Biography for
Marion Cotillard More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

30 September 1975, Paris, France

Height

5' 6½" (1.69 m)

Mini Biography

Marion Cotillard, who won the Best Actress Academy Award for her role as Édith Piaf in Môme, La (2007) (retitled "La Vie en Rose" in the United States), is the second actress to win an acting Oscar performing in a language other than English next to Sophia Loren who won for Ciociara, La (1960). Only two male performers (Roberto Benigni for La Vita e Bella and Robert DeNiro for The Godfather, Part II) have won an Oscar for solely non-English parts.

A Libran born in Paris on September 30, 1975, Cotillard is the daughter of Jean-Claude Cotillard, an actor, playwright and director, and Niseema Theillaud, an actress and drama teacher. 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.

While still a teenager, Cotillard made her cinema debut in the film Histoire du garçon qui voulait qu'on l'embrasse, L' (1994). Her first prominent screen role was as Lilly Bertineau in Taxi (1998/I), a role which she reprised in two sequels. Director Olivier Dahan cast Cotillard to play Édith Piaf, the legendary French singer, in "La Môme" 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.

Her turn as Piaf brought Cotillard the Oscar, the César (France's equivalent to the Oscar), a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe among other prices. 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.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Jon C. Hopwood

Mini Biography

Marion Cotillard (born September 30, 1975) is an Academy Award winning French actress.

Alongside Juliette Binoche, Catherine Deneuve, Sophie Marceau, Audrey Tautou or Eva Green, she is one of the most celebrated French actresses worldwide.

Daughter of former mime and theatre director Jean Claude Cotillard and of actress Niseema Theillaud, she began acting in the early 90s in one of her father's plays.

Luc Besson cast her in her first big commercial role as Lili in the French box-office hit Taxi (1998). Due to the success of the movie, three sequels followed and Cotillard reprised the role of Lili in two of them.

She received positive reviews from critics for her performances in Les jolies choses (2001), Lisa (2001), and Une affaire privèe (2002).

2003 marks an important year for Cotillard: She starred alongside Guillaume Canet in the comedy Love me if you dare (Jeux d'enfants), directed by Yann Samuel. The movie was a success in France and Italy.

Also in 2003, Tim Burton introduced her to English-speaking audiences with her role in Big Fish.

In 2004, she won a César Award as Best Supporting Actress for Jean Pierre Jeunet's A Very Long Engagement (2004) in which she played the murderous Tina and only appeared for about ten minutes in the movie.

In 2006 she played the lead alongside Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott's A Good Year.

As Édith Piaf in La vie en rose (2007) (original title La Môme), Cotillard was able to gain both critical appraisal as well as commercial success. For her powerful performance she has won numerous awards, including Oscar, Cèsar, Bafta and Golden Globe as best leading actress.

In 2008, she started shooting Public Enemies (2009), directed by Michael Mann.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Giuseppe Paternò Raddusa

Trivia

If she had not been an actress, she would have liked to become a singer.

She's an ecologist.

Had to learn how to sing in one month to play Marie in Les jolies choses (2001).

Is good friends with Élodie Navarre.

Spokesperson for Greenpeace. Is also one of several actors, singers, and designers involved in "Dessins pour le climat," an album project originated by Greenpeace and Glénat, available for sale beginning April 2005 (all proceeds to go to Greenpeace).

French citizen.

Co-wrote and performed song "La Fille De Joie" for her film "Les Jolies Choses". Also performed song "La Conne" for this film.

Has two younger brothers: Guillaume and Quentin, they are identical twins (born on 6 November 1977).

Born to Jean-Claude Cotillard, an actor and teacher, and his wife Niseema Theillaud, also actress and drama teacher.

Is a member of Greenpeace.

Moved to Paris at the age of 16.

Cousin of Laurent Cotillard.

Grew up in Orléans.

Being a huge fan of Canadian singer Hawksley Workman, she starred in two of his clips.

Companion of her Jeux d'enfants (2003) co-star Guillaume Canet since 2007.

Having won the Best Actress Oscar for La môme (2007) on 24 February 2008, she has become the second French actress to do so. The other one is Simone Signoret for Room at the Top (1959). Claudette Colbert, who won in 1934 for It Happened One Night (1934), was French-born, but raised in the U.S.

Her brother Quentin works as a sculptor, living in San Francisco, California with his Irish-American wife Elaine O'Malley Cotillard, a former Dutch National Ballet dancer and fashion designer.

Her brother Guillaume is a screenwriter and director.

The first leading lady to receive the best actress Oscar for a non-English speaking role since Sophia Loren in 1962 for La ciociara (1960).

Is the third actress to win the Best Actress Oscar for portraying a female singer in a biography; the first being Sissy Spacek as Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) and the second Reese Witherspoon as June Carter in Walk the Line (2005).

Is one of five performers to win an Oscar playing a character that mostly spoke in a foreign language. The others are Sophia Loren, Robert De Niro, Roberto Benigni and Benicio Del Toro.

One of 105 people invited to join AMPAS in 2008.

First French actress to win Best Leading Actress at BAFTA Film Awards since the integration of Best British Actress and Best Foreign Actress to one category: Best Leading Actress in 1969.

The dress she wore to the Academy Awards (where she won the Best Actress Oscar) was especially designed for her by Jean-Paul Gaultier. [2008]

Was considered for the role of Hanna Schmitz in The Reader (2008) after Nicole Kidman dropped out due to pregnancy. However the part eventually went to Kate Winslet.

First artist to win a Best Actress Oscar for a performance in the French language.

Personal Quotes

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.

(on accepting the best actress Oscar for 'La Vie en Rose') Thank you life, thank you love, and - it is true - there is some angels in this city.

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.

Where Are They Now

(August 2005) Preparing for the role of a lifetime as Edith Piaf in Olivier Dahan's "La vie en rose".

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