| Cécile de France | |
| Birth Date: | 1975 7, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Namur, Belgium |
| Years Active: | 1997 - present |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Children: | 2 |
| Signature: | Cécile de France signature.svg |
Cécile de France (in French sesil də fʁɑ̃s/; born 17 July 1975) is a Belgian actress. After achieving success in French cinema hits such as L'Art (délicat) de la séduction (2001) and Irène (2002), she gained international attention for her lead roles in High Tension (2003) and Hereafter (2010).[1]
Born in Namur, she left Belgium at the age of 17 to go to Paris where she studied theatre for two years with actor Jean Paul Denizon, assistant to British director Peter Brook. She then spent three years (1995–1998) at the acting academy ENSATT (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre) in the Département Comédie first at the Rue Blanche in Paris, then in Lyon. She was discovered by the agent Dominique Besnehard and appeared in French hit films such as L'Art (délicat) de la séduction (2001) and Irène (2002).
Her international breakthrough came with the horror film High Tension (2003, UK title: Switchblade Romance, US title: High Tension). She caught the eye of Hollywood producers and soon landed her first major role in a US feature, Around the World in 80 Days (2004), in which she starred alongside Jackie Chan and Steve Coogan.
She won two César Awards for Most Promising Actress in L'Auberge espagnole (2002), and Best Supporting Actress in Les Poupées russes (2005).
In 2014, she hosted the 39th César Awards ceremony.
She was selected to be on the jury for the Cinéfondation and short films sections of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.[2] She was also selected to be on the jury for the main competition section of the 68th Berlin International Film Festival.[3]
She has two children, Lino and Joy Siron, with musician Guillaume Siron.[4]
In 2019, she was cast in Wes Anderson's film The French Dispatch.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Regarde-moi (en face) | Dune | ||
| 2001 | Toutes les nuits | The Prostitute | ||
| L'Art (délicat) de la séduction | Laure | |||
| 2002 | L'Auberge espagnole | Isabelle | ||
| Irene | Irène | |||
| A+ Pollux | Pollux Lesiak | |||
| 2003 | I, Cesar | Samantha | ||
| Kaena | Voice | |||
| High Tension | Marie | |||
| 2004 | Around the World in 80 Days | Monique La Roche | ||
| La Confiance règne | Chrystèle Burrel | |||
| 2005 | Russian Dolls | Isabelle | ||
| 2006 | Avenue Montaigne | Jessica | ||
| When I Was a Singer | Marion | |||
| The Colonel | Lieutenant Galois | |||
| Bad Faith | Clara Breitmann | |||
| 2007 | Snow White / Sleeping Beauty / Cinderella | Voice | ||
| Gone for a Dance | Blanche | |||
| Hand of the Headless Man | Eva Sanders | |||
| A Secret | Tania Stirn / Grimbert | |||
| 2008 | Mesrine | Jeanne Schneider | ||
| 2009 | Sister Smile | Jeanine Deckers | ||
| 2010 | Gardiens de l'ordre | Julie | ||
| Hereafter | Marie LeLay | |||
| 2011 | The Kid with a Bike | Samantha | ||
| A Butterfly Kiss | Alice | |||
| Cars 2 | Sally Carrera | Voice (French dubbed) | ||
| 2012 | Superstar | Fleur Arnaud | ||
| 2013 | Chinese Puzzle | Isabelle | ||
| 2014 | Möbius | Alice | ||
| 2015 | In Harmony | Florence Kernel | ||
| Summertime | Carole | |||
| 2016 | The Jungle Book | Raksha | French voice | |
| Fanny's Journey | Madame Forman | |||
| Term Life | Lucy | |||
| 2017 | Django | Louise De Klerk | ||
| Just to Be Sure | Anna | |||
| 2018 | Dolphin Reef | The Narrator | French voice | |
| Lady J | Madame De La Pommeraye | |||
| 2019 | Rebelles | Sandra | ||
| Corine | ||||
| 2021 | The French Dispatch | Mrs. B | ||
| Lost Illusions | Louise de Bargeton | |||
| Peaceful | Eugénie | |||
| 2023 | Bonnard, Pierre and Marthe | Marthe Bonnard | ||
| Second Tour | Nathalie Pove | |||
| Clarissa | Filming |
| Year | Film | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Tous nos voeux de bonheur | |
| 2000 | The Last Dream | |
| Bon appétit! | ||
| 2001 | Le Mariage en papier | |
| 2002 | Loup! | |
| 3 jours, 3 euros | ||
| Il était une femme | ||
| 2003 | Nervous Breakdown | |
| 2004 | La Nuit du 6 au 7 | |
| Les Calamars n'écoutent plus la radi | ||
| 2008 | D'une vie à l'autre |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Cas de divorce | Gabrielle Clément | |
| 1999 | The Judge Is a Woman | Anna | |
| 2001 | Nana | Christine | Television film |
| 2003 | Petits mythes urbains | The Woman | |
| 2007 | La parure | Mathilde Loisel | |
| 2011 | Hard | Herself | |
| 2014 | Hidden Kingdoms | Narrator (French dubbed) | Documentary TV series |
| 2015 | Call My Agent! | Herself | TV series (1 Episode) |
| 2016 | The Young Pope | Sofia | Season 1 |
| 2019 | The New Pope | Sofia | Season 2 |
| 2023 | The Swarm | Dr. Cécile Roche | |
| Greek Salad | Isabelle | 2 episodes | |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Festival du Court Métrage de Bruxelles | Acting Award | ||
| 2002 | Most Promising Actress | L'Auberge Espagnole | ||
| Most Promising Actress | ||||
| 2003 | Best Actress | High Tension | ||
| Shooting Stars Award | ||||
| 2005 | Best Supporting Actress | Russian Dolls | ||
| Prix Romy Schneider | ||||
| 2007 | Best Actress | Avenue Montaigne | ||
| Best Actress | ||||
| Best Actress | ||||
| Best Actress | When I Was a Singer | |||
| Best Actress | Hand of the Headless Man | |||
| 2008 | Best Actress | A Secret | ||
| Best Actress | ||||
| 2009 | Best Actress | Sister Smile | ||
| 2010 | Best Actress | Hereafter | ||
| 2011 | Best Actress | The Kid with a Bike | ||
| Best Actress | ||||
| 2016 | Best Actress | Summertime | ||
| 2018 | Best Actress | Just to Be Sure | ||
| 2019 | Best Actress | Mademoiselle de Joncquières | ||
| 2020 | Best Actress | A Bigger World | ||
| 2022 | César Awards | Best Supporting Role | Lost Illusions[5] | |