| Marion Cotillard |

Cotillard at the Paris premiere of Public Enemies, July 2009 |
| Born |
30 September 1975 (1975-09-30) (age 34)
Paris, France |
| Occupation |
Actress/Singer |
| Years active |
1993–present |
| Domestic partner(s) |
Guillaume Canet (2007–present) |
Marion Cotillard (born 30 September 1975) is a French actress. She gathered critical acclaim for her roles in films such as My Sex Life... or How I Got Into an Argument, Taxi, Furia and Pretty Things. She has also appeared in such films as Big Fish, A Very Long Engagement, for which she received a César Award for Best Supporting Actress, A Good Year, Public Enemies and Nine.
She won an Oscar for Best Actress, a BAFTA Best Actress's Award and a Golden Globe for Best Actress in Musical or a Comedy for her portrayal of Édith Piaf in La Vie en Rose. She became the first person from France to win an Academy Award for a French language performance. She received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the musical Nine.
Family
Cotillard was born in Paris and grew up around Orléans, Loiret, in an artistically inclined, "bustling, creative household". Her father, Jean-Claude Cotillard, is an actor, teacher, former mime, and 2006 Molière Award-winning director of Breton descent1 (his mother Léontine Cotillard still lives in Plémet, Brittany).2 Her mother, Niseema Theillaud, is also an actress and drama teacher.3 She has two younger twin brothers, Quentin and Guillaume. Quentin Cotillard is a sculptor and painter living in San Francisco, California,4 with his wife, Elaine O'Malley Cotillard, "a former Dutch National Ballet dancer who grew up in Marin County, and is now a San Francisco fashion designer".5 Guillaume Cotillard is a screenwriter and director.6
Cotillard began acting during her childhood, appearing on stage in one of her father's plays.7
Career
Early work (1993–2002)
After small appearances and performances in theater, Cotillard had occasional and minor roles in television series such as Highlander, but her career as a film actress began in the mid-1990s with small but noticeable roles in such films as Arnaud Desplechin's My Sex Life... or How I Got Into an Argument. Cotillard appeared in the comedy film La belle verte, directed by Coline Serreau. Then came her breakthrough out of cinephiles' circles when she starred in Gérard Pirès's action comedy Taxi. In the film, she plays Lili Bertineau who becomes Daniel's girlfriend. Cotillard reprised the role in two sequels. She then ventured into anticipation science fiction with Alexandre Aja's Furia (1999).
Cotillard appeared in Pierre Grimblat's film Lisa as Young Lisa, alongside Jeanne Moreau, Swiss novel-adaptation War drama In The Highlands. She starred in Gilles Paquet-Brenner's film Les jolies choses, adapted from the work of subversive feminist writer Virginie Despentes. In the drama, Cotillard portrayed the characters of two twins of completely opposite characters, Lucy and Marie. She was nominated for a Cesar Award for her performance. In Guillaume Nicloux's thriller Une affaire privée she appeared as Clarisse, friend of the disappeared.
Breakthrough (2003–2006)
Cotillard starred with Guillaume Canet in the romantic comedy film Love Me If You Dare as Sophie Kowalsky, the daughter of Polish immigrants. The film was directed by Yann Samuel. Cotillard had a notable supporting role in Tim Burton's film Big Fish, where she appeared alongside Ewan McGregor, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange and Allison Lohman. In the film she plays Joséphine, the French wife of William Bloom. She appeared in two critically successful films, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's A Very Long Engagement as Tina Lombardi, for which she won an César Award for Best Supporting Actress, and appeared in the mystery thriller Innocence as Mademoiselle Éva.
In 2005, Cotillard starred in Steve Suissa's romantic drama Cavalcade as Alizée. She also appeared in Abel Ferrara's religious drama Mary alongside Forest Whitaker and Juliette Binoche. Marion played Isabelle Kruger and Alice in the thriller film La Boîte noire, directed by Richard Berry. She appeared in the film Fair Play as Nicole. Cotillard starred in Ridley Scott 's romantic comedy A Good Year, in which she portrayed Fanny Chenal, a small Provençal town French café owner opposite Russell Crowe as a Londoner who inherits a local property. She appeared in Belgian comedy Dikkenek, and learned to play the cello for her role as a concertist in the satirical coming-of-age film You and Me.3
Critical success (2007–present)
She was chosen by director Olivier Dahan to portray the French singer Édith Piaf in the biopic La Vie en Rose before he had even met her, saying that he noticed a similarity between Piaf's and Cotillard's eyes.8 Producer Ilan Goldman accepted and defended the choice even though distributors TFM reduced the money they gave to finance the film thinking Cotillard wasn't "bankable" enough an actress.9 Her portrayal was widely praised, including by the eminent theatre director Sir Trevor Nunn, who described it as "one of the greatest performances on film ever."10 It was dubbed "the most awaited film of 2007" in France, where some critics said that she had reincarnated Édith Piaf to sing one last time on stage.11
On February 10, 2008, Cotillard became the first French actress to be awarded the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role since Stéphane Audran in 1973.12 She is the first actress to win a Golden Globe for a foreign language performance since 1972, when Liv Ullmann won for The Emigrants. She is also the first person to win a (Comedy or Musical) Golden Globe for a foreign language performance. As La Vie En Rose was also a Czech production (as she mentioned in her César acceptance speech),13
On February 22, 2008, she was awarded the César Award for Best Actress, becoming the first woman and second person (after Adrien Brody, The Pianist) to win both a Cesar and an Oscar for the same performance. Cotillard is the second French cinema actress to win this award and the third overall to receive an Academy Award. She is the first Best Actress winner in a non-English language performance since Sophia Loren's win in 1961. She is also the first and so far only winner of an Academy Award for a performance in the French language. In her Oscar acceptance speech, Cotillard proclaimed "thank you life, thank you love" and, speaking of Los Angeles, said "it is true, there is some angels in this city!"
The day following the ceremony, Cotillard was congratulated and praised by the President of France Nicolas Sarkozy in a statement saying, "I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Marion Cotillard, who has just received the Oscar for Best Actress for her masterful interpretation of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, directed by Olivier Dahan. Half a century after Simone Signoret, a French artist has received the Best Actress award at the Oscars. It was a good omen that Catherine Allegret, Simone Signoret’s daughter, herself had a role in La Vie en Rose. Marion Cotillard embodies an Edith Piaf who is unsettling in her realism, emotion and passion. Her interpretation brings to life the story of a woman who gave French song its acclaim and authenticity; a singer, too, who closely united France and America."
On March 1, 2008, Cotillard won a Czech Lion Award for Best Actress. She could not attend the ceremony in Prague due to the filming of Public Enemies. Her friend Pavlína Němcová - who played the journalist in La vie en Rose - was there to accept the award on her behalf.
On June 24, 2008, Cotillard was one of 105 individuals invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Cotillard starred alongside Johnny Depp in Public Enemies, released in the United States on July 1, 2009. Later that year, Cotillard appeared in the film adaptation of the musical Nine,14 directed by Rob Marshall, and co-starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren and Kate Hudson. On December 15, 2009, Cotillard was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress - Musical or Comedy for her performance in the film. The film was released on December 18, 2009.
For her role in the musical Nine as Luisa Contini, Time magazine ranked her as the fifth best performance by a female in 2009. 15 She was ranked just behind Mo'Nique, Carey Mulligan, Saoirse Ronan, and Meryl Streep.
She appears in Christopher Nolan's film Inception, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page. The release will be on July 16, 2010. She co-stars alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Kate Winslet and Matt Damon in Steven Soderbergs thriller film Contagion.16
On March 15th, Cotillard was made a Chevalier (Knight) of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of the Arts and Letters) by the French government for her "contribution to the enrichment of French culture"17.
Other projects
Cotillard, in addition to her film work, is interested in environmental activism and participated in campaigns for environmental protection. Cotillard used her high public profile to bring attention to the aims of Greenpeace, working for the environmental organization as a spokesperson, allowing the organization to use her apartment to test products. In 2005, she also contributed to Dessins pour le climat (“Drawings for the Climate”), a book of drawings published by Greenpeace to raise funds for the group.
In 2009, Cotillard was chosen as the face for Dior's "Lady Dior" advertising campaign and was featured in an online mini-movie about the fictional character created by John Galliano. This campaign has also resulted in a musical collaboration with British pop group Franz Ferdinand, where Cotillard has provided the vocals for a composition performed by the group, entitled "The Eyes of Mars". Cotillard appeared on the cover of the November 2009 issue of Vogue with Nine co-stars Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz and Kate Hudson.
Personal life
Cotillard currently lives with French actor and director Guillaume Canet. Many reports say the couple prefers to live a simple lifestyle, and they are often spotted in cafes and shopping together in Paris. Neither star discusses their relationship with the media, although photos of the couple being affectionate regularly surface in the European tabloids.18
She is a fan of Radiohead and Canadian singer Hawksley Workman; she has appeared in two of the latter's music videos, most notably "No Reason to Cry Out your Eyes (On the Highway Tonight)".19 Workman even revealed in interviews about his last album Between The Beautifuls that he worked and wrote songs with Cotillard while they both were in Los Angeles during the movie awards season.20
Filmography
Awards and nominations
Cotillard won a César Award for Best Supporting Actress for A Very Long Engagement (2004). Cotillard won an Academy Award for Best Actress, she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, a Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama and a César Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Édith Piaf in La Môme (2007). Cotillard and her co-stars of Nine won an Satellite Award for Best Cast - Motion Picture for the performance in the film.
Cotillard also has been nominated for numerous awards, including César Award for Most Promising Actress for Taxi (1998) and Les Jolies choses (2001), she was nominated for an European Film Award for Best Actress for La Môme (2007). Cotillard was nominated for an Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Nine (2009).
Academy Award milestones
Cotillard received the Academy Award for Best Actress. After Simone Signoret in 1959, Marion Cotillard is the second French cinema actress to win this award and the third overall to receive an Academy Award (Juliette Binoche won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1997 for her critically acclaimed role in the picture The English Patient, but it was not for a leading role), although French expatriate Claudette Colbert was given an Oscar in 1934. She is the first Best Actress winner in a non-English language performance since Sophia Loren's win in 1961. She is also the first and so far only winner of an Academy Award for a performance in the French language.
Other awards
Cotillard for her portrayal of Lisa Young in the French film Lisa (2001), was the winner of Verona Love Screens Film Festival for Best Actress, she was the winner of Newport Beach Film Festival for Best Actress — Drama for Love Me If You Dare (2003).
References
- ^ Marion Cotillard.org Jean-Claude Cotillard speaking about his Breton peasant parents
- ^ Reportage showing Marion in her grandmother's village
- ^ a b Gilbey, Ryan (2007-07-07). "Marion has no regrets either". News.com.au. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,,22027677-5003420,00.html. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
- ^ "Golden Globe's Best Actress Marion Cotillard: 'It Was Like Fireworks'". Foxnews.com. 2008-01-14. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,322471,00.html.
- ^ "French Oscar nominee talks about her depiction of Edith Piaf". Marin Independent Journal. 2008-01-31. http://origin.marinij.com/lifestyles/ci_8134790.
- ^ Guillaume cotillard IMDB page
- ^ Bunbury, Stephanie (2007-07-15). "Birds of a feather". The Age.com.au. http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/birds-of-a-feather/2007/07/12/1183833687773.html. Retrieved 2007-07-14.
- ^ "Piaf star Cotillard's career blooms with Oscar nom for 'La Vie En Rose'". The Canadian Press. 2008-02-14. http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jUBxNT4i4J4SRqyJI9sSR5nUeALw. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
- ^ "Everything's coming up roses". Benjamin Sesher, Telegraph.co.uk. 2008-02-12. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/02/12/bfmarion112.xml.
- ^ "Who is: Marion Cotillard". Meryl Demiglio, Papierdoll Magazine. March 2008. http://www.papierdoll.net/themag/2008/03/03/who-is-marion-cotillard/. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
- ^ "Les films qui vont cartonner en 2007". Amélie Charnay, 01Men.com. 2007-01-16. http://www.01men.com/editorial/338875/cinema-/?di=8&play=0.
- ^ Stéphane Audran wins the BAFTA Best Actress in 1973 for The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and Just Before Nightfall [1] IMDb
- ^ Translation of her César acceptance speech blogspot
- ^ "Everything's rosy for Cotillard". John McMurtrie, San Francisco Chronicle. 2008-02-17. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/17/PK9UUTH2G.DTL&type=movies.
- ^ [2]
- ^ Steven Soderberg Preps Big Cast for Contagion
- ^ Marion Cotillard was made a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (in French), Artistik Rezo. 2010-03-17.
- ^ Jason Solomons (2008-02-17). "BAFTA The couple's ...dubbed the French "Brangelina".". The Guardian. http://film.guardian.co.uk/solomons/story/0,,2257398,00.html.
- ^ 2004 Music Video for Hawksley Workman's song "No reason to cry out your eyes" featuring Marion Cotillard youtube
- ^ "Hawksley Workman always working". Jam.canoe.ca. 2008-02-15. http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/W/Workman_Hawksley/2008/02/13/4843339-sun.html.
External links
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Awards for Marion Cotillard |
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| Persondata |
| NAME |
Cotillard, Marion |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES |
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION |
Actress |
| DATE OF BIRTH |
September 30, 1975 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH |
Paris, France |
| DATE OF DEATH |
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| PLACE OF DEATH |
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