BAYE, NATHALIE

(1951- )

   Actress. Nathalie Baye first appeared in cinema in Robert Wise's American film Two People (1972). She made her debut in French film in Nina Companeez's Faustine et le bel été (1973), and later played a small part in François Truffaut's La Nuit américaine. Baye would rejoin Truffaut for L'homme qui aimait les femmes (1977) and La Chambre Verte (1978). She partook in Michel Pascal's homage,François Truffaut:portraits volés (1992).

   Some of Baye's first major roles were in Maurice Pialat's La geule ouverte (1974), Alain Cavalier's Le plein de super (1976), Philippe Monnier's Monsieur Papa, and Daniel Vigne's Le retour de Martin Guerre (1981).She received her first César nomination for Best Actress in Bertrand Tavernier's Une semaine de vacances (1980). In the early 1980s, she won three consecutive Césars: Best Supporting Actress in Jean-Luc Godard's Sauve qui peut (la vie) in 1981, Best Supporting Actress in Pierre Granier-Deferre's Une étrange affaire in 1982, and Best Actress in Bob Swaim's La balance in 1983. She gained another César nomination for her performance in Robin Davis's J'ai épousé une ombre (1983).

   Baye would team with several prominent directors more than once. She acted in Bertrand Blier's Beau-père (1981) and Notre Histoire (1984), and would find Godard again in Detective (1984). She starred in Bruno Chiche's Le pinceau à lèvres (1990) and Barnie et ses petites contrariétés (2000). To date she has worked with Tonie Marshall three times: in Enfants de salaud (1996), Vénus beauté (institut) (1999), which earned her another César nomination, and France boutique (2002). She has also starred in Jeanne Labrune's films Si je t'aime, prends garde à toi (1998) and Ca ira mieux demain (2000), and in Xavier Beauvois's Selon Matthieu (2000) and Le petit lieutenant (2004). Baye played leading roles in Philippe Labro's Rive droit, rive gauche (1984), Patrick Jamain's Lune de miel (1985), Alain Jessua's En toute innocence (1987), Robert Enrico's De guerre lasse (1987), Diane Kurys's LaBaule-les-Pins (1990), Nicole Garcia's Un week-end sur deux (1990) — which earned her yet another César nomination—François Margolin's Mensonge (1992), Catherine Bottaro's La mère (1995), and Alain Berberian's Paparazzi (1999).

   Baye won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at Venice for her interpretation in Frédéric Fonteyne's Une liaison pornographique in 1999. She is still prolific in the twenty-first century. She plays key roles in Gabriel Aghion's Absolument fabuleux (2001), Claude Chabrol's La Fleur du mal (2002), and Noémie Lvovsky's Les sentiments (2002). She has worked in anglophone films as well, including Stephen Poliakoff's Food of Love (1998) and Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can (2002). She continues to be regarded as a major actress in France, playing significant roles in films such as Thierry Klifa's Une vie à t'attendre (2003), Claude Berri's Un reste, l'autre part (2005), and Martial Fougeron's Je t'aime tant (2005).

   Historical Dictionary of French Cinema by Dayna Oscherwitz & Mary Ellen Higgins

(1951- )

   Actress. Nathalie Baye first appeared in cinema in Robert Wise's American film Two People (1972). She made her debut in French film in Nina Companeez's Faustine et le bel été (1973), and later played a small part in François Truffaut's La Nuit américaine. Baye would rejoin Truffaut for L'homme qui aimait les femmes (1977) and La Chambre Verte (1978). She partook in Michel Pascal's homage,François Truffaut:portraits volés (1992).

   Some of Baye's first major roles were in Maurice Pialat's La geule ouverte (1974), Alain Cavalier's Le plein de super (1976), Philippe Monnier's Monsieur Papa, and Daniel Vigne's Le retour de Martin Guerre (1981).She received her first César nomination for Best Actress in Bertrand Tavernier's Une semaine de vacances (1980). In the early 1980s, she won three consecutive Césars: Best Supporting Actress in Jean-Luc Godard's Sauve qui peut (la vie) in 1981, Best Supporting Actress in Pierre Granier-Deferre's Une étrange affaire in 1982, and Best Actress in Bob Swaim's La balance in 1983. She gained another César nomination for her performance in Robin Davis's J'ai épousé une ombre (1983).

   Baye would team with several prominent directors more than once. She acted in Bertrand Blier's Beau-père (1981) and Notre Histoire (1984), and would find Godard again in Detective (1984). She starred in Bruno Chiche's Le pinceau à lèvres (1990) and Barnie et ses petites contrariétés (2000). To date she has worked with Tonie Marshall three times: in Enfants de salaud (1996), Vénus beauté (institut) (1999), which earned her another César nomination, and France boutique (2002). She has also starred in Jeanne Labrune's films Si je t'aime, prends garde à toi (1998) and Ca ira mieux demain (2000), and in Xavier Beauvois's Selon Matthieu (2000) and Le petit lieutenant (2004). Baye played leading roles in Philippe Labro's Rive droit, rive gauche (1984), Patrick Jamain's Lune de miel (1985), Alain Jessua's En toute innocence (1987), Robert Enrico's De guerre lasse (1987), Diane Kurys's LaBaule-les-Pins (1990), Nicole Garcia's Un week-end sur deux (1990) — which earned her yet another César nomination—François Margolin's Mensonge (1992), Catherine Bottaro's La mère (1995), and Alain Berberian's Paparazzi (1999).

   Baye won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at Venice for her interpretation in Frédéric Fonteyne's Une liaison pornographique in 1999. She is still prolific in the twenty-first century. She plays key roles in Gabriel Aghion's Absolument fabuleux (2001), Claude Chabrol's La Fleur du mal (2002), and Noémie Lvovsky's Les sentiments (2002). She has worked in anglophone films as well, including Stephen Poliakoff's Food of Love (1998) and Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can (2002). She continues to be regarded as a major actress in France, playing significant roles in films such as Thierry Klifa's Une vie à t'attendre (2003), Claude Berri's Un reste, l'autre part (2005), and Martial Fougeron's Je t'aime tant (2005).