Marion Cotillard: The French Star Who Conquered Hollywood

Actress Marion Cotillard received international acclaim by earning an Oscar, only the third French actress to receive such an award.

She’s played Edith Piaf, earned an Oscar and become a fixture in Hollywood, while, of course, remaining one of France’s most admired screen actresses. But Marion Cotillard’s story is far from one of overnight fame.

Born on September 30, 1975, in Paris and raised in Orléans, Cotillard grew up in a theatrical family: her father was a mime and director, her mother a drama teacher. Unsurprisingly, she was drawn to the stage early. At just seven years old, she appeared on French TV channel TF1 in the short film Le monde des tout-petits. More TV roles came along in her teen years as she studied drama at the Conservatoire d’Orléans.

Crossing the pond

At 17, she landed a role in TV sci-fi action series Highlander (1993), followed the next year by her feature film debut in L’Histoire du garçon qui voulait qu’on l’embrasse (The Story of a Boy Who Wanted to Be Kissed, 1994). She first gained real attention in 1998 in Luc Besson’s Taxi franchise, but it was her portrayal of singer Édith Piaf in La Vie en Rose (2007) that catapulted her to international acclaim. For her performance, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress – becoming the third Frenchwoman (after Claudette Colbert and Simone Signoret) ever to do so, and the first to win for a French-language role. Her performance also earned her the César for Best Actress.

Cotillard’s Hollywood career soon flourished, with roles in Inception (2010), The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and Allied (2016). But she remained committed to French cinema, earning praise for performances in Jacques Audiard’s De rouille et d’os (Rust and Bone) and the Dardenne brothers’ Deux jours, une nuit (Two Days, One Night), which earned her a second Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

As well as her film work, Cotillard is a long-time environmental and humanitarian activist, working with Greenpeace since 2001 and supporting causes from rainforest preservation and ocean protection to children’s health and gender equality. She recently separated from her long-standing partner, actor-director Guillaume Canet, with whom she has two children.

Marion Cotillard’s 10-Second CV

Name: Marion Cotillard

Born: September 30, 1975, in Paris

Early career: She started acting at just seven years old. At 17, she landed a role in TV sci-fi action series Highlander (1993). This was swiftly followed by her feature film debut in The Story of a Boy Who Wanted to Be Kissed (1994). Her big break came a few years later with the hit French film Taxi (1998).

I know the name…

And so you should Cotillard has appeared in around a dozen US movies as well as numerous French films.

What should I watch?

There’s a reason she won an Oscar for her performance as mighty French chanteuse Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose.

C’est pas vrai!

Cotillard sings as well as playing guitar, bass guitar, keyboards and tambourine. She has recorded with French band Yodelice and dueted with Franz Ferdinand. She co-wrote and performed the song La Fille De Joie for her 2001 film Les Jolies Choses (Pretty Things).

From France Today Magazine

Lead photo credit : Photo: Shutterstock