Sophie Marceau

Biography

She has since become one of the most popular and respected actresses in her own country - though she has only recently started appearing in international productions. Her rôle in "Braveheart" was her first English-speaking part. Asked why he chose Sophie for the character of Princess Isabelle, Mel Gibson replied: "Well, she's beautiful, she's French and she's a good actress. The character needed to be at least two of those things."

In spring 1995, she directed her first film, "L'aube à l'envers", an eight-minute short starring Judith Godrèche which was based on a screenplay she wrote while filming "Braveheart". It was well received at the Cannes Film Festival last year.

She is critical of French cinema: "It's great that American cinema poses such a threat. In France we have all these pseudo-auteurs who don't have a new idea in their heads." She has a Hollywood agent, but is not tempted to move to Los Angeles and become a Hollywood player like Julie Delpy.

Sophie is an outspoken opponent of blood sports, and has joined Brigitte Bardot in protests against dove-shooting in the Gironde and bull-fighting in Provence. "I detest all forms of violence. For me, the toreador who tortures the bull loses his dignity as a man. One cannot respect life and approve of this game of death." She used to own an antique farmhouse in Seine-et-Marne, but left it for good after her cats were shot by hunters and one of her dogs, an eleven-year-old cocker spaniel named Lolita, was stolen.

In addition to her work for animal welfare, Sophie is a patron of Arc-en-Ciel ("Rainbow"), an organisation which helps sick children realise their dreams.

She lives in Paris with her partner Andrzej Zulawski, a Polish director who is 24 years her senior. They had their first child, Vincent, on 24th July 1995.

Latest News

She has been chosen as the new face of Guerlain, for their perfume Champs-Elysées. The commercials, which show Sophie running along the Champs-Elysées at five in the morning, were directed in Paris by Peter Lindbergh. A large version of one of the print ads, and Sophie's voiceover for the TV commercial, are included on this page.

Her first book, a semi-autobiographical novel titled "Menteuse" ("Liar") was published in May.

Earlier this year, she filmed an adaption of "Anna Karenina" (produced by Mel Gibson), set in St Petersbourg. Her son Vincent accompanied her to Russia for the filming. Anna Karenina is her first "classical" part: "I don't think I could have played this rôle at 23 or 25. At 40 it would be too late. It would be magnificently tragic, but it would smell musty." The photo in the picture section shows Sophie posing in St Petersbourg.

Sophie's last film, Michelangelo Antonioni's "Par delà les nuages" co-starring John Malkovich (left), has made motion picture history in Japan. For the first time, the Japanese Administration Commission of the Motion Picture Code of Ethics has allowed scenes depicting pubic hair to be shown in Japanese cinemas.

Articles and Interviews

Contact Information

External Links

• Sophie's filmography in the Internet Movie Database.
• Foresight's official Braveheart site.
• A Braveheart fan page with a few pictures of Sophie.
• An interview in French on the web site of Animal Nature.
• Information about her directorial début, L'aube à l'envers.
• A page about her new film, Anna Karenina.
• A painting of Sophie by Loren Kirkwood.

Sounds

6-second wav (133k)
A clip from the new Guerlain ad. In English.

24-second wav (335k zipped)

Sophie presented the Best Film award to "La haine" at the 1996 Césars in March. This is the short speech she gave before announcing the winner.

Translation: "Good evening. Well, the last person left to reward tonight is the film. Because, after all, we're all here tonight because we love making movies, and because we think it's useful to make films just as it's useful to say to someone, as long as they live, 'I love you'. Voilà!"

Pictures