Mélanie Laurent
Encyclopedia
Mélanie Laurent is a French actress, director, singer and writer. She is best known to international audiences for her role as Shosanna Dreyfus in Quentin Tarantino
's 2009 film Inglourious Basterds, for which she won Best Actress from the Online Film Critics Society
and the Austin Film Critics Association
.
, the daughter of Annick, a ballerina
, and Pierre Laurent, a voiceover actor (who dubs the character Ned Flanders
in the French version of The Simpsons
). Laurent is Jewish, and has both Ashkenazi and Tunisian Sephardic ancestry. A grandfather survived deportation by the Nazis.
Her maternal grandparents were film poster editors.
She grew up in the 9th arrondissement of Paris and was immersed from birth in the arts.
Her career began when Gérard Depardieu
, seeing her while she watched her best friend's father working on the set of Asterix and Obelix, asked her if she wanted to be in movies. Laurent replied 'Why not?' and next week his assistant called her. Depardieu gave Laurent a part when she was 16 in The Bridge, a drama he starred in and co-directed with Fréderic Auburtin.
's I'm Fine, Don't Worry
(2006), for which she won a César Award for Most Promising Actress
. In 2006, Laurent and Belgian actor Jérémie Renier
were awarded France's Romy Schneider
and Jean Gabin
Prizes for "most promising actor and actress."
In 2008, Laurent directed and wrote De moins en moins, which was nominated for Best Short Film
at the 61st Annual
Cannes Film Festival
. It is a 7-minute film about a patient who, in front of her psychiatrist, "remembers less and less". Laurent also directed À ses pieds, an erotic short film aired on the French television channel Canal+
on 25–26 October 2008, as part of a series of such shorts, called X Femmes
, shot by female directors with the goal of producing erotica
from a female point of view.
Laurent was scheduled to direct her first play, Mi-cuit cœur pistache (the name of a dessert she particularly likes) in January 2009 at the Théâtre Marigny
in Paris
. She had to abandon the project during the preparations and rehearsals when she was cast as Shosanna Dreyfus in the Quentin Tarantino
film Inglourious Basterds, a French-language role for which she had to learn to speak English for a few scenes. Her then-partner Julien Boisselier, as well as Marie Denarnaud, Mélanie Doutey
and Louise Monot were to act in the production while short movie clips were to be projected on stage, some of them shot at the nightclub Le Baron, which Laurent used to frequent during the writing period.
Laurent also had planned another feature film, Putain de pluie!, whose script she co-wrote with Morgan Perez and which she intended to direct, produced by Alain Attal's Productions du Trésor. Originally set for filming in the spring of 2009, it was postponed because of her work on Inglourious Basterds. Knowing that she could speak French and had already acted in French in one of the short films in Paris, je t'aime
she offered the first role to Natalie Portman
, who declined because of the language of the script. Laurent played the part of the violinist in Radu Mihăileanu
's Le Concert
—she called it "a smart movie and a popular movie, and I'm glad because French people wanted to watch a movie with classical music
."
Mélanie Laurent will be the hostess of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 64th Cannes Film Festival
.
Maxime Simoëns, a French designer, calls Laurent his muse for his fashion house based in Paris.
. She describes recording artist Damien Rice
and filmographer Quentin Tarantino
as two "masters" in terms of their art. With Rice she is recording her first album between Woodstock, New York
and his home in Ireland. Living in his home in Ireland inspired her to maintain a compost heap and eat organic food.
Laurent has visited a Climate Defenders Camp in the peatlands of the Indonesian Rainforest with Greenpeace activists. She is also one of the Climate Ambasadors for Kofi Annan's Global Humanitarian Forum
"Tck Tck Tck" Campaign.
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's 2009 film Inglourious Basterds, for which she won Best Actress from the Online Film Critics Society
Online Film Critics Society
The Online Film Critics Society is a professional association for film critics who publish their reviews, interviews, and essays on the Internet.The OFCS was founded in 1997...
and the Austin Film Critics Association
Austin Film Critics Association
The Austin Film Critics Association is an organization of film critics from Austin, Texas.Each year, the AFCA votes on their end of year awards for films released in the same calendar year...
.
Early life
Mélanie Laurent was born in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, the daughter of Annick, a ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
, and Pierre Laurent, a voiceover actor (who dubs the character Ned Flanders
Ned Flanders
Nedward "Ned" Flanders, Jr. is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the next door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally...
in the French version of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
). Laurent is Jewish, and has both Ashkenazi and Tunisian Sephardic ancestry. A grandfather survived deportation by the Nazis.
Her maternal grandparents were film poster editors.
She grew up in the 9th arrondissement of Paris and was immersed from birth in the arts.
Her career began when Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu is a French actor and filmmaker. He is a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite and has twice won the César Award for Best Actor...
, seeing her while she watched her best friend's father working on the set of Asterix and Obelix, asked her if she wanted to be in movies. Laurent replied 'Why not?' and next week his assistant called her. Depardieu gave Laurent a part when she was 16 in The Bridge, a drama he starred in and co-directed with Fréderic Auburtin.
Career
Laurent has appeared in 20 films between 1999 and 2009. Playing a depressed 19 year-old who longed for her lost twin brother, she starred in Philippe LioretPhilippe Lioret
Philippe Lioret is a French film director.- Filmography :*1993: Tombés du ciel*1997: Tenue correcte exigée*2001: Mademoiselle*2004: L'Équipier*2006: Je vais bien, ne t'en fais pas*2009: Welcome...
's I'm Fine, Don't Worry
Je vais bien, ne t'en fais pas
I'm Fine, Don't Worry is a 2006 French drama film directed by Philippe Lioret based on the 2000 novel with the same title by Olivier Adam.-Plot:...
(2006), for which she won a César Award for Most Promising Actress
César Award for Most Promising Actress
The following is the list of winners of the César Award for Most Promising Actress . Since its inception in 1983, the award is given as part of the French film industry's annual César Awards....
. In 2006, Laurent and Belgian actor Jérémie Renier
Jérémie Renier
Jérémie Renier is a Belgian actor. He lives in Paris, France. His film debut was in the critically praised La Promesse , directed by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne. He became better known to worldwide audiences in Brotherhood of the Wolf and L'Enfant...
were awarded France's Romy Schneider
Romy Schneider
Romy Schneider was an Austrian-born German film actress who also held French citizenship.-Early life:Schneider was born Rosemarie Magdalena Albach in Nazi-era Vienna, six months after the Anschluss, into a family of actors that included her paternal grandmother Rosa Albach-Retty, her Austrian...
and Jean Gabin
Jean Gabin
-Biography:Born Jean-Alexis Moncorgé in Paris, he grew up in the village of Mériel in the Seine-et-Oise département, about 22 mi north of Paris. The son of cabaret entertainers, he attended the Lycée Janson de Sailly...
Prizes for "most promising actor and actress."
In 2008, Laurent directed and wrote De moins en moins, which was nominated for Best Short Film
Short Film Palme d'Or
The Short Film Palme d'Or is the highest prize given to a short film at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the same jury of the Cinéfondation....
at the 61st Annual
2008 Cannes Film Festival
The 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 14 to May 25, 2008. In addition to films selected for competition this year, major Hollywood productions such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Kung Fu Panda had their world premieres at the festival.The British press...
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. It is a 7-minute film about a patient who, in front of her psychiatrist, "remembers less and less". Laurent also directed À ses pieds, an erotic short film aired on the French television channel Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
on 25–26 October 2008, as part of a series of such shorts, called X Femmes
X Femmes
X Femmes is a French television series of short films shown on Canal+ in 2008 - 2009. They were shot by female directors with the goal of producing erotica from a female point of view.- Episodes :...
, shot by female directors with the goal of producing erotica
Erotica
Erotica are works of art, including literature, photography, film, sculpture and painting, that deal substantively with erotically stimulating or sexually arousing descriptions...
from a female point of view.
Laurent was scheduled to direct her first play, Mi-cuit cœur pistache (the name of a dessert she particularly likes) in January 2009 at the Théâtre Marigny
Théâtre Marigny
The Théâtre Marigny is a theatre in Paris, situated near the junction of the Champs-Élysées and the Avenue Marigny, in the 8th arrondissement. It was originally built to designs of the architect Charles Garnier for the display of a panorama, which opened in 1883...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. She had to abandon the project during the preparations and rehearsals when she was cast as Shosanna Dreyfus in the Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
film Inglourious Basterds, a French-language role for which she had to learn to speak English for a few scenes. Her then-partner Julien Boisselier, as well as Marie Denarnaud, Mélanie Doutey
Mélanie Doutey
Mélanie Doutey is a French actress, the daughter of director and producer, Alain Doutey, and the actress Arielle Séménoff. She has appeared in Claude Chabrol's La Fleur du Mal, which also starred Nathalie Baye, and El Lobo, the true story of a mole within the Basque terrorist group ETA...
and Louise Monot were to act in the production while short movie clips were to be projected on stage, some of them shot at the nightclub Le Baron, which Laurent used to frequent during the writing period.
Laurent also had planned another feature film, Putain de pluie!, whose script she co-wrote with Morgan Perez and which she intended to direct, produced by Alain Attal's Productions du Trésor. Originally set for filming in the spring of 2009, it was postponed because of her work on Inglourious Basterds. Knowing that she could speak French and had already acted in French in one of the short films in Paris, je t'aime
Paris, je t'aime
Paris, Je t'aime is a 2006 anthology film starring an ensemble cast of actors of various nationalities. The two-hour film consists of eighteen short films set in different arrondissements...
she offered the first role to Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman
Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
, who declined because of the language of the script. Laurent played the part of the violinist in Radu Mihăileanu
Radu Mihaileanu
Radu Mihăileanu is a Jewish Romanian-born French film director and screenwriter. He left Romania in 1980 and graduated the IDHEC cinematographic institute in Paris. In addition to his work in the cinema he published a book of poems in 1987 titled Une vague en mal de mer...
's Le Concert
Le Concert
Le Concert is a 2009 French comedy film by Radu Mihăileanu starring Aleksei Guskov, Mélanie Laurent and Miou-Miou. It has won the Best Original Score and Best Sound awards at César Awards 2010.- Plot :...
—she called it "a smart movie and a popular movie, and I'm glad because French people wanted to watch a movie with classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
."
Mélanie Laurent will be the hostess of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 64th Cannes Film Festival
2011 Cannes Film Festival
The 64th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 11 to May 22, 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition...
.
Maxime Simoëns, a French designer, calls Laurent his muse for his fashion house based in Paris.
Personal life
Laurent had a long relationship with fellow French actor Julien BoisselierJulien Boisselier
- Biography :Boisselier was born and raised in Nantes before moving to Paris to study comedy at Le Cours Florent. He dated acclaimed French actress Mélanie Laurent, though the two ended their relationship in February 2009...
. She describes recording artist Damien Rice
Damien Rice
Damien Rice is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion....
and filmographer Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
as two "masters" in terms of their art. With Rice she is recording her first album between Woodstock, New York
Woodstock, New York
Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 at the 2000 census.The Town of Woodstock is in the northern part of the county...
and his home in Ireland. Living in his home in Ireland inspired her to maintain a compost heap and eat organic food.
Laurent has visited a Climate Defenders Camp in the peatlands of the Indonesian Rainforest with Greenpeace activists. She is also one of the Climate Ambasadors for Kofi Annan's Global Humanitarian Forum
Global Humanitarian Forum
The Global Humanitarian Forum was a non-profit foundation in Geneva, Switzerland, active from 2007 to 2010. Presided over by former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, its secretariat was led by CEO and Director General Walter Fust. The Forum intended to serve as an independent platform...
"Tck Tck Tck" Campaign.
As actress
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Un pont entre deux rives | Lisbeth | |
| 2000 | Route de nuit | Francesca | TV |
| 2001 | Ceci est mon corps | Clara | |
| 2002 | Embrassez qui vous voudrez | Carole | |
| 2003 | La Faucheuse | Isabelle | |
| Jean Moulin, une affaire française | Alice Arguel (jeune) | TV | |
| Snowboarder | Célia | ||
| 2004 | Une vie à t'attendre | La jeune fille à l'usine | |
| Rice Rhapsody Rice Rhapsody Rice Rhapsody is a 2005 film directed by Kenneth Bi. The cast includes Sylvia Chang and Martin Yan. Jackie Chan was one of the executive producers.... |
Sabine | ||
| Le Dernier jour | Louise | ||
| 2005 | De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté | Minskov's Girlfriend | |
| Les Visages d'Alice | Alice | ||
| 2006 | Indigènes Indigènes Days of Glory is a 2006 French film directed by French-Algerian Rachid Bouchareb. The cast includes Sami Bouajila, Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Roschdy Zem, Mélanie Laurent and Bernard Blancan.... |
Marguerite dans le village des Vosges | |
| Dikkenek | Natacha | Étoiles d'Or for Best Female Newcomer Cinema of France The Cinema of France comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad.France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its early significant contributions. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle... Also for Je vais bien, ne t'en fais pas Je vais bien, ne t'en fais pas I'm Fine, Don't Worry is a 2006 French drama film directed by Philippe Lioret based on the 2000 novel with the same title by Olivier Adam.-Plot:... |
|
| Je vais bien, ne t'en fais pas Je vais bien, ne t'en fais pas I'm Fine, Don't Worry is a 2006 French drama film directed by Philippe Lioret based on the 2000 novel with the same title by Olivier Adam.-Plot:... |
Élise "Lili" Tellier | César Award for Most Promising Actress César Award for Most Promising Actress The following is the list of winners of the César Award for Most Promising Actress . Since its inception in 1983, the award is given as part of the French film industry's annual César Awards.... Lumière Award for Most Promising Young Actress Cinema of France The Cinema of France comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad.France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its early significant contributions. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle... NRJ Ciné Award for Best Young Talent in a Debut Film Cinema of France The Cinema of France comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad.France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its early significant contributions. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle... Étoiles d'Or for Best Female Newcomer Cinema of France The Cinema of France comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad.France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its early significant contributions. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle... Also for Dikkenek |
|
| 2007 | L'Amour caché Hidden Love Hidden Love is a 2007 Italian-Belgian drama film directed by Alessandro Capone and starring Isabelle Huppert.-Cast:* Isabelle Huppert - Danielle* Greta Scacchi - Dr. Dubois* Mélanie Laurent - Sophie* Olivier Gourmet - Morris* Jean-Michel Larre - Luc... |
Sophie | |
| Le Tueur | Stella | ||
| La Chambre des morts | Lucie Hennebelle | ||
| 2008 | Paris Paris (2008 film) Paris is a 2008 French film by Cédric Klapisch concerning a diverse group of people living in Paris. The film began shooting in November 2006 and was released in February 2008. Its UK release was in July 2008... |
Lætitia | |
| The Business Trip | Hotel receptionist | ||
| 2009 | Shoe at Your Foot | Chloé | |
| Inglourious Basterds | Shoshanna Dreyfus/Emmanuelle Mimieux | Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Austin Film Critics Association The Austin Film Critics Association is an organization of film critics from Austin, Texas.Each year, the AFCA votes on their end of year awards for films released in the same calendar year... Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Central Ohio Film Critics Association for Best Ensemble Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best lead actress of the year.Reese Witherspoon and Naomi Watts have each won this award twice.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated – Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated – Empire Award for Best Actress Empire Awards An Empire Award is an accolade bestowed by Empire, Britain's biggest selling film magazine, to recognize excellence of professionals in the locale and global film industry. The awards are voted for by readers of the magazine and in an annual ceremony, the Empire Awards, the winners are presented... Nominated – San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress The San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award given by the San Diego Film Critics Society to honor the finest female acting achievementes in filmmaking.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Actress Nominated – St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress The St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the annual awards given by the St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association.-2000s:-2010s:... |
|
| Le Concert Le Concert Le Concert is a 2009 French comedy film by Radu Mihăileanu starring Aleksei Guskov, Mélanie Laurent and Miou-Miou. It has won the Best Original Score and Best Sound awards at César Awards 2010.- Plot :... |
Anne-Marie Jacquet | ||
| 2010 | The Round Up The Round Up (film) The Round Up is a 2010 French film directed by Roselyne Bosch and produced by Alain Goldman. The film stars Mélanie Laurent, Jean Reno, Sylvie Testud and Gad Elmaleh... |
Annette | |
| 2011 | Beginners Beginners Beginners is a 2010 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Mills. It tells the story of Oliver , a man reflecting on the life and death of his father while trying to forge a new romantic relationship with a woman dealing with father issues of her own.Beginners premiered at the 2010... |
Anna | |
| Requiem pour une tueuse | Lucrèce | ||
| Et soudain tout le monde me manque | Justine | Completed |
As director and writer
| Year | Film | Other notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | De moins en moins | Short film |
| X Femmes X Femmes X Femmes is a French television series of short films shown on Canal+ in 2008 - 2009. They were shot by female directors with the goal of producing erotica from a female point of view.- Episodes :... |
Short film (Season 1, Episode 6) |