Bérénice Bejo (; born 7 July 1976) is a French-Argentine actress best known for playing Christiana in '' A Knight's Tale'' (2001) and Peppy Miller in '' The Artist'' (2011). Her work in the latter earned her a nomination for the

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performanc ...

and won her 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 Past'', she won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013 and was nominated for a César.

Personal life

Bejo was born in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

, Argentina, and is the daughter of Argentine filmmaker Miguel Bejo and his wife Silvia, a lawyer. When she was three, her family moved to France, escaping from Argentina's most recent civil-military dictatorship (1976–1983). Her father enrolled her at the school of Les Enfants Terribles theater. In 2006, she starred in '' OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies'', where she met director

Michel Hazanavicius Michel Hazanavicius ( ; born 29 March 1967) is a French film director, screenwriter, editor, and producer. He is best known for his 2011 film, ''The Artist (film), The Artist'', which won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 84th Academy Aw ...

, whom she later married. They have two children: Lucien and Gloria.

Career

In 2001, Bejo made her American film debut, playing the role of Christiana in '' A Knight's Tale'' opposite

Heath Ledger Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, he moved to the United States in 1998 to further develop his film care ...

. Christiana is a

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a Royal court, court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking nobility, noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was o ...

to Jocelyn (

Shannyn Sossamon Shannon Marie Kahololani "Shannyn" Sossamon (born October 3, 1978) is an American actress. She has appeared in the films ''A Knight's Tale (film), A Knight's Tale'' (2001), ''40 Days and 40 Nights'' (2002), ''The Rules of Attraction (film), The R ...

). In 2002, she toured in France with

Marie-France Pisier Marie-France Pisier (10 May 194424 April 2011) was a French actress, screenwriter, and director. She appeared in numerous films of the French New Wave, and twice earned the national César Award for César Award for Best Supporting Actress, Best ...

and Guillaume Depardieu. In 2003, Bejo starred as Olivia in '' 24 Hours in the Life of a Woman'' by Laurent Bouhnik. Under the direction of Steve Suissa, she seduces Stephane Freiss and Titoff in ''The Grand Role'' (2004), a comedy about the world of actors, and ''Cavalcade'' (2005), a drama dealing with the theme of disability. In 2006, she appeared alongside

Jean Dujardin Jean Edmond Dujardin (; born 19 June 1972) is a French actor and comedian. He began his career as a stand-up comedian in Paris before guest starring in comedic television programmes and films. He first came to prominence with the cult TV series ...

in ''OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies'' by Michel Hazanavicius. This was the first collaboration of the trio. In 2007, she made an appearance in the short film ''La Pomme d'Adam''. In 2008, she appeared in two romantic comedies: ''Modern Love Bouquet'' and ''Stéphane Kazandjian''. The same year she gave birth to her first child by Hazanavicius. In 2009, she participated in the documentary by , '' Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno''. The documentary reconstructs Clouzot's film, alternating between scenes from the 1964 film and dialogue readings between Jacques Gamblin (for Serge Reggiani) and Béjo (for

Romy Schneider Rosemarie Magdalena Albach (23 September 1938 – 29 May 1982), known professionally as Romy Schneider (), was a German and French actress. She is regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses of all time and became a cult figure due to ...

). In the 2011 film, '' The Artist'', which is directed by Hazanavicius and stars Dujardin, Bejo plays Peppy Miller, a 1920s film actress. Her performance received critical acclaim, the

, and several award nominations: the

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture is an award presented annually by the Screen Actors Guild. It has been presented since the 1st Screen Actors Guild Awards in 199 ...

, the

Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture The Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture is a Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe Award that was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1944 for a performance in a motion picture released in the pre ...

award,

BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Best Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performan ...

and the

. In 2012, she was announced as the host of the opening and closing ceremonies at the

2012 Cannes Film Festival The 65th Cannes Film Festival took place from 16 to 27 May 2012. Italian filmmaker Nanni Moretti was the president of the jury for the main competition. French actress Bérénice Bejo hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. Austrian filmma ...

. She dubbed the role of Mérida in the French dub of the Disney/Pixar film '' Brave''. In June 2012, Bejo was invited to join the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...

. The same month, she received the Prix Romy Schneider.

Filmography

Theatre

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bejo, Berenice 1976 births 21st-century French actresses Argentine emigrants to France Best Actress César Award winners Best Actress Lumières Award winners Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress winners French film actresses French silent film actresses Living people Actresses from Buenos Aires 20th-century French actresses