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Adèle Haenel (; born 11 February 1989) is a French actress and
far-left Far-left politics, also known as extreme left politics or left-wing extremism, are politics further to the left on the left–right political spectrum than the standard political left. The term does not have a single, coherent definition; some ...
political activist. She is the recipient of several accolades, including two
César Award Cesar or César may refer to: Arts and entertainment * César (film), ''César'' (film), a 1936 French romantic drama * César (film), ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt Places * Cesar, Portugal * Cesar Department, Colombia * Cesar R ...
s from seven nominations and one Lumière Award from two nominations. Haenel began her career as a child actress, making her film debut with '' Les Diables'' (2002) at the age of 12, and quickly rose to prominence in the French entertainment industry as a teenager. She received her first César Award nomination for her performance in '' Water Lilies'' (2007), which also marked the beginning of her long professional and personal relationship with director
Céline Sciamma Céline Sciamma (; born 12 November 1978) is a French screenwriter and film director. She wrote and directed '' Water Lilies'' (2007), '' Tomboy'' (2011), '' Girlhood'' (2014), '' Portrait of a Lady on Fire'' (2019), and '' Petite Maman'' (2021). ...
. In 2014, Haenel received her first César Award for her supporting role in '' Suzanne'', and in 2015 won the
César Award for Best Actress Cesar or César may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''César'' (film), a 1936 French romantic drama * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt Places * Cesar, Portugal * Cesar Department, Colombia * Cesar River, in Colombia * Cesa ...
for '' Love at First Fight''. She continued to garner recognition for her performances in '' BPM (Beats per Minute)'' (2017), '' The Trouble with You'' (2018) and '' Portrait of a Lady on Fire'' (2019). In 2023, she retired from the film industry in protest against its "sexism" and "patriarchy". She has since focused on stage work and political activism.


Early life

Haenel was born on 11 February 1989 in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. Her mother is a teacher and her father is a translator. She grew up in
Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis Montreuil (), also known unofficially as Montreuil-sous-Bois (), is a Communes of France, commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre zero, centre of Paris, in the Seine-Saint-Denis department and in the Mét ...
in what she described as "a very left-wing, artistic neighborhood". She has Austrian heritage through her father and speaks fluent German. Haenel started acting at the age of 5 and was involved in local theatre. As a child, Haenel would mimic cartoon characters, particularly the characters of
Tex Avery Frederick Bean "Tex" Avery (; February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, animation director, director, and voice actor. He was known for directing and producing animated cartoons during the golden age of America ...
. Haenel studied economics and social sciences at the Lycée Montaigne. She had planned to attend
HEC Paris HEC Paris () is a business school and ''grande école'' located in Jouy-en-Josas, a southwestern outer suburb of Paris, France. It offers Bachelor, MiM, MSc in International Finance, MBA, EMBA, executive education, professional developm ...
and took a preparatory course, but ultimately failed the entrance exam. Haenel continued her studies in economics and sociology, eventually receiving a master's degree. She also pursued studies in physics and marine biology.


Career

Haenel made her film debut in 2002 at the age of 12, playing an autistic girl in the Christophe Ruggia film '' Les Diables''. She had been chosen for the lead role after accompanying her brother to the audition. After ''Les Diables'', Haenel took a five-year break from acting. In 2007, she was persuaded by casting director Christel Baras (who had cast her in her film debut) to resume her film career, taking up the part of a synchronised swimmer in
Céline Sciamma Céline Sciamma (; born 12 November 1978) is a French screenwriter and film director. She wrote and directed '' Water Lilies'' (2007), '' Tomboy'' (2011), '' Girlhood'' (2014), '' Portrait of a Lady on Fire'' (2019), and '' Petite Maman'' (2021). ...
's debut feature '' Water Lilies''. Manohla Dargis of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' highlighted Haenel's performance in an otherwise mixed review of the film, recognizing her as having "the makings of a real star". For her role in the film, Haenel was nominated for the
César Award for Most Promising Actress Cesar or César may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''César'' (film), a 1936 French romantic drama * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt Places * Cesar, Portugal * Cesar Department, Colombia * Cesar River, in Colombia * Cesar ...
in 2008. In 2012, she was nominated in the same category for '' House of Tolerance'' (2011), a period film directed by
Bertrand Bonello Bertrand Bonello (; born 11 September 1968) is a French film director, screenwriter, producer, composer and actor. His work has been associated with the New French Extremity. He wrote and directed ''Something Organic'' (1998), '' The Pornographe ...
, in which she played a prostitute at an upscale Parisian brothel at the turn of the twentieth century. She also received the Lumière Award for Most Promising Actress along with her co-stars Céline Sallette and Alice Barnole. Haenel played one of the two sisters in Katell Quillévéré's '' Suzanne'' (2013), for which she received the César Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2014, Haenel starred in the Thomas Cailley romantic comedy '' Love at First Fight'' as Madeleine, a graduate-school dropout and survivalist. She won the
César Award for Best Actress Cesar or César may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''César'' (film), a 1936 French romantic drama * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt Places * Cesar, Portugal * Cesar Department, Colombia * Cesar River, in Colombia * Cesa ...
for her performance. In the same year, Haenel co-starred with Catherine Deneuve in
André Téchiné André Téchiné (; born 13 March 1943) is a French screenwriter and film director. He has a long and distinguished career that places him among the most accomplished post-French New Wave, New Wave French film directors. Téchiné belongs to a s ...
's crime drama '' In the Name of My Daughter'', playing the daughter of a casino owner. Writing for ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'', Melissa Anderson compared her performance to that of
Isabelle Adjani Isabelle Yasmine Adjani (born 27 June 1955) is a French actress and singer of Algerian and German descent. She has received various accolades, including five César Awards and a Lumière Award, along with nominations for two Academy Awards. ...
's in the 1970s and '80s, and declared her a worthy successor to Deneuve in French cinema. For her roles in both films, Hanael received a Best Actress nomination at the 20th Lumière Awards. In 2016, Haenel made her German language debut in the film '' The Bloom of Yesterday'' playing the French descendant of German Holocaust survivors. In the 2017 Robin Campillo film '' BPM (Beats per Minute)'', Haenel portrayed Sophie, a headstrong
HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
activist of the Paris chapter of
ACT UP AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) is an international, grassroots political group working to end the AIDS pandemic. The group works to improve the lives of people with AIDS through direct action, medical research, treatment and advocacy, ...
. She received a nomination for the César Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. Haenel starred in the 2018 Pierre Salvadori crime comedy '' The Trouble with You'', playing a widowed detective based on the
French Riviera The French Riviera, known in French as the (; , ; ), is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is considered to be the coastal area of the Alpes-Maritimes department, extending fr ...
. David Rooney of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' noted her performance as evoking the "classic screwball heroine", a departure from her usually more serious roles, and complimented her on the "grace and buoyancy" she brought to the character. She was again nominated for the
César Award for Best Actress Cesar or César may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''César'' (film), a 1936 French romantic drama * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt Places * Cesar, Portugal * Cesar Department, Colombia * Cesar River, in Colombia * Cesa ...
. In 2019, Haenel appeared in three films which played at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
: Quentin Dupieux's '' Deerskin'', Aude Léa Rapin's ''Heroes Don't Die'', and Céline Sciamma's '' Portrait of a Lady on Fire''. In ''Portrait of a Lady on Fire'', Haenel portrayed Héloïse, a young aristocrat in 18th-century
Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
who is to be married off to a nobleman from Milan. ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
s Richard Brody took note of her chemistry with co-star Noémie Merlant and complimented the actresses for being "relentlessly graceful, endowed with physical aplomb, contemplative insight, and strong emotion". A. O. Scott of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' considered Haenel's performance worthy of an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, and Bilge Ebiri of ''
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...
'' described the climax of the film (which features Haenel) as "one of the finest pieces of acting and one of the most moving images I've seen in eons." Haenel was nominated for the
César Award for Best Actress Cesar or César may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''César'' (film), a 1936 French romantic drama * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt Places * Cesar, Portugal * Cesar Department, Colombia * Cesar River, in Colombia * Cesa ...
for her performance, her seventh César nomination. Since 2019, Haenel and co-star Ruth Vega Fernandez have prepared to perform director adaptation of Robert Walser's ''L'Etang'' (''The Pond'') for theatres in France and Switzerland. After performances were repeatedly delayed or cancelled by restrictions necessitated by the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the play made its world premiere at the Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne in Switzerland in May 2021.


Retirement from the film industry

In May 2022, during an interview for German magazine ''FAQ'', Haenel said that she was stepping away from film acting as "I tried to change something from within. ..I don't want to be part of that anymore”. She cited the industry as " efendinga capitalist, patriarchal, racist, sexist world of structural inequality. This means that this industry works hand in hand with the global economic order, in which all lives are not equal". Haenel's last project was to be '' The Empire'', written and directed by
Bruno Dumont Bruno Dumont (; born 14 March 1958) is a French film director and screenwriter. To date, he has directed twelve feature films, all of which border somewhere between realistic drama and the avant-garde. His films have won several awards at the C ...
, but she explained that she left the film as "it was a dark, sexist and racist world that was defended. The script was full of jokes about
cancel culture Cancel culture is a cultural phenomenon in which an individual thought to have acted or spoken in an unacceptable manner is ostracized, boycotted, shunned or fired, often aided by social media. This shunning may extend to social or professio ...
and sexual violence. I tried to discuss it with Dumont, because I thought a dialogue was possible. I wanted to believe for the umpteenth time that it was not intentional. But it's intentional. ..Just as they make fun of the victims, of people in a situation of weakness. The intention was to make a sci-fi film with an all-white cast – and therefore a racist narrative. I didn't want to support this." Haenel indicated that she was focused on theatre work. In May 2023, Haenel announced her retirement from the film industry in a letter published on French magazine ''
Télérama ''Télérama'' is a weekly French language, French cultural and television magazine published in Paris, France. The name is a contraction of its earlier title: ''Télévision-Radio-Cinéma''. Fabienne Pascaud is currently managing editor. Ludovic ...
'', citing "complacency" over those accused of being sexual predators, including Gérard Depardieu,
Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański (; born 18 August 1933) is a Polish and French filmmaker and actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Roman Polanski, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Britis ...
and . She has since appeared in
experimental theatre Experimental theatre (also known as avant-garde theatre), inspired largely by Richard Wagner, Wagner's concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, began in Western theatre in the late 19th century with Alfred Jarry and his Ubu Roi, Ubu plays as a rejection of bot ...
.


Political stance

Ever since she retired from acting, Haenel has been mostly known for her
far-left Far-left politics, also known as extreme left politics or left-wing extremism, are politics further to the left on the left–right political spectrum than the standard political left. The term does not have a single, coherent definition; some ...
,
Trotskyist Trotskyism (, ) is the political ideology and branch of Marxism developed by Russian revolutionary and intellectual Leon Trotsky along with some other members of the Left Opposition and the Fourth International. Trotsky described himself as an ...
,
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
,
LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
+, and
anti-racist Anti-racism encompasses a range of ideas and political actions which are meant to counter racial prejudice, systemic racism, and the oppression of specific racial groups. Anti-racism is usually structured around conscious efforts and delibera ...
political positions, as well as her involvement in
social justice Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
causes. She believes that discrimination is intertwined within the framework of
bourgeois The bourgeoisie ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and Aristocracy (class), aristocracy. They are tradition ...
and
patriarchal Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of authority are primarily held by men. The term ''patriarchy'' is used both in anthropology to describe a family or clan controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males, and in fem ...
systems, leading to gender violence, gender discrimination, and
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
, especially in the academic and artistic fields she has distanced herself from. Haenel advocates for promoting an alternative model in theater creation and is dedicated to opposing gender violence and
sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...
against women and young girls. She connects these issues to the fundamental concerns of
Marxist Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...
radical feminism Radical feminism is a perspective within feminism that calls for a radical re-ordering of society in which male supremacy is eliminated in all social and economic contexts, while recognizing that women's experiences are also affected by other ...
and actively participates in discussions on police violence, anti-colonialism,
environmentalism Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of green ideology and politics, ecolog ...
, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. During the
2022 French presidential election Presidential elections were held in France on 10 and 24 April 2022. As no candidate won a majority in the first round, a Two-round system, runoff was held, in which Emmanuel Macron defeated Marine Le Pen and was re-elected as President of France. ...
, Haenel publicly supported the
Trotskyist Trotskyism (, ) is the political ideology and branch of Marxism developed by Russian revolutionary and intellectual Leon Trotsky along with some other members of the Left Opposition and the Fourth International. Trotsky described himself as an ...
party " Permanent Revolution" and participated in the campaign of the party's candidate, , who failed to obtain enough nominations to qualify for the election. Subsequently, Haenel attended several meetings of the party. In May 2022, she declared herself a supporter of
anti-capitalism Anti-capitalism is a political ideology and movement encompassing a variety of attitudes and ideas that oppose capitalism. Anti-capitalists seek to combat the worst effects of capitalism and to eventually replace capitalism with an alternati ...
: initially focusing on feminist issues, she views these systems as interconnected, as "liberation cannot be achieved within the framework of
capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...
."


Personal life

In 2014, Haenel came out as a lesbian during her César award acceptance speech and acknowledged her relationship with director
Céline Sciamma Céline Sciamma (; born 12 November 1978) is a French screenwriter and film director. She wrote and directed '' Water Lilies'' (2007), '' Tomboy'' (2011), '' Girlhood'' (2014), '' Portrait of a Lady on Fire'' (2019), and '' Petite Maman'' (2021). ...
, whom she had met in 2007 on the set of ''Water Lilies''. The couple amicably split in 2018, before they began work on ''Portrait of a Lady on Fire''. Haenel and Sciamma have remained close after the end of their relationship. Haenel identifies as a
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
. She is a prominent face of France's #MeToo movement, and was the first prominent actress to speak publicly about abuse within the French film industry. In a November 2019 ''
Mediapart ''Mediapart'' () is an independent nonprofit French Investigative journalism, investigative online newspaper created in 2008 by Edwy Plenel, former editor-in-chief of . It is published in French language, French, English language, English, and ...
'' interview, Haenel accused director Christophe Ruggia of sexually harassing her from the time she was 12 to 15 after casting her in his film ''Les Diables''. Following the experience, she considered abandoning acting altogether. Haenel's account was backed up by many people who had worked on the film and noted Ruggia's inappropriate behaviour towards her, along with letters he had written her at the time proclaiming his love for her. As a result, Ruggia was expelled from the Société des réalisateurs de films, the guild for French directors. Though Haenel had explicitly chosen not to go to the police with her accusations, citing the justice system as "usually condemning so few sexual offenders" and "only one rape out of a hundred" and stating that "the justice ignores us, we ignore the justice", the publicity garnered by her interviews about the abuse led the Paris prosecutor's office to announce they were investigating Ruggia. Haenel later changed her mind about working with the police and officially filed a complaint against Ruggia in late November 2019. In January 2020, the police officially charged Ruggia with sexual aggression against a minor by a person of authority and sexual harassment. In February 2025, Ruggia was convicted of sexually assaulting Haenel as a minor and sentenced to two years in prison suspended; he was also required to wear an electronic monitor for two years of
house arrest House arrest (also called home confinement, or nowadays electronic monitoring) is a legal measure where a person is required to remain at their residence under supervision, typically as an alternative to imprisonment. The person is confined b ...
. On 28 February 2020, Haenel,
Céline Sciamma Céline Sciamma (; born 12 November 1978) is a French screenwriter and film director. She wrote and directed '' Water Lilies'' (2007), '' Tomboy'' (2011), '' Girlhood'' (2014), '' Portrait of a Lady on Fire'' (2019), and '' Petite Maman'' (2021). ...
, Noémie Merlant, and
Aïssa Maïga Aïssa Maïga (born 5 May 1975) is a Senegal-born French actress, director, writer, producer, and activist. Maïga has worked with major auteurs like Michael Haneke, Abderrahmane Sissako and Michel Gondry, and recently starred in Chiwetel Ejio ...
walked out of the
45th César Awards The 45th César Awards ceremony, presented by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, took place on 28 February 2020, at the Salle Pleyel in Paris to honour the best French films of 2019. Sandrine Kiberlain presided, and Florence Fores ...
ceremony after
Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański (; born 18 August 1933) is a Polish and French filmmaker and actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Roman Polanski, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Britis ...
, who was convicted of raping thirteen-year old Samantha Geimer in 1977, won the award for Best Director for his film '' An Officer and a Spy''. As Haenel left, she waved her fist and shouted "La honte!" ("Shame!"), and after exiting the auditorium, she was filmed clapping sarcastically and shouting "Bravo la pédophilie!" ("Bravo, paedophilia!").


Filmography


Theatre


Bibliography


Essays

* *


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Haenel, Adele 1989 births Living people French film actresses French television actresses 21st-century French actresses French people of Austrian descent Actresses from Paris French stage actresses French people of German descent Most Promising Actress Lumières Award winners Best Supporting Actress César Award winners Best Actress César Award winners French lesbian actresses French feminists Lesbian feminists 21st-century French LGBTQ people French Trotskyists Lycée Montaigne (Paris) alumni