Nathalie Baye
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Nathalie Marie Andrée Baye (July 6, 1948 – April 17, 2026) was a French film, television, and stage actress. She began her career in 1970 and has appeared in more than 80 films. A ten-time César Award nominee, her four wins were for Every Man for Himself (1980), Strange Affair (1981), La Balance (1982), and The Young Lieutenant (2005). Her other films include Day for Night (1973), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Tell No One (2006), and The Assistant (2015). In 2009, she was appointed a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. Baye was born in Mainneville, Eure, Normandy to Claude Baye and Denise Coustet, two painters. At 14, she joined a school of dance in Monaco. Three years later she went to the United States. On returning to France, she continued with dance but also registered for the Simon Course and was admitted to the Conservatoire, from where she graduated in 1972 with a second prize in comedy, dramatic comedy, and foreign theatre. Her second cinema appearance was in Two People (1973), directed by Robert Wise. She became better known as the script girl in Day for Night (La Nuit américaine, 1973) by François Truffaut. Throughout the 1970s, she played the good girlfriend or nice provincial girl in film and television. She won her first César, as best supporting artist, for Every Man for Himself (Sauve qui peut (la vie), 1980) directed by Jean-Luc Godard. There then followed The Return of Martin Guerre (Le Retour de Martin Guerre, 1982) and La Balance (also 1982). Baye won two more César Awards, Best Supporting Actress, for Strange Affair (Une étrange affaire, 1981), and Best Actress for La Balance, 1982). Her four-year relationship with Johnny Hallyday made them a celebrity couple and their daughter is Laura Smet, now an actress. After changing her image by playing a streetwalker in La Balance, she widened her scope with more obscure characters in J'ai épousé une ombre (1983) and En toute innocence (1988). In 1986, she returned to the theatre with an interpretation of Adriana Monti. In 1999, she was voted Best Supporting Actress at Venice Film Festival for Une liaison pornographique and starred in Vénus Beauté (Institut) (2000) by Tonie Marshall which won multiple César Awards including Best Film. She has worked with Claude Chabrol and Steven Spielberg. Source: Article "Nathalie Baye" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Known for
Credits
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
as Paula Abagnale
Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)
as Mme de Montmirail
Tell No One (2006)
as Elysabeth Feldman
Beau Pere (1981)
as Charlotte
It's Only the End of the World (2016)
as Martine
Bacri, comme un air de famille (2022)
as Self
Day for Night (1973)
as Joelle, the Script Girl
Haute Couture (2021)
as Esther
Alibi.com (2017)
as Marlène Martin
And the Band Played On (1993)
as Dr. Françoise Barre
Laurence Anyways (2012)
as Julienne Alia
Feelings (2003)
as Carole
C'est La Vie (1990)
as Lena
Moka (2016)
as Marlène
François Truffaut: Stolen Portraits (1993)
as Self
The Return of Martin Guerre (1982)
as Bertrande de Rols
Every Man for Himself (1980)
as Denise Rimbaud
Alibi.com 2 (2023)
as Mme Martin
An Affair of Love (1999)
as Her
The Last Woman (1976)
as la fille aux cerises
The Flower of Evil (2003)
as Anne Charpin-Vasseur
The Man Who Loved Women (1977)
as Martine Desdoits
Our Story (1984)
as Donatienne Pouget / Marie-Thérèse Chatelard / Geneviève Avranche
Detective (1985)
as Françoise Chenal
The Assistant (2015)
as Marie-France
Le soir où j'ai reçu le César 2022 (2022)
as Self
A French Gigolo (2008)
as Judith
Queens of the Ring (2013)
as Colette
Godard Cinema (2023)
as Self
Nicole Garcia, actrice-cinéaste (2023)
as Self
Rive droite, rive gauche (1984)
as Sacha Vernakis
Hitler in Hollywood (2011)
as Nathalie Baye
François Truffaut, une autobiographie (2004)
as Self
Fill 'er Up with Super (1976)
as Charlotte
Paparazzi (1998)
as Nicole, de l'agence Magma
Small World (2010)
as Elisabeth Senn
The Guardians (2017)
as Hortense Sandrail
Beethoven's Nephew (1985)
as Leonore
Les Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'hui (2014)
Actor
Lou! (2014)
as Jeanne (La grand-mère)
Marie-Octobre (2008)
as Marie-Hélène Dumoulin / Marie-Octobre
My Son (2006)
as Mother / La mère
Xavier Dolan: Bound to Impossible (2016)
as Self
Venus Beauty Institute (1999)
as Angèle Piana
One Stays, the Other Leaves (2005)
as Fanny
La Californie (2006)
as Maguy
Faustine and the Beautiful Summer (1972)
as Giselle
Jean-Pierre Léaud: The Child of Cinema (2024)
as Self - Actress
Bye Bye (2011)
as Cécile
Beautiful Lies (2010)
as Mady
Sous le soleil de Pialat (2021)
as Self
Visage (2009)
as Nathalie
Bon vent Claude Goretta (2011)
as Self
The Slap (1974)
as Christine Abeillé
Tomorrow's Another Day (2000)
as Sophie
My Best Part (2020)
as Bernadette Meyer
Michou d'Auber (2007)
as Gisèle
Médée (2017)
as The mother
François Truffaut: The Man Who Loved Cinema - The Wild Child (1996)
as Self
Solemn Communion (1977)
as Jeanne Vanderberghe
Barnie's Minor Annoyances (2001)
as Lucie
Mother Valley (2023)
as Hélène
God's Offices (2008)
as Anne
SK1 (2015)
as Frédérique Pons
The Price to Pay (2007)
as Odile Ménard
A Week's Vacation (1980)
as Laurence Cuers
A Day in the Life of French Cinema (2002)
as Self
The Machine (1994)
as Marie Lacroix
The Honeymoon Trip (1976)
as Sophie
The Green Room (1978)
as Cecilia Mandel
Beware of My Love (1998)
as Muriel
Jacques Villeret, drôlement tragique (2025)
as Self
Off and Running (2008)
as Irène Montier-Duval
I Married a Shadow (1983)
as Hélène
From Time to Time (1992)
as Madame de Pompadour
Les Enfoirés 1996 - La Soirée des Enfoirés (1996)
Actor
Sauve la vie (qui peut) (1981)
as Self (archive footage)
To Mathieu (2001)
as Claire
Voyage à travers un film (Sauve qui peut (la vie)) (1981)
as Self
I've Been Waiting So Long (2004)
as Jeanne
Every Other Weekend (1990)
as Camille Valmont
Sheila, toutes ces vies-là (2022)
as Self (archive footage)
Food of Love (1997)
as Michele
Strange Affair (1981)
as Nina Coline
Mado (1976)
as Catherine
Together Is Too Much (2010)
as Marie-France
The Voice (1992)
as Lorraine
The Young Lieutenant (2005)
as Commandant Vaudieu
La Balance (1982)
as Nicole Danet
Absolutely Fabulous (2001)
as Patricia 'Patsy' Laroche
Un jour, la fête (1975)
as Julie
Godard by Godard (2023)
as Self (archive footage)
Mensonge (1993)
as Emma
The Great Restaurant (2010)
as Une cliente du restaurant
France Boutique (2003)
as Sofia
François Truffaut: The Man Who Loved Cinema - Love & Death (1996)
as Self
Esquisse d'une jeune femme sens dessus dessous (1975)
as Fabienne Veyrier, the young woman
Rat Race (1980)
as Brigitte Ozendron
The Mouth Agape (1974)
as Nathalie
Engagements of the Heart (1987)
as Alice
The Red Shade (1981)
as Anna
Scénario de 'Sauve qui peut la vie' (1979)
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Man Inside (1990)
as Christine
Honeymoon (1985)
as Cécile Carline
La provinciale (1981)
as Christine Delumet
Him (2021)
as Mother
Monsieur Papa (1977)
as Janine
Madame Sourdis (1979)
as Adèle Sourdis
L'Inconnu (1973)
Actor
Conversation avec Nathalie Baye (2021)
as Self
Enfants de salaud (1996)
as Sophie
Soirée Pyjama (2019)
as Self - Guest
Les contes sauvages (1993)
as Narrator (voice)
Short Memory (1982)
as Judith Mesnil
Préjudice (2015)
as Mother
Massacre Play (1989)
as Bella
Mon Premier Amour (1978)
as Fabienne
No Harm Intended (1988)
as Catherine Duchêne
Acteur (2007)
as Camille
Thomas (2018)
as Anne Lancrey