Isabelle Adjani

Born on June 27, 1955, in Paris, France, Isabelle Adjani ranks among the most prominent figures in French cinema. She began her career performing on stage with the Comédie Française before departing the company in 1972 to focus on motion pictures. Her initial feature appearance in the 1974 release La Gifle immediately signaled a level of ability unlikely to be equaled in her native country for years to come. Nominations for both an Oscar and a César arrived with her follow-up project, François Truffaut’s L’Histoire d’Adèle H. in 1975, after which she appeared in numerous productions across France and Hollywood, among them Nosferatu (1979), Bronte Sisters (1979), Possession (1981), Ishtar (1987), Diabolique (1996), and Bon Voyage (2003), ultimately securing four César awards, a record total. In 1983 Adjani further surprised audiences by entering the French pop market with a million-selling album whose track “Pull Marine” had been penned by Serge Gainsbourg.