
Nathalie Baye
Biography
Nathalie Marie Andrée Baye (July 6, 1948 – April 17, 2026) was a French film, television, and stage actress. She began her career in 1970 and has appeared in more than 80 films. A ten-time César Award nominee, her four wins were for Every Man for Himself (1980), Strange Affair (1981), La Balance (1982), and The Young Lieutenant (2005). Her other films include Day for Night (1973), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Tell No One (2006), and The Assistant (2015). In 2009, she was appointed a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. Baye was born in Mainneville, Eure, Normandy to Claude Baye and Denise Coustet, two painters. At 14, she joined a school of dance in Monaco. Three years later she went to the United States. On returning to France, she continued with dance but also registered for the Simon Course and was admitted to the Conservatoire, from where she graduated in 1972 with a second prize in comedy, dramatic comedy, and foreign theatre. Her second cinema appearance was in Two People (1973), directed by Robert Wise. She became better known as the script girl in Day for Night (La Nuit américaine, 1973) by François Truffaut. Throughout the 1970s, she played the good girlfriend or nice provincial girl in film and television. She won her first César, as best supporting artist, for Every Man for Himself (Sauve qui peut (la vie), 1980) directed by Jean-Luc Godard. There then followed The Return of Martin Guerre (Le Retour de Martin Guerre, 1982) and La Balance (also 1982). Baye won two more César Awards, Best Supporting Actress, for Strange Affair (Une étrange affaire, 1981), and Best Actress for La Balance, 1982). Her four-year relationship with Johnny Hallyday made them a celebrity couple and their daughter is Laura Smet, now an actress. After changing her image by playing a streetwalker in La Balance, she widened her scope with more obscure characters in J'ai épousé une ombre (1983) and En toute innocence (1988). In 1986, she returned to the theatre with an interpretation of Adriana Monti. In 1999, she was voted Best Supporting Actress at Venice Film Festival for Une liaison pornographique and starred in Vénus Beauté (Institut) (2000) by Tonie Marshall which won multiple César Awards including Best Film. She has worked with Claude Chabrol and Steven Spielberg. Source: Article "Nathalie Baye" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Filmografi
Catch Me If You Can2002 · Paula Abagnale
Beau Pere1981 · Charlotte
Downton Abbey: A New Era2022 · Mme de Montmirail
Haute Couture2021 · Esther
It's Only the End of the World2016 · Martine
Moka2016 · Marlène
La Californie2006 · Maguy
Marie-Octobre2008 · Marie-Hélène Dumoulin / Marie-Octobre
To Mathieu2001 · Claire
Paparazzi1998 · Nicole, de l'agence Magma
Detective1985 · Françoise Chenal
A French Gigolo2008 · Judith
Our Story1984 · Donatienne Pouget / Marie-Thérèse Chatelard / Geneviève Avranche
Tell No One2006 · Elysabeth Feldman
Feelings2003 · Carole
Alibi.com2017 · Marlène Martin
Day for Night1973 · Joelle, the Script Girl
The Assistant2015 · Marie-France
Visage2009 · Nathalie
Beautiful Lies2010 · Mady
C'est La Vie1990 · Lena
And the Band Played On1993 · Dr. Françoise Barre
Alibi.com 22023 · Mme Martin
Fill 'er Up with Super1976 · Charlotte
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