Marion Cotillard

Date of Birth: 30.09.1975

Marion Cotillard is a French stage, film, and television actress. She performs in both French and international films.

Place of Birth. Education.

Marion Cotillard was born on September 30, 1975, in Paris. Her mother is a theater actress, and her father, Jean-Claude, is a theater actor, director, founder of the 'Cotillard' theater group, and acting teacher.

Marion spent her childhood in Orleans, in the Loiret department, where she studied at the Conservatoire d'Art Dramatique and took singing classes. However, the professions of her parents had an influence on her - even at the age of six, she was on stage, either performing dialogues with her mother, an actress, or shining in children’s plays staged especially for her by her father, the director.

Film Career.

In 1993, she appeared in the penultimate episode of the first season ('Running Out') of the American television series 'Highlander'. After this debut, Cotillard began to appear in films and television. Her first role on the big screen was as Mathilde in the film 'The Story of the Boy Who Wanted to Be Kissed' by Philippe Arleta, about the life of a young, lonely student Raoul who dreams of love and the first kiss. In the same year, Marion got one of the main roles in the youth series 'Extreme Edge', which is about the life of the students of a French sports institute. In 1996, she played supporting roles in the drama 'When I Spoke... (My Sexual Life)' by Arnaud Desplechin and in the science-fiction comedy by Coline Serreau 'La Belle Verte'. Despite these attempts to establish herself in French cinema, the actress's career stalled.

In 1997, Marion was awarded a prestigious theater prize for her work in a theater production 'Quiet Matter'. That year, she was first cast for the role of Lily Bertino, the fiancée of the male lead, in the action-comedy 'Taxi' directed by Gérard Pirès, for which the famous Luc Besson was the screenwriter and producer. This film, filled with exciting adventures and car races through the busy streets of Marseille, became one of the most successful films in France in the 1990s and gained worldwide recognition. Marion became well-known to both French and international audiences and was nominated for the César, the most important French film award, as the most promising actress. In 2000 and 2003, she reprised the same role in the films 'Taxi 2' and 'Taxi 3'.

After 'Taxi', Marion Cotillard established herself in French cinema and began receiving offer after offer. Notable films featuring her include Francis Reusser's historical romance 'The War in the Mountains' and Pierre Grimblat's war drama 'Liza'. In 2000, she served as a jury member at the Gerardmer Fantasy Film Festival. In 2001, Cotillard played her first leading role in a film, the romantic film by Gilles Paquet-Brenner 'Little White Lies', in which she played two roles, the twin sisters Marie and Lucie, for which Marion had to sing in the film and took additional singing lessons for a month. For this role, Cotillard was again nominated for the César as the most promising actress but did not win any award.

Although Cotillard is still primarily known in France, films featuring her began to gain her international acclaim. She appeared in the thriller by Guillaume Nicloux 'Les Yeux Privés' and in the romantic comedy by Yann Samuell 'Love Me If You Dare'. For her performance, she was awarded Best Actress at the Newport Beach Film Festival. In 2003, Marion participated in her first major international film, portraying Josephine, the pregnant bride of the male lead in the fantastical tragicomedy by director Tim Burton 'Big Fish', which brought together a very serious cast including Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Helena Bonham Carter, Danny DeVito, Steve Buscemi, and Jessica Lange.

Collaboration with director Jean-Pierre Jeunet marked a peak in the actress’s career. In his World War I drama 'A Very Long Engagement' from 2004, Jeunet tells the story of young woman Mathilde (played by Audrey Tautou) who searches for her missing fiancé, who, along with four other soldiers, was sentenced to death for deliberate self-mutilation out of fear of battle. Marion Cotillard played the role of Tina Lombardi, a former prostitute also searching for her lover. But he died in the war, and Tina sought vengeance against those responsible, ensuring their death out of revenge. In this film, Marion acted very authentically and experienced incredible psychological strain during filming. For her outstanding performance, Marion Cotillard received the César for Best Supporting Actress.

After the international success of 'A Very Long Engagement', Marion became one of the most sought-after actresses in French cinema. In 2005, six films featuring her were released, and in November 2006, the premiere of Ridley Scott's romantic comedy 'A Good Year' took place, in which Cotillard played one of the leading roles alongside Russell Crowe. And in 2007, Marion appeared on screen as the famous French singer Edith Piaf in the film 'La Vie en Rose'.