Biography
Who is Mélanie Laurent?
Early life and background
Mélanie Laurent was born on February 21, 1983, in Paris, France. Her mother, Annick, worked as a ballerina, while her father, Pierre Laurent, is a voiceover actor who voiced Ned Flanders in the French version of The Simpsons. She grew up in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Her father is from Nancy, and her mother is of Polish-Jewish and Tunisian-Jewish descent. Her grandfather survived deportation from Poland during the Nazi occupation, and her maternal grandparents worked as film poster editors.
Acting career and breakthrough
Mélanie Laurent appeared in several minor film roles early in her career, including Michel Blanc's Summer Things, Jackie Chan's Rice Rhapsody, and Jacques Audiard's The Beat That My Heart Skipped. Her breakthrough role came in 2006 when she starred in Philippe Lioret's drama Don't Worry, I'm Fine. For her performance as a nineteen-year-old longing for her lost twin brother, she won a César Award for Most Promising Actress and the Prix Romy Schneider. That same year, she won the Étoiles d'Or for Best Female Newcomer for her work in the comedy Dikkenek.
Hollywood debut and international success
Mélanie Laurent made her Hollywood debut in 2009 playing Shosanna Dreyfus in Quentin Tarantino's blockbuster war film Inglourious Basterds. For the role, she learned to speak English for specific scenes and performed alongside a cast that included Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz. The film was a major commercial and critical success, grossing over $321 million worldwide. Her performance earned her several accolades, including the Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress and the Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress.
Directing and other artistic work
In addition to her acting career, Mélanie Laurent expanded into filmmaking and music. Her debut as a filmmaker came with the short film De moins en moins in 2008. She directed her first feature film, The Adopted, in 2011. Her second directorial feature, Respire, was screened in the Critics' Week section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. She has also directed documentaries, winning a César Award for Best Documentary Film for one of her later projects.
Birthday and age
Mélanie Laurent was born on February 21, 1983, which makes Mélanie 43 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Mélanie shares the date with 32 other famous people.
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