Sophie Marceau (born 17 November 1966) is a French actress director, screenwriter, and author. She has appeared in 38 films. As a teenager, Marceau achieved popularity with her debut films La boum (1980) and La boum 2 (1982), receiving a César Award for Most Promising Actress. Sophie Marceau became a film star in Europe with a string of successful films, including L'étudiante (1988), Pacific Palisades (1990), and Fanfan (1993). In the 1990s, Marceau became an international film star with her performances in Braveheart (1995), Firelight (1997), and the James Bond thriller The World Is Not Enough (1999).
Early life
Sophie Danièle Sylvie Maupu was born 17 November 1966 in Paris, France, the second child of Simone (née Morisset), a shop assistant, and Benoît Maupu, a truck driver. Her parents divorced when she was nine years old.
Film career
In February 1980, Sophie Marceau and her mother came across a model agency looking for teenagers. Sophie Marceau had photos taken at the agency, but did not think anything would come of it. At the same time, Françoise Menidrey, the casting director for Claude Pinoteau's La boum (1980), asked modeling agencies to recommend a new teenager for the project. After viewing the rushes, Alain Poiré, the director of the Gaumont Film Company, signed Marceau to a long-term contract. La boum was a hit movie, not only in France, where 4.5 million tickets were sold, but several other European countries and Japan. In 1981, Sophie Marceau made her singing debut with French singer François Valéry on record "Dream in Blue", written by Delanoë.
In 1982, at the age of 15, Sophie Marceau bought back her contract with Gaumont for one million French francs. She borrowed most of the money. After starring in the sequel film La boum 2 (1982), Marceau focused on more dramatic roles, including Fort Saganne in 1984 with Gérard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve, Joyeuses Pâques (Happy Easter) in 1984, L'amour braque and Police in 1985, and Descente aux enfers (Descent Into Hell) in 1986. In 1988, she starred in L'étudiante (The Student) and Chouans!. That year, Sophie Marceau was named Best Romantic Actress at the International Festival of Romantic Movies for her role in Chouans!
In 1989, Sophie Marceau starred in Mes nuits sont plus belles que vos jours (My Nights Are More Beautiful than your Days), which was directed by her long-time boyfriend Andrzej Zulawski. In 1990, she starred in Pacific Palisades and La note bleue, her third film directed by her companion. In 1991, she ventured into the theater in Eurydice, which earned Marceau the Moliere Award for Best Female Newcomer. Throughout the 1990s, Sophie Marceau began making less-dramatic films, such as the comedy Fanfan in 1993 and La fille de D'artagnan in 1994—both popular in Europe and abroad. That year, she returned to the theatre as Eliza Dolittle in Pygmalion.
Sophie Marceau achieved international recognition in 1995 as Princess Isabelle in Mel Gibson's Braveheart. That year, she was part of an ensemble of international actors in the French film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and Wim Wenders, Beyond the Clouds. In 1997, she continued her string of successful films with William Nicholson's Firelight, filmed in England, Véra Belmont's Marquise, filmed in France, and Bernard Rose's Anna Karenina. In 1999, she played Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and became a villainess Bond girl in her role as Elektra King in The World Is Not Enough. In 2000, Marceau teamed up again with her then-boyfriend Andrzej Zulawski to film La fidélité.
Author and director
In 1995, Sophie Marceau wrote a semi-autobiographical novel, Menteuse (engl. translation Telling Lies published in 2001). Marceau's work was described as "an exploration of female identity". Marceau describes what the narrator is going through:
In 2002, Sophie Marceau made her directorial debut in the feature film Parlez-moi d'amour , for which she was named Best Director at the Montreal World Film Festival. The film starred Judith Godrèche. It was her second effort at directing (she made the nine-minute short film L'aube à l'envers in 1995, which also starred Godrèche).
Personal life
Sophie Marceau had a 17-year-relationship with director Andrzej Żuławski, who is 26 years her senior. Their son Vincent was born in June 1995. In 2001, Sophie Marceau separated from Żuławski and became involved with producer Jim Lemley and later gave birth to her second child, Juliette, born in London in 2002. Since 2007, she has been in a relation with Christopher Lambert, with whom she appeared in La disparue de Deauville.
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| Sophie Marceau |
Sophie Danièle Sylvie Maupu was born 17 November 1966 in Paris, France, the second child of Simone (née Morisset), a shop assistant, and Benoît Maupu, a truck driver. Her parents divorced when she was nine years old.
Film career
In February 1980, Sophie Marceau and her mother came across a model agency looking for teenagers. Sophie Marceau had photos taken at the agency, but did not think anything would come of it. At the same time, Françoise Menidrey, the casting director for Claude Pinoteau's La boum (1980), asked modeling agencies to recommend a new teenager for the project. After viewing the rushes, Alain Poiré, the director of the Gaumont Film Company, signed Marceau to a long-term contract. La boum was a hit movie, not only in France, where 4.5 million tickets were sold, but several other European countries and Japan. In 1981, Sophie Marceau made her singing debut with French singer François Valéry on record "Dream in Blue", written by Delanoë.
In 1982, at the age of 15, Sophie Marceau bought back her contract with Gaumont for one million French francs. She borrowed most of the money. After starring in the sequel film La boum 2 (1982), Marceau focused on more dramatic roles, including Fort Saganne in 1984 with Gérard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve, Joyeuses Pâques (Happy Easter) in 1984, L'amour braque and Police in 1985, and Descente aux enfers (Descent Into Hell) in 1986. In 1988, she starred in L'étudiante (The Student) and Chouans!. That year, Sophie Marceau was named Best Romantic Actress at the International Festival of Romantic Movies for her role in Chouans!
In 1989, Sophie Marceau starred in Mes nuits sont plus belles que vos jours (My Nights Are More Beautiful than your Days), which was directed by her long-time boyfriend Andrzej Zulawski. In 1990, she starred in Pacific Palisades and La note bleue, her third film directed by her companion. In 1991, she ventured into the theater in Eurydice, which earned Marceau the Moliere Award for Best Female Newcomer. Throughout the 1990s, Sophie Marceau began making less-dramatic films, such as the comedy Fanfan in 1993 and La fille de D'artagnan in 1994—both popular in Europe and abroad. That year, she returned to the theatre as Eliza Dolittle in Pygmalion.
Sophie Marceau achieved international recognition in 1995 as Princess Isabelle in Mel Gibson's Braveheart. That year, she was part of an ensemble of international actors in the French film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and Wim Wenders, Beyond the Clouds. In 1997, she continued her string of successful films with William Nicholson's Firelight, filmed in England, Véra Belmont's Marquise, filmed in France, and Bernard Rose's Anna Karenina. In 1999, she played Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and became a villainess Bond girl in her role as Elektra King in The World Is Not Enough. In 2000, Marceau teamed up again with her then-boyfriend Andrzej Zulawski to film La fidélité.
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| Sophie Marceau |
In 1995, Sophie Marceau wrote a semi-autobiographical novel, Menteuse (engl. translation Telling Lies published in 2001). Marceau's work was described as "an exploration of female identity". Marceau describes what the narrator is going through:
In 2002, Sophie Marceau made her directorial debut in the feature film Parlez-moi d'amour , for which she was named Best Director at the Montreal World Film Festival. The film starred Judith Godrèche. It was her second effort at directing (she made the nine-minute short film L'aube à l'envers in 1995, which also starred Godrèche).
Personal life
Sophie Marceau had a 17-year-relationship with director Andrzej Żuławski, who is 26 years her senior. Their son Vincent was born in June 1995. In 2001, Sophie Marceau separated from Żuławski and became involved with producer Jim Lemley and later gave birth to her second child, Juliette, born in London in 2002. Since 2007, she has been in a relation with Christopher Lambert, with whom she appeared in La disparue de Deauville.
