Childhood & Early Life
Léa Seydoux was born Léa Hélène Seydoux-Fornier de Clausonne, in Paris, France, on July 1, 1985, to a businessman father and a philanthropist mother. She was the second-born child in the family and had one elder sister and five younger siblings.
She belongs to a business family that has been well-known in France for many generations. Her father is the CEO of the famous French wireless company ‘Parrot.’ As a child, she wanted to be an opera singer. However, her parents were not too keen on supporting their daughter in her artistic endeavors. She learned music from the ‘Conservatoire de Paris.’
Her parents got divorced when she was 3 years old. Her father was always traveling for business, and her mother lived in Africa. This made her feel very lonely as a child and also contributed to her introverted and shy nature. However, her family’s connections with several media personalities made her acquainted with the world of art and entertainment.
Léa was always scared of performing in front of a large audience. Her mother worked as an actor for a short period of time before she became a philanthropist.
After she turned 18 years old, Léa decided to become an actor. She was also inspired by one of her friends who was an actor. She felt that an actor’s life would be interesting for someone like her. She took acting lessons at ‘Les Enfants Terribles,’ a French drama school, and then moved to New York to learn acting at the ‘Actors Studio.’
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Career
In 2006, she made her acting debut with a main role in the French film ‘Girlfriends.’ She then appeared in a lead role in the short film ‘La Consolation,’ which was showcased at the ‘Cannes Film Festival’ in 2007. She then modeled for ‘American Apparel.’
She appeared in key roles in films such as ‘13 French Street’ and ‘The Last Mistress.’ She had been recognized as a talented actor but was yet to become a national celebrity.
The year 2008 was a year of major surprises for Léa. That year, she appeared in a French film titled ‘The Beautiful Person.’ The film was critically acclaimed and Léa won several honors for her performance in it. The film helped her win the ‘Chopard Award’ at the ‘Cannes Film Festival’ in 2009.
In 2009, renowned director Quentin Tarantino offered her a small but key role in the war drama ‘Inglourious Basterds.’ Léa played the role of an innocent farmer girl in the film. The film was based on the Jew–German turmoil during the Second World War. Her role was appreciated, and the film turned out to become one of the most critically and commercially successful films of the year.
Appearing in a Quentin Tarantino film opened doors for her in Hollywood. In 2010, she appeared alongside superstar Russell Crowe in the film ‘Robin Hood,’ directed by Ridley Scott. The same year, she also appeared in French films such as ‘Petit Tailleur’ and ‘Belle Épine.’
She was also invited to audition for a key part in the film ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.’ However, she lost the role to actor Rooney Mara. Nevertheless, she bagged a key role in the 2011 film ‘Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.’ She portrayed an assassin in the movie. The same year, she appeared in the critically acclaimed film ‘Midnight in Paris,’ directed by Woody Allen.
In 2012, she appeared in two critically acclaimed French films, ‘Sister’ and ‘Farewell, My Queen.’ However, in 2013, she bagged a role that changed the path of her career forever.
In 2013, she appeared in the film ‘Blue Is the Warmest Colour.’ The film featured her in the role of a lesbian art student named ‘Emma.’ The film narrated the tale of ‘Adèle,’ a young girl exploring her sexuality and later falling in love with ‘Emma.’ The film became a phenomenal critical success.
The jury at the ‘Cannes Film Festival,’ headed by director Steven Spielberg, awarded both the actors and the director, Abdellatif Kechiche, with the ‘Palme d’Or.’ Léa won several other accolades and a lot of international fame for her role in the film.
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Although ‘Blue Is the Warmest Colour’ was received well, it also faced some criticism. The film was slow-paced and featured some extremely explicit and lengthy sex scenes between the two girls. It was believed that the actors had engaged in real intercourse for the scenes.
Despite the criticism, the film became a cult classic over the years. Léa’s career soared soon. In 2014, she appeared in the film ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and in Wes Anderson’s Hollywood comedy ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel.’ In the latter, she did a cameo as a French maid.
In 2015, she played the “Bond Girl” in the James Bond film ‘Spectre’ and received accolades for her role.
She then appeared in key roles in critically acclaimed films such as ‘Saint Laurent’ and ‘Diary of a Chambermaid.’ In 2015, she appeared in the film ‘The Lobster,’ which won the ‘Jury Prize’ at the ‘Cannes Film Festival.’ She also remained active in Hollywood, with films such as ‘Zoe’ and ‘It’s Only the End of the World.’
Léa has also been an active model. Although she considers herself a true actor, she has appeared on the covers of several magazines and publications. She has done photo shoots for ‘Vogue Paris,’ ‘American Vogue,’ ‘CRASH,’ and ‘W.’
She has also been the brand ambassador of the French jewellery line ‘Didier Dubot.’ She has appeared in campaigns for ‘Prada’ and ‘Louis Vuitton,’ too.
Personal Life
Léa Seydoux suffers from severe social anxiety. She once said that she had faced several anxiety attacks during her ‘Cannes Film Festival’ appearances.
Léa has always preferred the director over the story and the screenplay or even her role in her movies.
She has been dating André Meyer for a long time. The couple is not married yet.
She gave birth to her son, George, in January 2017.
