Josiane Balasko

Josiane Balasko (born Josiane Balašković; 15 April 1950) is a French actress, writer, and director. She has been nominated eight times for César Awards, and won three times.

Career One of Balasko's most recognized roles among English speakers is as a lesbian in 1995's (French Twist). She won the 1996 César Award (shared with Telsche Boorman) for Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation, and was also nominated as Best Director. The movie was nominated for Best Film.

Balasko's other César nominations for Best Actress were for Too Beautiful for You (1989), (1993), and That Woman (2003).

1973–1980: Early years Balasko began her career in 1973. She was 23 years old when she first appeared on screen, in the short L'Agression, with Patrick Bouchitey. She was in the movie L'an 01, directed by Jacques Doillon.

After an absence of three years she returned to the screen in 1976 in the film The Tenant, directed by Roman Polanski, with a screenplay written by him and Gérard Brach. The movie was based on the novel written by Roland Topor.

Balasco career exploded in 1977, when she appeared in seven films over the course of the year. She first appeared in Solveig et le Violon turc, with Eugène Ionesco and Dominique Lavanant. She played Simone in Une fille unique, alongside her boyfriend at the time, Bruno Moynot.

She appeared in Animal, directed by Claude Zidi, with a screenplay written by him, Michel Audiard, and Dominique Fabre. It was a big success with more than three million attendances in France; the movie was #5 in 1977 in France. She appeared in Pardon Mon Affaire, Too!, directed by Yves Robert and written by him and Jean-Loup Dabadie. The movie was also a big success, with more than two million attending in France alone, and was #8 in 1977 in France.

She played Nadine in This Sweet Sickness, directed by Claude Miller, based on the novel written by Patricia Highsmith. The movie starred Gérard Depardieu, Miou-Miou, Claude Piéplu, Dominique Laffin, and Christian Clavier.

She also acted in Monsieur Papa, directed by Philippe Monnier, and with dialogue written by Jean-Marie Poiré. Balasko starred alongside Claude Brasseur, Nathalie Baye, Daniel Auteuil and Éva Darlan.

In 1978, Balasko played in "Si vous n'aimez pas ça, n'en dégoûtez pas les autres", with Gérard Jugnot and Thierry Lhermitte, and in "Les Petits Câlins", directed by Jean-Marie Poiré, alongside Dominique Laffin, Françoise Bertin and Gérard Jugnot. Then, she was in La Tortue sur le dos.

Balasko had the leading role in the comedy "Pauline et l'Ordinateur", for which she wrote the dialogue and where she acted next to Gérard Jugnot, Éva Darlan, Jacques Attali and Marie-Anne Chazel. Finally, she played Nathalie Morin in the cult comedy Les Bronzés, directed by Patrice Leconte, with her friends from Le Splendid, Marie-Anne Chazel, Michel Blanc, Gérard Jugnot, Thierry Lhermitte, Christian Clavier and Dominique Lavanant. The movie was a hit with more than two million attendances.

In 1979, Balasko played Emma-Ammé in one episode of the TV Mini-Series, "Les Quatre Cents Coups de Virginie", alongside Anémone. Then Nathalie Morin again, in the sequel Les Bronzés font du ski with the same cast, which was also a success with more than a millions attendances. She also appeared as a client in the movie "Les héros n'ont pas froid aux oreilles", with Daniel Auteuil, Gérard Jugnot, Roland Giraud, Gérard Lanvin, Michel Blanc, Thierry Lhermitte, Marie-Anne Chazel and Christian Clavier.

1981–1990: directing debut

1981 was very successful for Balasko. First, she played Louise in Clara et les Chics Types. Later, she had the leading role in the comedy Les hommes préfèrent les grosses. The movie was a commercial success. It was directed by Jean-Marie Poiré, who co-wrote the film, with Balasko. After this, she was in another comedy named Le Maître d'école, directed by Claude Berri. This film was also commercially successful, the #9 movie at the French Box Office in 1981. She played Colette, a supporting role, in Hotel America, directed by André Téchiné. It starred Catherine and Patrick Dewaere.

In 1982, Balasko was in another cult movie, Le Père Noël est une ordure, directed for the third time by Jean-Marie Poiré. The film was commercially successful.

In 1983, Balasko had two comedy hits. Papy fait de la résistance, which was #7 in the 1983 French box office, and Signes extérieurs de richesse, another success.

In 1984, Balasko played a supporting role in the comedy P'tit Con, directed by Gérard Lauzier. She had the leading role in the comedy, La smala, directed by Jean-Loup Hubert. Finally, she played a supporting role in the comedy La vengeance du serpent à plumes directed by Gérard Oury. The movie was her biggest success of that year. In 1985, she appeared in the movie Tranches de vie directed by François Leterrier. That year she also made her directoral debut with the comedy Sac de noeuds, which she wrote, directed and starred in.

1990 onward Since 1990, Balasko has enjoyed a busy career acting in numerous films in a very wide variety of roles but having an international directing success in 1995 with (French Twist), in which she co-starred with Alain Chabat and gained her a César for Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation and a nomination for Best Film. In 2006 she was re-united once again with the Le Splendid team for another Bronzés film Bronzés 3: Amis pour La Vie.

2012–present In 2018, Balasko record a song with the rapper Mac Tyer on his album C'est la street mon pote.

In February 2019, Balasko received the Crystal Comedy Award during the 4th Festival International du Film de Comédie de Liège to reward her career.

Personal life Bruno Moynot was her partner from 1974 until 1981. In a second union with sculptor Philippe Berry (brother of actor Richard Berry), she had a daughter, Marilou Berry (born 1 February 1983), also an actress, and an adopted son, Rudy Berry (born 1988). She divorced from Philippe Berry in 1999 and married American actor George Aguilar in 2003, whom she met on the set of The Frenchman's Son in 1999.

Filmography Actress

Filmmaker Year Title 1985 Sac de noeuds 1987 Les keufs 1991 My Life Is Hell 1995 French Twist 1998 Un grand cri d'amour 2005 L'Ex-femme de ma vie 2008 Cliente 2013 Demi-soeur

Box-office Movies starring or featuring Josiane Balasko with more than one million tickets sold at movie theatres in France.

Films Year France (entries)1 Les Bronzés 3: Amis pour la vie 2006 2 Papy fait de la résistance 1983 3 French Twist 1995 4 Animal 1977 5 Le Maître d'école 1981 6 Didier 1997 7 La vengeance du serpent à plumes 1984 8 Neuilly sa mère! 2009 9 Les Bronzés 1978 10 Back to Mom's 2016 11 Les Frères Pétard 1986 12 A Crime in Paradise 2001 13 Pardon Mon Affaire, Too! 1977 14 Too Beautiful for You 1989 15 Grosse fatigue 1994 16 Les hommes préfèrent les grosses 1981 17 Le Père Noël est une ordure 1982 18 Les Bronzés font du ski 1979 19 The Race 2002 20 Nuit d'ivresse 1986 21 Absolument fabuleux 2001 22 My Life Is Hell 1991 23 The Roommates Party 2015 24 Neuilly sa mère, sa mère! 2018 25 Signes extérieurs de richesse 1983 26 Les Keufs 1987

Theater

As actress Year Title Author Director 1970 La pipelette ne pipa pas Josiane Balasko Josiane Balasko 1971-74 Quand j'srai grande, j'srai paranoïaque Josiane Balasko Vera Gregh 1972-74 Jeanne l'ébouriffée Catherine Dasté Catherine Dasté 1975 Silence là-dedans Josiane Balasko Josiane Balasko 1976 Le Pot de terre contre le pot de vin Le Splendid Le Splendid 1976-77 Ginette Lacaze Coluche Coluche Amour, coquillages et crustacés Le Splendid Le Splendid 1978-80 Bunny's bar Josiane Balasko Josiane Balasko 1979-80 Le Père Noël est une ordure Le Splendid Le Splendid 1985–86 Nuit d'ivresse Josiane Balasko Josiane Balasko 1988-89 L'Ex-femme de ma vie Josiane Balasko Josiane Balasko 1992-94 Shirley Valentine Willy Russell Josiane Balasko 1995–97 Un grand cri d'amour Josiane Balasko Josiane Balasko 2005-07 Dernier rappel Josiane Balasko Josiane Balasko 2010–12 La nuit sera chaude Josiane Balasko Josiane Balasko 2014–15 Un grand moment de solitude Josiane Balasko Josiane Balasko 2016–18 The Woman Destroyed Simone de Beauvoir Hélène Fillières 2021-24 Un chalet à Gstaad Josiane Balasko Josiane Balasko 2026 Ça, c’est l’amour Jean Robert-Charrier Julie-Anne Roth

Writer 2004 : Cliente, it became a movie in 2008 directed and starring Balasko, with Nathalie Baye, Éric Caravaca, Isabelle Carré, Catherine Hiegel, Marilou Berry, George Aguilar, Richard Berry and Maria Schneider. 2006 : Parano express 2011 : La nuit sera chaude, it became a play in 2011-2012 2019 : Jamaiplu

Awards and nominations