Cécile de France

Cécile de France (; born 17 July 1975) is a Belgian actress. After achieving success in French cinema with hits such as L'Art (délicat) de la séduction and Irène (2002), she gained international attention for her lead roles in High Tension (2003) and Hereafter (2010).

Life and career

Born in Namur, she left Belgium at the age of 17 to go to Paris where she studied theatre for two years with actor Jean Paul Denizon, assistant to British director Peter Brook. She then spent three years (1995–1998) at the acting academy ENSATT (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre) in the Département Comédie first at the Rue Blanche in Paris, then in Lyon. She was discovered by the agent Dominique Besnehard and appeared in French hit films such as L'Art (délicat) de la séduction (2001) and Irène (2002).

Her international breakthrough came with the horror film High Tension (2003, UK title: Switchblade Romance, US title: High Tension). She caught the eye of Hollywood producers and soon landed her first major role in a US feature, Around the World in 80 Days (2004), in which she starred alongside Jackie Chan and Steve Coogan. She was also selected to be on the jury for the main competition section of the 68th Berlin International Film Festival.

Internationally, she has appeared in Hereafter (2010) directed by Clint Eastwood and The French Dispatch (2019) directed by Wes Anderson.

Personal life She has two children, Lino and Joy Siron, with musician Guillaume Siron.

Filmography

Film

Short film

Television

Theatre 1996: Dormez je le veux by Georges Feydeau, directed by Benoît Blanpain 1996: Une palette rouge sang by Valeria Moretti, directed by Jean Paul Denizon 1996: Le songe d'une nuit d'été by William Shakespeare, directed by Pierre Pradinas 1997: Variations Strindberg-Feydeau, directed by Nada Strancar 1998: Pour nous, directed by Serguei Issayev 1998: Tu serais un ange tombé du ciel exprès pour nous by N. Sadour and A. Vampilov 1999, 2000: Electre, by Sophocle, directed by Claudia Stavisky 1999: Le baladin du monde occidental de John Millington Synge, directed by Philippe Delaigue 2001: Mademoiselle Julie by August Strindberg, directed by Gwenaël Morin 2001: SC35C, by Jean-Michel Frère

Awards and nominations