Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert (; born 16 March 1953) is a French actress. Described as "one of the best actresses in the world", she is known for her portrayals of cold and disdainful characters devoid of morality. She is the recipient of
several accolades, including two
César Awards
The César Award is the national film award of France. It is delivered in the ' ceremony and was first awarded in 1976. The nominations are selected by the members of twelve categories of filmmaking professionals and supported by the French Min ...
, five
Lumières Awards
The Lumières (literally in English: ''The Lights'') was a cultural, philosophical, literary and intellectual movement beginning in the second half of the 17th century, originating in western Europe and spreading throughout the rest of Europe. It ...
, a
BAFTA Award
The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...
, three
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
honors, a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, and an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination; in 2020, ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' ranked her second on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century.
Huppert's first César nomination was for the 1975 film ''
Aloïse''. In 1978, she won the
BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for ''
The Lacemaker
''The Lacemaker'' (french: La Dentellière) is a 1977 French drama film directed by Claude Goretta and starring Isabelle Huppert and Yves Beneyton. It is based on the 1974 Prix Goncourt winning novel '' La Dentellière'' by Pascal Lainé.
P ...
''. She went on to win two
Best Actress
Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...
awards at the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
, for ''
Violette Nozière
''Violette Nozière'' is a 1978 French crime film directed by Claude Chabrol and starring Isabelle Huppert and Stéphane Audran. The film, based on a true French murder case in 1933, is about an eighteen-year-old girl named Violette and her en ...
'' (1978) and ''
The Piano Teacher'' (2001), as well as two
Volpi Cups for Best Actress at the
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...
, for ''
Story of Women'' (1988) and ''
La Cérémonie
''La Cérémonie'' is a 1995 crime drama film by Claude Chabrol, adapted from the 1977 novel ''A Judgement in Stone'' by Ruth Rendell. The film echoes the case of Christine and Lea Papin, two French maids who brutally murdered their employer's wif ...
''. Her other films in France include ''
Loulou'' (1980), ''
La Séparation
''La Séparation'' is a 1994 French romantic drama film directed by Christian Vincent and based on the novel ''La Séparation'' by Dan Franck.
Plot
When a Parisian couple, Pierre and Anne, go to see a film, it bothers Pierre that Anne rejects ...
'' (1994), ''
8 Women'' (2002), ''
Gabrielle'' (2005), ''
Amour'' (2012),
''Things to Come'' (2016), and ''
Happy End'' (2017).
Huppert is among international film's most prolific actresses, having worked in Italy, Russia, Central Europe, and in Asia. Her English-language films include ''
Heaven's Gate'' (1980), ''
The Bedroom Window'' (1987), ''
I Heart Huckabees
''I Heart Huckabees'' (stylized as ''I ♥ Huckabees''; also ''I Love Huckabees'') is a 2004 independent black comedy film directed and produced by David O. Russell, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Baena.
A self-described "existential c ...
'' (2004), ''
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby
''The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby'' is the collective title of three films written and directed by Ned Benson in his directorial debut, and starring Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, alongside a supporting cast of Viola Davis, Bill Hader, Kathe ...
'' (2013), ''
Louder Than Bombs
''Louder Than Bombs'' is a compilation album by English rock band the Smiths, released as a double album in March 1987 by their American record company, Sire Records. It peaked at number 62 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 album chart. Popular de ...
'' (2015), ''
Greta'' (2018), ''
Frankie
Frankie may refer to:
People
*Frankie (musician), indie pop musician from Los Angeles, California
* Frankie Abernathy (1981–2007), American MTV Real World cast member
*Frankie Adams (born 1994), Samoan New Zealand actress
*Frankie Avalon (born ...
'' (2019), and ''
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris'' (2022).
In 2016, Huppert garnered international acclaim for her performance in ''
Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'', which earned her a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, an
Independent Spirit Award
The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glas ...
and a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Actress
The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year ...
. She also won Best Actress awards from the
National Society of Film Critics
The National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) is an American film critic organization. The organization is known for its highbrow tastes, and its annual awards are one of the most prestigious film critics awards in the United States. In January 2014, ...
,
New York Film Critics Circle
The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) is an American film critic organization founded in 1935 by Wanda Hale from the New York ''Daily News''. Its membership includes over 30 film critics from New York-based daily and weekly newspapers, magaz ...
and the
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) is an American film critic organization founded in 1975.
Background
Its membership comprises film critics from Los Angeles-based print and electronic media. In December of each year, the organiza ...
, for both ''Elle'' and ''Things to Come''.
Also a prolific stage actress, Huppert is the most nominated actress for the
Molière Award, with eight nominations and an honorary award in 2017. In the same year she was awarded the
Europe Theatre Prize
The Europe Theatre Prize ''(Premio Europa per il Teatro)'' is an award of the European Commission for a personality who has "contributed to the realisation of cultural events that promote understanding and the exchange of knowledge between peo ...
.
She made her London stage debut in the title role of the play ''
Mary Stuart'' in 1996, and her New York stage debut in a 2005 production of ''
4.48 Psychosis''. She returned to the New York stage in 2009 to perform in
Heiner Müller
Heiner Müller (; 9 January 1929 – 30 December 1995) was a German (formerly East German) dramatist, poet, writer, essayist and theatre director. His "enigmatic, fragmentary pieces" are a significant contribution to postmodern drama and postdr ...
's ''
Quartett'', and in 2014 to star in a
Sydney Theatre Company production of ''
The Maids
''The Maids'' (french: Les Bonnes, links=no) is a 1947 play by the French dramatist Jean Genet. It was first performed at the Théâtre de l'Athénée in Paris in a production that opened on 17 April 1947, which Louis Jouvet directed.
The pla ...
''. In 2019, Huppert starred in
Florian Zeller
Florian Zeller (; born 28 June 1979) is a French novelist, playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, and film director. He won the Prix Interallié for his 2004 novel ''The Fascination of Evil'' and several awards for his plays. He wrote and ...
's ''The Mother'' at the
Atlantic Theater Company
Atlantic Theater Company is an Off-Broadway non-profit theater, whose mission is to produce great plays "simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble." The company was founded in 1985 by David Mamet, William H. Macy, and 30 of their act ...
in New York.
Early life and career
Huppert was born on 16 March 1953, in the
16th arrondissement of Paris, the daughter of Annick (''
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
'' Beau; 1914–1990), an English language teacher, and Raymond Huppert (1914–2003), a safe manufacturer. The youngest child, she has a brother and three sisters, including filmmaker
Caroline Huppert
Caroline Huppert (born 28 October 1950) is a French film director and screenwriter. She is the sister of French actress Isabelle Huppert and has directed more than 30 films since 1977.
Early life and career
Huppert was born in the 16th arron ...
. She was raised in
Ville-d'Avray
Ville-d'Avray () is a Communes of France, commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre zero, centre of Paris. The commune is part of the arrondissement of Boulogne-Billancourt in the Hauts-de-Seine Department ...
.
Her father was
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
; his family was from Eperjes,
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
(now
Prešov) and
Alsace-Lorraine. Huppert was raised in her mother's Catholic faith.
On her mother's side, she is a great-granddaughter of one of the
Callot Soeurs
Callot Soeurs () was one of the leading fashion design houses of the 1910s and 1920s.
Origins
Callot Soeurs opened in 1895 at 24, rue Taitbout in Paris, France. It was operated by the four Callot sisters: Marie Callot Gerber, Marthe Callot Be ...
.
Huppert was encouraged by her mother to begin acting at a young age, and became a
teenage star in Paris. She later attended , where she won a prize for her acting. She is also an alumna of the
Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique
A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...
(CNSAD).
Huppert made her television debut in 1971 with ''
Le Prussien'', and her film debut in 1972's ''
Faustine et le Bel Été''. Her later appearance in the controversial ''
Les Valseuses
''Going Places'' is a 1974 French comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Bertrand Blier, and based on his own novel. Its original title is ''Les Valseuses'', which translates into English as "the waltzers" , a vulgar French slang term for "th ...
'' (1974) made her increasingly recognized by the public. Her international breakthrough came with ''
La Dentelliere'' (1977),
for which she won a
BAFTA award
The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...
for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. She made her American film debut in
Michael Cimino
Michael Antonio Cimino ( ; February 3, 1939 – July 2, 2016) was an American filmmaker. One of the " New Hollywood" directors, Cimino achieved fame with ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Bes ...
's ''
Heaven's Gate'' (1980), which opened to poor reviews and was a box office failure; decades later, the film has been reassessed, with some critics considering it an overlooked masterpiece. Throughout the 1980s, Huppert continued to explore enigmatic and emotionally distant characters, most notably in
Maurice Pialat
Maurice Pialat (; 31 August 1925 – 11 January 2003) was a French film director, screenwriter and actor known for the rigorous and unsentimental style of his films. His work is often described as " realist", 's ''
Loulou'' (1980),
Godard's ''
Sauve qui peut (la vie)
''Every Man for Himself'' () is a 1980 drama film directed, co-written and co-produced by Jean-Luc Godard that is set in and was filmed in Switzerland. It stars Jacques Dutronc, Isabelle Huppert, and Nathalie Baye, with a score by Gabriel Yared. ...
'' (1980),
Diane Kurys
Diane Kurys (; born 3 December 1948) is a French director, producer, filmmaker and actress. Several of her films as director are semi-autobiographical.
Personal life
Kurys was born in Lyon, Rhône, France, the younger of two daughters. She is ...
' ''
Coup de foudre'' (1983), and
Claude Chabrol
Claude Henri Jean Chabrol (; 24 June 1930 – 12 September 2010) was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave (''nouvelle vague'') group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues an ...
's ''
Une Affaire de Femmes'' (1988).
Later career and recent credits
![Isabelle Huppert 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Isabelle_Huppert_2.jpg)
In 1994, Huppert collaborated with American director
Hal Hartley
Hal Hartley (born November 3, 1959) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and composer who became a key figure in the American independent film movement of the 1980s and '90s. He is best known for his films '' The Unbelievable T ...
on ''
Amateur
An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
'', one of her few English-language performances since ''Heaven's Gate''. She portrayed a manic and homicidal post-office worker in
Claude Chabrol
Claude Henri Jean Chabrol (; 24 June 1930 – 12 September 2010) was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave (''nouvelle vague'') group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues an ...
's ''
La Cérémonie
''La Cérémonie'' is a 1995 crime drama film by Claude Chabrol, adapted from the 1977 novel ''A Judgement in Stone'' by Ruth Rendell. The film echoes the case of Christine and Lea Papin, two French maids who brutally murdered their employer's wif ...
'' (1995), with
Sandrine Bonnaire
Sandrine Bonnaire (; born 31 May 1967) is a French actress, film director and screenwriter who has appeared in more than 40 films. She won the César Award for Most Promising Actress for '' À Nos Amours'' (1983), the César Award for Best Actre ...
, and continued her cinematic relationship with Chabrol in ''
Rien ne va plus'' (1997), and ''
Merci pour le Chocolat'' (2000). She also appeared in
Michael Haneke
Michael Haneke (; born 23 March 1942) is an Austrian film director and screenwriter. His work often examines social issues and depicts the feelings of estrangement experienced by individuals in modern society. Haneke has made films in French, G ...
's ''
The Piano Teacher'' (2001), which is based on a novel of the same name (''Die Klavierspielerin'') by Austrian author and winner of the
Nobel Prize in Literature
)
, image = Nobel Prize.png
, caption =
, awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature
, presenter = Swedish Academy
, holder = Annie Ernaux (2022)
, location = Stockholm, Sweden
, year = 1901
, ...
in 2004,
Elfriede Jelinek
Elfriede Jelinek (; born 20 October 1946) is an Austrian playwright and novelist. She is one of the most decorated authors writing in German today and was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Literature for her "musical flow of voices and counter-voi ...
. In this film, she played a piano teacher named Erika Kohut, who becomes involved with a young pianist and ladies' man, Walter Klemmer. Regarded as one of her most impressive turns, her performance netted the 2001
Best Actress
Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...
prize in Cannes.
In 2004, she starred in
Christophe Honoré
Christophe Honoré (born 10 April 1970) is a French writer and film and theatre director.
Career
Honoré was born in Carhaix, Finistère. After moving to Paris in 1995, he wrote articles in ''Les Cahiers du Cinéma''. He started writing soon aft ...
's ''
Ma Mère
''Ma Mère'' ( en, My Mother, italic=yes) is a 2004 erotic drama film written and directed by Christophe Honoré, based on the posthumous 1966 novel of the same name by French author Georges Bataille. The film follows the incestuous relationship ...
'' as Hélène with
Louis Garrel
Louis Garrel (born 14 June 1983) is a French actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his starring role in '' The Dreamers'', directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. . Here, Huppert plays an attractive middle-aged mother who has an
incest
Incest ( ) is human sexual activity between family members or close relatives. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by affinity (marriage or stepfamily), adoption ...
uous relationship with her teenage son. ''Ma Mère'' was based on a novel by
Georges Bataille. 2004 also saw her star opposite
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is ...
in
David O. Russell
David Owen Russell (born August 20, 1958) is an American filmmaker. His early directing career includes the comedy films ''Spanking the Monkey'' (1994), '' Flirting with Disaster'' (1996), ''Three Kings'' (1999), and ''I Heart Huckabees'' (200 ...
's ''
I Heart Huckabees
''I Heart Huckabees'' (stylized as ''I ♥ Huckabees''; also ''I Love Huckabees'') is a 2004 independent black comedy film directed and produced by David O. Russell, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Baena.
A self-described "existential c ...
''.
Huppert has worked in several countries since her debut. She worked in Italy (with directors
Paolo and Vittorio Taviani
Paolo Taviani (; born 8 November 1931) and Vittorio Taviani (; 20 September 1929 – 15 April 2018), collectively referred to as the Taviani brothers, were Italian film directors and screenwriters who collaborated on film productions.
At the C ...
,
Mauro Bolognini
Mauro Bolognini (28 June 1922 – 14 May 2001) was an Italian film and stage director of literate sensibility, known for his masterly handling of period subject matter.
Early years
Bolognini was born in Pistoia, in the Tuscany region of Italy. ...
,
Marco Ferreri
Marco Ferreri (11 May 1928 – 9 May 1997) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and actor, who began his career in the 1950s directing three films in Spain, followed by 24 Italian films before his death in 1997. He is considered one of ...
and
Marco Bellocchio
Marco Bellocchio (; born 9 November 1939) is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor.
Life and career
Born in Bobbio, near Piacenza, Marco Bellocchio had a strict Catholic upbringing – his father was a lawyer, his mother a schoolt ...
), in Russia (with Igor Minaiev), in Central Europe (with
Werner Schroeter
Werner Schroeter (7 April 1945 – 12 April 2010) was a German film director, screenwriter, and opera director known for his stylistic excess. Schroeter was cited by Rainer Werner Fassbinder as an influence both on his own work and on German cine ...
,
Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the ...
,
Ursula Meier
Ursula Meier (born 24 June 1971) is a France, French-Switzerland, Swiss film director and screenwriter.
Career
A native of Besançon, the capital of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France, near the Swiss border, Ursula Meier graduated from ...
, Michael Haneke,
Márta Mészáros
Márta Mészáros (born 19 September 1931) is a Hungarian screenwriter and film director. The daughter of László Mészáros, a sculptor, Mészáros began her career working in documentary film, having made 25 documentary shorts over the spa ...
and
Aleksandar Petrović) and in Asia (with
Hong Sang-soo
Hong Sang-soo (홍상수, born 25 October 1960) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter.
Early life
Hong's parents owned the film production company Cinetel Soul. Hong took the entrance exam and entered the theater department at Chun ...
,
Brillante Mendoza
Brillante "Dante" Mendoza (born 30 July 1960) is a Filipino independent filmmaker. Mendoza is known one of the key members associated with the Filipino New Wave.
Career
He was born and raised in San Fernando, Pampanga. He took advertising ...
and
Rithy Panh
Rithy Panh ( km, ប៉ាន់ រិទ្ធី; born April 18, 1964) is a Cambodian documentary film director and screenwriter.
The French-schooled director's films focus on the aftermath of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambod ...
).
Huppert is also an acclaimed stage actress, receiving seven
Molière Award nominations, including for the titular role in a 2001 Paris production of ''
Medea
In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason an ...
'', directed by Jacques Lassalle, and in 2005, at the
Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe
The Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe ( en, European Music Hall) (formerly the Théâtre de l'Odéon ( en, Music Hall)) is one of France's six national theatres. It is located at 2 rue Corneille in the 6th arrondissement of Paris on the left bank ...
in Paris, in the title role of
Ibsen's ''
Hedda Gabler
''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been can ...
''. Later that year, she toured the United States in a
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...
production of
Sarah Kane's theatrical piece ''
4.48 Psychosis''. This production was directed by and performed in French. Huppert returned to the New York stage in 2009 to perform in
Heiner Müller
Heiner Müller (; 9 January 1929 – 30 December 1995) was a German (formerly East German) dramatist, poet, writer, essayist and theatre director. His "enigmatic, fragmentary pieces" are a significant contribution to postmodern drama and postdr ...
's ''
Quartett''.
Huppert was the President of the Jury at the
62nd Cannes Film Festival
The 62nd Cannes Film Festival was held from 13 May to 24 May 2009. French actress Isabelle Huppert was the President of the Jury. Twenty films from thirteen countries were selected to compete for the Palme d'Or. The awards were announced on 23 M ...
, in May 2009.
She had been s Member of the Jury and Master of Ceremony in previous years, as well as winning the Best Actress Award twice. As president, she and her jury awarded the
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
to ''
The White Ribbon
''The White Ribbon'' (german: Das weiße Band) is a 2009 German-language drama film, written and directed by Michael Haneke. Released in black-and-white, the film offers a dark depiction of society and family in a northern German village just be ...
'' by the Austrian director Michael Haneke, who has directed her in ''The Piano Teacher'' and ''
Time of the Wolf
''Time of the Wolf'' (french: Le temps du loup) is a 2003 French dystopian post-apocalyptic drama film written and directed by Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke. Set in France at an undisclosed time, the plot follows the story of a family: Georg ...
''.
![Isabelle Huppert Césars 2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Isabelle_Huppert_C%C3%A9sars_2017.jpg)
Huppert starred in the 11th-season finale of ''
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' which aired on 19 May 2010.
In September 2010, the ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' announced that she had been cast in the film ''
Captive
Captive or Captives may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Captive'' (1980 film), a sci-fi film, starring Cameron Mitchell and David Ladd
* ''Captive'' (1986 film), a British-French film starring Oliver Reed
* ''Captive'' (1991 ...
'' by Filipino director Brillante Mendoza. Huppert played one of the hostages of the
Dos Palmas kidnappings
The Dos Palmas kidnappings was a hostage crisis in the southern Philippines that began with the seizing of twenty hostages from the affluent Dos Palmas Resort on a private island in the Honda Bay, Palawan, by members of Abu Sayyaf on May 27, 20 ...
.
In 2012, she starred in two films that competed for the
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
at the
2012 Cannes Film Festival: Michael Haneke's ''
Amour'' and Hong Sang-soo's ''
In Another Country
"In Another Country" is a short story by American author Ernest Hemingway. It was published in Hemingway's 1927 short story collection, ''Men Without Women''. The story deals with WWI soldiers receiving treatment in Italy during the war.
Summa ...
'', with the former winning the top prize.
In 2013, she co-starred in
Sydney Theatre Company's ''
The Maids
''The Maids'' (french: Les Bonnes, links=no) is a 1947 play by the French dramatist Jean Genet. It was first performed at the Théâtre de l'Athénée in Paris in a production that opened on 17 April 1947, which Louis Jouvet directed.
The pla ...
'' by
Jean Genet
Jean Genet (; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels ''The Thief's ...
, with
Cate Blanchett
Catherine Elise Blanchett (; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. She has received nu ...
and
Elizabeth Debicki
Elizabeth Debicki (born 24 August 1990) is an Australian actress. After studying drama at the Victorian College of the Arts, she made her film debut with a brief role in the Australian comedy ''A Few Best Men'' (2011). Debicki's role in Baz Lu ...
and directed by
Benedict Andrews in a new English translation by Andrews and
Andrew Upton
Andrew Upton (born 1 February 1966) is an Australian playwright, screenwriter and director. He has adapted the works of Gorky, Chekhov, Ibsen and others for London's Royal National Theatre and the Sydney Theatre Company. He wrote the original p ...
. In August 2014, the production toured in New York as a part of the
Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...
Festival.
In 2016, she starred in two films that received widespread critical acclaim:
Mia Hansen-Løve
Mia Hansen-Løve (born 5 February 1981) is a French film director, screenwriter, and former actress. She has won several accolades for her work. Her first feature film, '' All Is Forgiven'', won the Louis Delluc Prize for Best First Film in 2007 ...
's ''
Things to Come'', which premiered at the
Berlinale
The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...
, and
Paul Verhoeven
Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch director, producer and screenwriter, active in the Netherlands, France and the United States. His blending of graphic violence and sexual content with social satire is a trademark of both his dram ...
's ''
Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'', which premiered at
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions I ...
. Among other awards and nominations, she won the
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress
The National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress is an annual award given by the National Society of Film Critics to honour the best leading actress of the year.
Winners 1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Multiple ...
,
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress
The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress is one of the awards given by the New York Film Critics Circle to honor the finest achievements in film-making.
Winners
* † = Winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress
* ‡ = Nomina ...
and the
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress was an award given annually by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. It was first introduced in 1975 to reward the best performance by a leading actress. In 2022, it was announce ...
for both films. For her performance in ''Elle'', Huppert won several awards, including the
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
,
César Award for Best Actress
The César Award for Best Actress (french: César de la meilleure actrice, link=no) is one of the César Awards, presented annually by the ''Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma'' to recognize the outstanding performance in a leading role ...
,
Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Actress The Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Actress was one of the annual Gotham Independent Film Awards awarded between 2013 and 2020. In 2021, it was replaced by the gender neutral awards for Outstanding Lead Performance and Outstanding Supporti ...
, and the
Independent Spirit Award
The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glas ...
. In addition, she was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actress
The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year ...
and the
Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress
The Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress is an award given out at the annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards. The awards are presented by the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), and was first presented in 1995. There were no official ...
.
In 2016, Huppert starred in
Krzysztof Warlikowski
Krzysztof Warlikowski (Polish pronunciation: ; born 26 May 1962) is a Polish theatre director. He is the creator and artistic director of Nowy Teatr (New Theatre) in Warsaw.
Biography
He studied history, philosophy and Romance languages at t ...
's stage production of ''Phèdre(s)'', which toured Europe as well as
BAM in New York.
In 2017, she was awarded the
Europe Theatre Prize
The Europe Theatre Prize ''(Premio Europa per il Teatro)'' is an award of the European Commission for a personality who has "contributed to the realisation of cultural events that promote understanding and the exchange of knowledge between peo ...
. On that occasion she performed with
Jeremy Irons
Jeremy John Irons (; born 19 September 1948) is an English actor and activist. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969 and has appeared in many West End theatre ...
''Correspondence 1944-1959 Readings from the epistles between
Albert Camus
Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...
and
Maria Casares,'' and a special creation of
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanne ...
's ''
Ashes to Ashes,'' at the
Teatro Argentina
The Teatro Argentina (directly translating to "Theatre Argentina") is an opera house and theatre located in Largo di Torre Argentina, a square in Rome, Italy. One of the oldest theatres in Rome, it was constructed in 1731 and inaugurated on 31 J ...
in
Rome.
Personal life
Huppert has been in a relationship with writer, producer and director since 1982. They have three children, including the actress
Lolita Chammah
Lolita Chammah (born 1 October 1983) is a French actress.
Background
Chammah is the daughter of and Isabelle Huppert. She grew up in Paris and already had her first roles during childhood.
Lolita Chammah has one son, Gabriel Merz Chammah. At ...
, with whom she acted in five films, including ''
Copacabana'' (2010) and ''
Barrage'' (2017).
Huppert is the owner of the
repertory cinemas
A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation.
United Kingdom
Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...
and Ecoles Cinema Club in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, which her son Lorenzo curates.
Filmography
Awards and nominations
![Isabelle Huppert KVIFF](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Isabelle_Huppert_KVIFF.jpg)
Huppert has been nominated 16 times, becoming the most nominated actress in the history of
César Awards
The César Award is the national film award of France. It is delivered in the ' ceremony and was first awarded in 1976. The nominations are selected by the members of twelve categories of filmmaking professionals and supported by the French Min ...
, winning
Best Actress
Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...
twice: in 1996 for her work in ''
La Cérémonie
''La Cérémonie'' is a 1995 crime drama film by Claude Chabrol, adapted from the 1977 novel ''A Judgement in Stone'' by Ruth Rendell. The film echoes the case of Christine and Lea Papin, two French maids who brutally murdered their employer's wif ...
'' (1995), and in 2017 for her role in ''
Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'' (2016).
She is one of only four women who have twice won
Best Actress
Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...
at the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
: in 1978 for her role in ''
Violette Nozière
''Violette Nozière'' is a 1978 French crime film directed by Claude Chabrol and starring Isabelle Huppert and Stéphane Audran. The film, based on a true French murder case in 1933, is about an eighteen-year-old girl named Violette and her en ...
'' by
Claude Chabrol
Claude Henri Jean Chabrol (; 24 June 1930 – 12 September 2010) was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave (''nouvelle vague'') group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues an ...
(tied with
Jill Clayburgh
Jill Clayburgh (April 30, 1944 – November 5, 2010) was an American actress known for her work in theater, television, and cinema. She received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Ac ...
) and in 2001 for ''The Piano Teacher'' by
Michael Haneke
Michael Haneke (; born 23 March 1942) is an Austrian film director and screenwriter. His work often examines social issues and depicts the feelings of estrangement experienced by individuals in modern society. Haneke has made films in French, G ...
.
She is also one of only four women who have twice received the
Volpi Cup
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...
for Best Actress at the
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...
: in 1988 for her part in ''
Une affaire de femmes'' (tied with
Shirley MacLaine), and in 1995 for ''La Cérémonie'' (tied with her partner in the movie,
Sandrine Bonnaire
Sandrine Bonnaire (; born 31 May 1967) is a French actress, film director and screenwriter who has appeared in more than 40 films. She won the César Award for Most Promising Actress for '' À Nos Amours'' (1983), the César Award for Best Actre ...
). Both films were directed by
Claude Chabrol
Claude Henri Jean Chabrol (; 24 June 1930 – 12 September 2010) was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave (''nouvelle vague'') group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues an ...
. Additionally, she received a Special Lion in 2005 for her role in ''
Gabrielle''.
Huppert was twice voted Best Actress at the
European Film Awards
The European Film Awards (or European Film Academy Awards) have been presented annually since 1988 by the European Film Academy to recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are given in 19 categories, of which the mo ...
: in 2001 for playing Erika Kohut in ''The Piano Teacher'', and in 2002 with the entire cast of ''
8 Women'' (directed by
François Ozon
François Ozon (; born 15 November 1967) is a French film director and screenwriter.
Ozon is considered one of the most important modern French filmmakers. His films are characterized by aesthetic beauty, sharp satirical humor and a free-wheeli ...
).
The latter cast also won a Silver Bear for ''Outstanding Artistic Contribution'', at the 2002
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...
.
Huppert won the
and received her first nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Actress
The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year ...
for her work in ''Elle''.
In 2008, she received the
Stanislavsky Award for outstanding achievement in acting, and devotion to the principles of the
Stanislavski's system.
She was made ''Chevalier'' (Knight) of the
Ordre national du Mérite
The Ordre national du Mérite (; en, National Order of Merit) is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. The reason for the order's estab ...
on 8 December 1994
and was promoted to ''Officier'' (Officer) in 2005.
[
]
She was made ''Chevalier'' (Knight) of the
Légion d'honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
on 29 September 1999
and was promoted to ''Officier'' (Officer) in 2009.
[
]
On 17 December 2017 she was awarded the XVI
Europe Theatre Prize
The Europe Theatre Prize ''(Premio Europa per il Teatro)'' is an award of the European Commission for a personality who has "contributed to the realisation of cultural events that promote understanding and the exchange of knowledge between peo ...
.
She was selected for
Honorary Golden Bear
The Honorary Golden Bear (german: Goldener Ehrenbar) is the Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international fil ...
Lifetime Achievement Award at
72nd Berlin International Film Festival
The 72nd annual Berlin International Film Festival, usually called the Berlinale took place from 10 to 20 February 2022 in person. On 15 December 2021 the first film of the festival was announced. The festival opened with François Ozon's drama ...
awarded on 15 February 2022 in festival award ceremony at Berlinale Palást.
Legacy
![Isabelle Huppert Cannes 2017 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Isabelle_Huppert_Cannes_2017_2.jpg)
Huppert holds the record for being the actress with the most films entered in the official competition of the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
. As of 2022, she has had 22 films in the main competition and a total of 29 films screened at the festival. Huppert's frequent Cannes' appearances have led her to be dubbed "the queen of Cannes" by journalists.
David Thomson on
Claude Chabrol
Claude Henri Jean Chabrol (; 24 June 1930 – 12 September 2010) was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave (''nouvelle vague'') group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues an ...
's ''
Madame Bovary
''Madame Bovary'' (; ), originally published as ''Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners'' ( ), is a novel by French writer Gustave Flaubert, published in 1856. The eponymous character lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities and emp ...
'': "
upperthas to rate as one of the most accomplished actresses in the world today, even if she seems short of the passion or agony of her contemporary,
Isabelle Adjani
Isabelle Yasmina Adjani ; born 27 June 1955) is a French actress and singer of Algerian and German descent. She is the only performer in history to win five César Awards for acting; she won the Best Actress award for '' Possession'' (1981), '' ...
." Stuart Jeffries of ''
The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'' on ''
The Piano Teacher'': "This is surely one of the greatest performances of Huppert's already illustrious acting career, though it is one that is very hard to watch." Director,
Michael Haneke
Michael Haneke (; born 23 March 1942) is an Austrian film director and screenwriter. His work often examines social issues and depicts the feelings of estrangement experienced by individuals in modern society. Haneke has made films in French, G ...
: "
upperthas such professionalism, the way she is able to represent suffering. At one end you have the extreme of her suffering and then you have her icy intellectualism. No other actor can combine the two."
Of her performance in 2007's ''
Hidden Love
''Hidden Love'' (french: L'Amour caché) is a 2007 Italian-Belgian drama film directed by Alessandro Capone and starring Isabelle Huppert.
Cast
* Isabelle Huppert as Danielle
* Greta Scacchi as Dr. Dubois
* Mélanie Laurent as Sophie
* Olivie ...
'',
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
said "Isabelle Huppert makes one good film after another.... she is fearless. Directors often depend on her gift for conveying depression, compulsion, egotism and despair. She can be funny and charming, but then so can a lot of actors. She is in complete command of a face that regards the void with blankness." In 2010, S.T. VanAirsdale described her as "arguably the world's greatest screen actress."
Huppert's work in ''
Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'' and ''
Things to Come'' topped ''The Playlists ranking of "The 25 Best Performances Of 2016", stating: "She runs the emotional gamut from one film to the next, carnal, savage, shattered, listless, invulnerable but exposed, a woman on the verge of collapse who refuses to succumb to her instabilities. Huppert's career spans four decades and change, plus a heap of awards and accolades, but with ''Elle'' and ''Things To Come'', she could well be having her best year yet."
See also
*
*
List of French Academy Award winners and nominees
This is a list of French Academy Award winners and nominees. This list details the performances of French actors, actresses, and films that have either been submitted or nominated for, or have won, an Academy Award (The Oscars). This list is cu ...
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
*
Isabelle Huppertat filmsdefrance.com
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huppert, Isabelle
1953 births
Age controversies
Living people
20th-century French actresses
21st-century French actresses
Actresses from Paris
French National Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni
BAFTA Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles winners
Best Actress César Award winners
Best Actress German Film Award winners
Best Actress Lumières Award winners
Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners
Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress winners
David di Donatello winners
David di Donatello Career Award winners
European Film Award for Best Actress winners
French film actresses
French people of Hungarian-Jewish descent
French Roman Catholics
French stage actresses
French television actresses
French voice actresses
Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead winners
Officiers of the Légion d'honneur
Officers of the Ordre national du Mérite
Volpi Cup for Best Actress winners
Audiobook narrators
Honorary Golden Bear recipients