French Female Film & Theater Personalities

French actress, Eva Green, gained instant fame in 2003 with her first film The Dreamers, directed by the eminent Bernardo Bertolucci. Subsequently she went on to act in a number of notable films like Kingdom of Heaven, Casino Royale, Dark Shadows, Home for Peculiar Children, Franklyn, Cracks and Proxima. She has also acted in television series like Penny Dreadful and Luminaries.

Léa Seydoux is a critically acclaimed French actress who gained international recognition after playing a Bond girl in Spectre. Also known for her modeling career, Seydoux has posed for popular magazines, such as Vogue, L'Officiel, and Numéro. She became the face of Prada's 2013 and 2014 campaign for its fragrances.

French-British actor Emma Mackey is best known for her portrayal of Maeve Wiley in the Netflix series Sex Education. Some of her upcoming projects include Emily Brontë’s biopic and the thriller Death on the Nile. She has also appeared in the TV projects Badger Lane and Summit Fever.

Lily-Rose Depp is the daughter of famous American actor Johnny Depp and popular French singer and model Vanessa Paradis. Lily-Rose followed in her parents' footsteps to become active in the entertainment industry. Despite suffering from anorexia in the past, Lily-Rose Depp has managed to establish herself as an actress in Hollywood.

Olga Kurylenko is a Ukrainian-French model and actress. She gained international recognition after playing a Bond girl in the 2008 film Quantum of Solace. Olga Kurylenko serves as an inspiration to many young girls as she overcame her difficult childhood to become the face of popular brands like Clarins and Bebe.

French actor Mélanie Laurent shot to fame with her Étoiles d'Or-winning role in Dikkenek and her César Award-winning performance in Don't Worry, I'm Fine. She made her Hollywood debut with Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, and was also seen in Now You See Me. She has also released a music album.

French singer and actress, Vanessa Paradis, became a celebrity at the age of 14 with the French song Joe le taxi in 1987. She tasted further success with English songs like Be My Baby and many other French songs. She has also acted in several French films and has modelled regularly for high-end fashion products by Chanel like perfume and handbags.

Brigitte Bardot is a French former singer and actress. One of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and 1960s, Bardot remains a major pop culture icon despite quitting the entertainment industry in 1973. Bardot is credited with popularizing the bikini. She also popularized the town of Armação dos Búzios and the city of St. Tropez in Brazil.

French actress and model Pom Klementieff is internationally known for her role as Mantis in Marvel Cinematic Universe films. She had a difficult childhood and struggled a lot in her youth. She started acting when she was 19 and appeared in many French films. After establishing herself in French cinema, she made her Hollywood debut in 2013. 

Charlotte Gainsbourg, daughter of French singer Serge Gainsbourg and English actor Jane Birkin, made her singing debut at age 12. She is best known for her César Award-winning roles in La Bûche and An Impudent Girl. Her performance in Antichrist won her an award at the Cannes Film Festival.

French actress Catherine Deneuve is considered one of the greatest European actresses. Beginning her career at the age of 12, she gained international prominence with her role in the movie The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. She is a 14-time César Award nominee and the recipient of a David di Donatello award. She is multilingual and speaks fluent French, Italian, and English.

Alexa Davalos is an American actress who started her career by modeling for popular photographers like Peter Lindbergh. After making her acting debut in 2002, Davalos went on to land important roles in TV series like Reunion, Mob City, and The Man in the High Castle.

Isabelle Huppert is a French actress best known for playing cold and disdainful characters. Regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation, Huppert has won several prestigious awards, such as a BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and César Awards. In 2020, Isabelle Huppert was ranked second on The New York Times' greatest actors of the 21st century list.

Isabelle Adjani is a French singer and actress. A critically acclaimed performer, Adjani is the only person to receive five César Awards. In 1988, Isabelle Adjani became the first French actress to earn two nominations at the Academy Awards for foreign-language films. She has also received other prestigious awards like the Silver Bear for Best Actress.

German-French actor Romy Schneider began her career with the Heimatfilm genre of films as a teenager. She appeared as Empress Elisabeth of Austria in the Austrian Sissi trilogy and in Ludwig. She is also remembered for her César Award-winning roles in Une histoire simple and L'important c'est d'aimer.

Yael Grobglas is an Israeli actress known for her performance in the popular American satirical telenovela Jane the Virgin. After appearing in a couple of Israeli films, Grobglas achieved international recognition when she played Shir in a horror film titled Rabies. She then established herself in the American TV and film industry by appearing in projects like Jane the Virgin.

Born to a French-American mother and a Spanish father, Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey had initially worked as a waitress and had even decided to pursue a career in osteopathy. The actor-model later made waves with her roles in The Sea Wall and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Sarah Bernhardt was a French actress known for playing important roles in popular French plays of the early-20th century.  Her decision to play Hamlet inspired Theresa Rebeck's play Bernhardt/Hamlet, in which Janet McTeer portrayed Sarah Bernhardt. In 1960, Bernhardt became the earliest born person to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Bérénice Marlohe is a French actress best known for her performance in the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall. Apart from acting, Marlohe is also known for her modeling skills; she is popular for her association with the Swiss luxury watchmaker Omega Watches for which she is a brand ambassador.

Charlotte Le Bon is an artist and actress. Following in the footsteps of her mother and her stepfather, Charlotte started modeling at the age of 16. She then established herself as a TV presenter and achieved popularity for her work in Le Grand Journal. She then became an actress and received a César Award nomination for her performance in Yves Saint Laurent.

Soko is a French musician and singer-songwriter. The song We Might Be Dead by Tomorrow, which is part of her debut album I Thought I Was an Alien, reached the ninth position on the Billboard Hot 100. Soko is also a critically acclaimed actress, earning César Award nominations for her performance in films like In the Beginning and The Dancer. 

Emmanuelle Beart is a French actress best known for her portrayal of Manon in the 1986 period film Manon des Sources, for which she received the prestigious César Award under the Best Supporting Actress category. Apart from being an actress, Beart is also a social activist. She serves as an ambassador for the popular United Nations agency, UNICEF.

Nora Arnezeder is a French singer and actress best known for her portrayal of the title role in the internationally praised 2013 French costume drama film, Angélique. A trained singer and dancer, Arnezeder has also played main roles in web TV series, such as the American science fiction drama series, Origin.

Morgane Polanski is a French-Polish model and actress, best known for her portrayal of Princess Gisla in the historical fantasy drama TV series, Vikings. The daughter of filmmaker Roman Polanski and actress Emmanuelle Seigner, Morgane Polanski followed in the footsteps of her parents to establish herself in the entertainment industry.

Known for her chiseled face, blue eyes, and full lips, French model Thylane Blondeau was no stranger to fame as a kid, being the daughter of footballer Patrick Blondeau and actor Véronika Loubry. She began modeling for Jean Paul Gaultier at 4 and later campaigned for brands such as L'Oréal.

Agnes Varda was a Belgian-born French film director, screenwriter, and artist. She was a key figure in the development of the French New Wave film movement of the 1950s and 1960s. She often made films addressing women’s issues and other social justice problems. She was honored with an Academy Honorary Award. She was married to director Jacques Demy.