dream). And I love their langu...Show more »

[on become enthralled with the ideals of the 'American Dream'] In a certain respect, yes (I love the American dream). And I love their language. Three years before La môme (2007), I came to New York to take an English language course with Berlitz. I didn't become an actress with the aim of having a career in the US, my dream didn't have any geographical boundaries, but just after filming Tim Burton's Big Fish (2003), I was looking forward to speaking the language fluently because my poor English from my school days was a problem on set. This love of English comes from my childhood, I grew up on American culture. Their music, cinema and literature were part of me. Show less «

I always wanted to express myself by being someone other than myself.

It is much easier for me to understand something vast and complex than something light and uncomplicated. Perhaps that makes me very French.

[on if she was afraid to be stuck with Édith Piaf (June 2007)] I think those things only happen when you think about it too much. For examp...Show more »

[on if she was afraid to be stuck with Édith Piaf (June 2007)] I think those things only happen when you think about it too much. For example, when I first got into movies in France, I had great success playing bimbos. But I never believed that I would be put in a box. I think if you have that inside of you it won't happen. Show less «

[on if she would like to play any other iconic women that she finds fascinating] Each time I hear that question the first name that comes to...Show more »

[on if she would like to play any other iconic women that she finds fascinating] Each time I hear that question the first name that comes to my mind is someone I can't do because it's Aung San Suu Kyi. For obvious and emotional reasons I can't. But I think a movie has to be done. Show less «

Talking about myself to someone I don't know has turned me into a wild beast when it comes to press. I've noticed that it's creating somethi...Show more »

Talking about myself to someone I don't know has turned me into a wild beast when it comes to press. I've noticed that it's creating something kind of out of focus about myself. Show less «

You don't turn away a great director. And I always wanted to work with James Gray without thinking it was possible.

I cannot speak Italian. That was my idea, actually, to have an Italian character in Blood Ties (2013). My self loves difficulties, and when ...Show more »

I cannot speak Italian. That was my idea, actually, to have an Italian character in Blood Ties (2013). My self loves difficulties, and when my brain comes into play, it's like, Hello! Show less «

[Interview Magazine, March 2014] Being interviewed, that's one of my problems. Talking about myself to someone I don't know, and knowing tha...Show more »

[Interview Magazine, March 2014] Being interviewed, that's one of my problems. Talking about myself to someone I don't know, and knowing that most of the time they will interpret in a bad way what I'm saying, has turned me into a wild beast when it comes to press. I've noticed that it's creating something kind of out of focus about myself. But, in a way, I don't really care, even if sometimes I feel that the person being put out there is so far from who I am. As you said, being the same person everywhere, that's something that I would love to feel, to achieve. But the thing is, I have a responsibility in creating this person who is not someone that I like at all. Show less «

An actor has a huge failure in him. And this is not a weakness -- this can make you strong. But it's deep.

Working with Joaquin Phoenix was something very special. His instinct is like the instinct of an animal. There's a pureness about him. We lo...Show more »

Working with Joaquin Phoenix was something very special. His instinct is like the instinct of an animal. There's a pureness about him. We lost this animal instinct that we used to have. Show less «

My parents were actors too. I don't even know if when I wanted to be an actress, they went, "Oh, shit." I must ask them.

I admired Greta Garbo but I didn't want to be her. I wanted to be Charles Chaplin. And I wanted to be Peter Sellers.

The directors I dreamed of were Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Tim Burton, David Lynch, Steven Spielberg because of E.T. the Extra-T...Show more »

The directors I dreamed of were Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Tim Burton, David Lynch, Steven Spielberg because of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). I wasn't considered an actress. I didn't want to get bitter while waiting for something to happen, so when I was 27, I told my agent I was stopping and going to work for Greenpeace. He said, 'Please just have this one meeting.' It was with Tim Burton, for Big Fish (2003), and I got the part. Now, Tim Burton was my idol. And so I told myself, 'Wow... This is exactly what I want. This is even more than what I want! So if I get this, it means that I really have a place in this business. If not, I'll do something else. Show less «

[on if a disturbing sex scene is harder to shoot than a romantic sex scene] It depends. I was always so reluctant to shoot love scenes. On t...Show more »

[on if a disturbing sex scene is harder to shoot than a romantic sex scene] It depends. I was always so reluctant to shoot love scenes. On those days, I'm not very friendly. I want it to be done and then start the movie again. But in De rouille et d'os (2012) we had very naked love scenes, and it was totally different. I was very happy. Not because [co-star] Matthias Schoenaerts is superhot, absolutely not, because I had experience with Johnny Depp before [in Public Enemies (2009)] and it was also really hard for me. I was just very happy for my character. The whole day I was naked on set and I was totally fine with it. Show less «

[on her cameo in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)] I'm a big fan of American comedies, especially Will Ferrell and all his team. And...Show more »

[on her cameo in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)] I'm a big fan of American comedies, especially Will Ferrell and all his team. And they have known that I was a fan, so they asked me if I would be a part of it, and of course I said yes right away. But I never question how people could see me. Show less «

I think that when you discover something that was unknown before, it opens your mind, your heart. Roles after roles, I learned a little more...Show more »

I think that when you discover something that was unknown before, it opens your mind, your heart. Roles after roles, I learned a little more about human beings. I want to go as deep as I can in a character. Show less «

I met James Gray with my boyfriend (Guillaume Canet) and we became friends. I'm a huge admirer of his work but when I met him, I didn't even...Show more »

I met James Gray with my boyfriend (Guillaume Canet) and we became friends. I'm a huge admirer of his work but when I met him, I didn't even dare to tell him. Never in my mind was I thinking, "I'm going to do everything to work for him" because I was never able to be in that kind of seduction from the beginning of my career. When I had to meet a director, I preferred to have a screen test and show what I could do instead of sell myself in a discussion, because I was bad at it. When I met James, we became friends and I never thought I could work with him because he was my friend. Show less «

[on working with the Dardenne brothers in Deux jours, une nuit (2014)] That was one of my best experiences. They offered me everything I had...Show more »

[on working with the Dardenne brothers in Deux jours, une nuit (2014)] That was one of my best experiences. They offered me everything I had always wanted in a relationship between an actress and a director - well, two directors in that case. They work a lot, and I love to work a lot. Their level of demand is the highest I've ever encountered in my career, and that's what I'm looking for. They pushed me as far as I could go and maybe beyond. I would have done anything they asked me. Show less «

When I began working in the U.S., I started to think that all those amazing, greatest directors I never thought I could work with, suddenly ...Show more »

When I began working in the U.S., I started to think that all those amazing, greatest directors I never thought I could work with, suddenly ... I realized it was not unreachable anymore. But there were two people for me who were unreachable: Bruno Dumont and the Dardenne Brothers. When my agent told me they wanted me to meet with them, I genuinely thought it was a joke. Then I thought it would be a totally different movie than what they do usually, because they do stories in their hometown. With all due respect for all the directors I worked with, this experience [Deux jours, une nuit (2014)] was the greatest of my life as an actress, so I hope it'll be good. They push the actors so far in the detail. That's the relationship that I'd always expected with directors. That was idyllic. Show less «

To me the best recognition I can receive is someone like James Gray writing a movie for me. The Oscar is the cherry on the cake, but what de...Show more »

To me the best recognition I can receive is someone like James Gray writing a movie for me. The Oscar is the cherry on the cake, but what deeply changed was Olivier Dahan who was crazy enough to think that I could do this (play Édith Piaf in La môme (2007)). I remember when I read the script I asked my agent "Which part am I gonna do?" and he said "He (Dahan) want you to do the whole thing". I said it wasn't possible, but I didn't say it too loud. I thought it was crazy and felt right away it would be an amazing experience. And then yeah, the greatest recognition is still working with amazing people. Show less «

[on working with Michael Fassbender in Macbeth (2015)] I saw a lot of movies he was in, and I have the feeling he's reached another level he...Show more »

[on working with Michael Fassbender in Macbeth (2015)] I saw a lot of movies he was in, and I have the feeling he's reached another level here. When you start a scene and you don't really know where you're going to go, that's a roller-coaster. Many times I was surprised by what he does in this movie, and this is priceless. Show less «

[on playing Lady Macbeth in Macbeth (2015)] I knew that one day I would play Lady Macbeth, but in my mind it would be on stage and in French...Show more »

[on playing Lady Macbeth in Macbeth (2015)] I knew that one day I would play Lady Macbeth, but in my mind it would be on stage and in French. I never thought that one day I would say the original lines, which took me ages to understand. I was very honest when I read the text for the first time. I called the director and said. 'Thank God I know the story, because I didn't get any of the words'. Show less «

My family, when I was a kid, was different from the other families because my parents are artists but we lived in this down to earth world.

[on working with Michael Fassbender in Macbeth] I saw a lot of movies he was in, and I have the feeling he's reached another level here. Whe...Show more »

[on working with Michael Fassbender in Macbeth] I saw a lot of movies he was in, and I have the feeling he's reached another level here. When you start a scene and you don't really know where you're going to go, that's a roller-coaster. Many times I was surprised by what he does in this movie, and this is priceless. Show less «

[on Johnny Depp] I was very, very nervous because it was my first movie after La Vie en Rose, and more because I hadn't worked for two years...Show more »

[on Johnny Depp] I was very, very nervous because it was my first movie after La Vie en Rose, and more because I hadn't worked for two years, being on a set with someone else, giving life to someone. I was very nervous about the accent because I had to nail a mid western American accent which I think was impossible. But he was so nice to me. He saw right away that I was very nervous and he reassured me, he was very nice, he has a huge respect of people and things. He is a real gentleman. He is an amazing actor, so I knew that when you work with an amazing actor, it makes you be better than if you work with someone who is totally out of it. Show less «

[on women in her profession being over competitive or feeling threatened] I have seen that, but I still love actresses. I love them! When th...Show more »

[on women in her profession being over competitive or feeling threatened] I have seen that, but I still love actresses. I love them! When there's a movie without an actress in it, I miss something. Without a woman, it's not the same. Show less «

In France, we have a lot of actors, but you never get a chance to share your experiences. In America, you show the movie, and you talk about...Show more »

In France, we have a lot of actors, but you never get a chance to share your experiences. In America, you show the movie, and you talk about it with actors who know what it's like to open your heart, soul, and mind to another person and let them in. I especially feel very close to other actresses. Show less «

[on Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)] One of the most beautiful and moving films about life, rock, heroes, struggle, men, women, humor, and ...Show more »

[on Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)] One of the most beautiful and moving films about life, rock, heroes, struggle, men, women, humor, and love. Show less «