Isabelle Huppert

Nominated for an incredible 16 César Awards, French actress Isabelle Huppert has been described as one of the best actresses in the world. Famous for brilliantly portraying disdainful, cold hearted characters, her film credits include Violette Nozière, The Piano Teacher, and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby and she has won four Lumières Award nominations.

Born in Paris, she became a teenage star after being encouraged to act by her mother, and won a prize for her acting whilst attending Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Versailles. She made her television debut with Le Prussien in 1971 and her movie debut in Faustine et le Bel Été quickly followed a year later. Huppert rose to fame internationally after she starred in La Dentelliere, winning a Most Promising Newcomer BAFTA award, and she made her breakthrough in American films with a role in Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate. The 1980s saw Huppert take on increasingly challenging roles and play emotionally distant and enigmatic characters in movies including Coup de foudre, Loulou, Sauve qui peut (la vie) and Une Affaire de Femmes.

Huppert has continued to shine as an actress throughout her career, and her performance in thriller Elle in 2016 earned her an Independent Spirit Award, a Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Actress. Huppert is also an accomplished stage actress and has received 7 Molière Award nominations in her career so far – more than any other actress.