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Sophie Marceau (née Sophie Maupu) was
born November 17, 1966, in Paris, France. While growing up with her
father -- who was a truck driver -- in the Parisian suburbs, Sophie
was always far removed from the big movie studios of France.
When she was 14, a friend of hers informed her that French director
Claude Pinoteau was casting fresh talent for his film, La Boum. Sophie
was cast in the teenage film, released in 1980. The film was a huge
hit and led to the sequel, La Boum 2, released 2 years later.
Sophie was honored with the Cesar (French Oscar) for Most Promising
Actress, in 1983. Legally tied to her contract with Gaumont, the movie
studio she had worked with, Sophie paid one million French francs
to buy back her contract when she was 16 years old -- of course, she
had to borrow the money to pay the large sum, but it was worth it
for a newly independent Sophie.
Sophie then broke away from the mold of a teenage star and moved
onto more dramatic parts, in films such as 1984's Fort Saganne, and
Joyeuse Pâques (Happy Easter); 1985's L'Amour Braque (directed
by her long-time boyfriend, Andrzej Zulawski) and Police; 1986's Descente
aux Enfers (Descent Into Hell); 1988's L'Etudiante (The Student) and
Chouans!; and 1989's Mes Nuits Sont Plus Belles Que Vos Jours (My
Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days), also directed by Andrzej
Zulawski.
Thanks to her role in Chouans!, she was named Best Romantic Actress
at the 1988 International Festival of Romantic Movies.
After a role in Pacific Palisades in 1990 and La Note Bleue, her
third film by her companion, Sophie opted for lighter, fluffier roles,
such as the comedy Fanfan in 1993 and La Fille de D'Artagnan a year
later. She even ventured into theater with her role in Eurydice in
1991, which garnered her a Marceau a Moliere Award for Most Promising
Newcomer. She took to the stage again in 1994, as Eliza Dolittle in
Pygmalion.
But it was her role as Princess Isabelle in the Oscar-winning epic,
Braveheart, that made international audiences take notice of the French
beauty. Mel Gibson immediately knew that Sophie was the one for the
part, and moviegoers agreed that she added beauty to what was already
an excellent, yet gory script.
The same year that Braveheart madness was in the air, Sophie went
behind the camera for a 9-minute film, L'Aube a L'envers, which opened
for a film at the Cannes Film Festival.
While Sophie tries to stay away from the Hollywood scene and not
get caught up in the circuit, she has an impressive resume of American
films such as her co-starring role in the David Spade comedy, Lost
& Found and William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, along
with Michelle Pfeiffer and Calista Flockhart.
In 1999, she jumped to Bond Girl status as Elektra King, starring
opposite Pierce Brosnan in the 19th Bond outing, The World Is Not
Enough.
Since her Bond fame, Sophie has starred in the French films La Fidélité,
again under the direction of Zulawski and Belphégor -- Le Fantôme
Du Louvre.
An animal lover, Sophie avidly and publicly protests sports such
as dove-shooting and bullfighting, and supports Arc-en-Ciel, an organization
that helps sick children.
While family and friends refer to Sophie as Flatfoosie, she's known
as mom to her son Vincent (with husband Andrzej Zulawski), born July
1995.Sophie Marceau
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