Marie-Christine Barrault

Marie-Christine Barrault (born 21 March 1944) is a French actress. She is best known for her performance in Cousin Cousine for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 2010, she released her autobiography, titled This Long Way to Get to You.

Life and career Marie-Christine Barrault was born in Paris, France, the daughter of Martha (née Valmier) and Max-Henri Barrault. Her parents later divorced. Barrault's father, who worked in the theatre, died while she was a teenager. With no support, her mother was unable to care for her and her brother, Alain. Barrault was raised by her grandmother, Felicite. She was mentored in acting by her aunt and uncle, French performers Jean-Louis Barrault and Madeleine Renaud. They initially did not support her dreams of becoming an actress. She performed in plays in secondary school and then enrolled in an acting conservatory.

Barrault got her start on television in L'oeuvre (1967). She made her feature film debut in Éric Rohmer's My Night at Maud's (1969). In 1970 Barrault was featured along with Pierre Richard in the comedy film Le Distrait. In 1975 Barrault starred in Cousin Cousine, for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She worked with Rohmer once again in 1978, in the role of Guinevere in Perceval le Gallois and she also has a cameo in his Love in the Afternoon.

Barrault is not fluent in English and therefore has generally turned down offers to appear in English-language films. However, in 1980 she accepted an offer from Woody Allen to appear in his film Stardust Memories. In 1988 she was nominated for a Genie Award for her performance in No Blame. In 1991 she portrayed Marie Curie in a television mini-series. In her later career, she has preferred acting on the stage in France. In 2015, she came to Los Angeles on tour to perform in the play Les Yeux Ouverts, in which she portrays French author Marguerite Yourcenar.

Barrault's first husband was producer Daniel Toscan du Plantier, whom she married in 1965. With him, she had two children, David and Ariane. Barrault was married to director Roger Vadim from 1990 until his death from cancer in 2000. She herself is a survivor of breast cancer.

In 2024, she returned to the silver screen in an Italian film, Per il mio bene, the debut feature by Mimmo Verdesca, in which she plays the complex role of “Anna”, a mother wounded and tormented by a disturbing past.

Select filmography

L'oeuvre (1967, TV movie) Christine My Night at Maud's (1969) Françoise Lancelot of the Lake (1970, TV movie) La reine Guenièvre Le distrait (1970) Lisa Gastier Le misanthrope (1971, TV movie) Célimène Les papiers d'Aspern (1971, TV movie) Hélène Prest Le sagouin (1972, TV movie) Léone Figaro-ci, Figaro-là (1972, TV movie) Julie Love in the Afternoon (1972) Dream Sequence Les intrus (1972) Françoise Histoire vraie (1973, TV movie) Rose L'enlèvement (1973, TV movie) Marie-Josèphe Le tour d'écrou (1974, TV movie) Miss Jessel La famille Grossfelder (1974, TV movie) Marie-Louise en 1930 La confession d'un enfant du siècle (1974, TV movie) Brigitte John Glückstadt (1975) Hanna Hansen Cousin Cousine (1975) Marthe By the Tennis Courts (1976) Marie-Christine Le chandelier (1977, TV movie) Jacqueline The Medusa Touch (1978) Patricia The Savage State (1978) Laurence Perceval le Gallois (1978) La Reine Guenevievre Woman Between Wolf and Dog (1979) Lieve Vestire gli ignudi (1979, TV movie) Ersilia The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (1980, TV series) Narrator My Dearest (1980) Jeanne Petit déjeuner compris (1980, TV mini-series) Marie-Louise Leroux Même les mômes ont du vague à l'âme (1980) Eva Stardust Memories (1980) Isobel L'amour trop fort (1981) Rose-Marie de Boisel Après tout ce qu'on a fait pour toi (1982, TV movie) Jeanne Le village sur la colline (1982, TV mini-series) Mme de Cheilly Mir reicht's – ich steig aus (1983) Table for Five (1983) Marie A Love in Germany (1983) Maria Wyler Les mots pour le dire (1983) Eliane Orpheus (1983, TV movie) La mort Swann in Love (1984) Madame Verdurin Pianoforte (1984) La mère de Maria L'année terrible (1985, TV movie) Louise... l'insoumise (1985) Mme Royer Le passage (1985, TV movie) Rhona Je suis à Rio, ne m'attends pas pour dîner (1985, TV movie) Constance A Better Life (1985) La mère de Véronique Power of Evil (1985) Sylvie Le soulier de satin (1985) La lune L'été 36 (1986, TV movie) Lise

Vaudeville (1986) Madeleine The Lizard King (1987, TV movie) Manuela's Loves (1987) Manuela Bonne fête maman (1987, TV movie) Jeanne Thomas No Blame (1988, TV movie) Suzanne Daniya, jardín del harem (1988) Almodís Adieu je t'aime (1988) Nicole Dupré The Abyss (1988) Hilzonde Sanguine (1988) Nedie Women in Prison (1988) Dessombes Une femme tranquille (1989, TV movie) Marianne Jesus of Montreal (1989) Dubbing actress Un été d'orages (1989) Anne Gallant Ladies (1990) Jacquette de Bourdeille Moi, général de Gaulle (1990, TV movie) Mme Costal L'enfant des loups (1991, TV movie) Leubovère Marie Curie, une femme honorable (1991, TV mini-series) Marie Curie Necessary Love (1991) Valentina Jenny Marx, la femme du diable (1993, TV movie) Jenny Marx Amour Fou (1993, TV movie) Louise Next Time the Fire (1993) Elena Bonsoir (1994) Marie Wileska Les maîtresses de mon mari (1995, TV movie) Elisa La nouvelle tribu (1996, TV mini-series) Jeanne Tendre piège (1996, TV movie) Françoise Mon père avait raison (1996, TV movie) Germaine Bellanger Un coup de baguette magique (1997, TV movie) Jeanne Obsession (1997) Ella Beckmann Les braconniers de Belledombre (1997, TV movie) Françoise Sampaing Love, Math and Sex (1997) La prof de maths Le grand Batre (1997, TV movie) Thérèse Maison de famille (1999, TV movie) Françoise Cornier The Dilettante (1999) Thérèse Rambert Azzurro (2000) Elizabeth Broyer Le vieil ours et l'enfant (2001, TV movie) La Duchesse Les amants de Mogador (2002) Le Don fait à Catchaires (2003, TV movie) Jeanne La deuxième vérité (2003, TV movie) Mathilde Rêves en France (2003, TV movie) Madame Labourdette Droit d'asile (2003, TV movie) Christine Saint-Germain ou La négociation (2003, TV movie) Catherine de Médicis Parlez-moi d'amour (2005, TV movie) Élisa Ange de feu (2006, TV movie) Janine Cordey Passés troubles (2006, TV movie) Béatrice Trivial (2007) Mélanie Bérangère Making Plans for Lena (2009) Annie L'Art de la fugue (2014) Nelly Shades of Truth (2015) Sister Maria Angelica Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman (2022) Komura's mother Et doucement rallumer les etoiles (2023, TV movie) Fiasco (2024, TV series) 'The Ties That Bind Us (2024)

Per il mio bene (2024) Anna A Woman's Life (2026)