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Nathalie Baye
Actor

Nathalie Baye

6 Jul 1948Born
17 Apr 2026Died
77Age at death
105Credits

Biography

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.

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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

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 105 credits.

  1. 2023Mother ValleyFilm: Hélène
  2. 2023Alibi.com 2Film: Mme Martin
  3. 2022Downton Abbey: A New EraFilm: Mme de Montmirail
  4. 2021Haute CoutureFilm: Esther
  5. 2021HimFilm: Mother
  6. 2020My Best PartFilm: Bernadette Meyer
  7. 2019Criminal: FranceSeries: Caroline Solal (1 episode)
  8. 2018ThomasFilm: Anne Lancrey
  9. 2018NoxSeries: Catherine Susini (6 episodes)
  10. 2017The GuardiansFilm: Hortense Sandrail
  11. 2017MédéeFilm: The mother
  12. 2017Alibi.comFilm: Marlène Martin
  13. 2016It's Only the End of the WorldFilm: Martine
  14. 2016MokaFilm: Marlène
  15. 2015PréjudiceFilm: Mother
  16. 2015The AssistantFilm: Marie-France
  17. 2015SK1Film: Frédérique Pons
  18. 2014Les Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'huiFilm
  19. 2014Lou!Film: Jeanne (La grand-mère)
  20. 2013Queens of the RingFilm: Colette
  21. 2012Laurence AnywaysFilm: Julienne Alia
  22. 2012SpinSeries: Anne Visage (6 episodes)
  23. 2011Bye ByeFilm: Cécile
  24. 2011Hitler in HollywoodFilm: Nathalie Baye
  25. 2010Small WorldFilm: Elisabeth Senn
  26. 2010Beautiful LiesFilm: Mady
  27. 2010The Great RestaurantFilm: Une cliente du restaurant
  28. 2010Together Is Too MuchFilm: Marie-France
  29. 2009VisageFilm: Nathalie
  30. 2008God's OfficesFilm: Anne
  31. 2008Marie-OctobreFilm: Marie-Hélène Dumoulin / Marie-Octobre
  32. 2008A French GigoloFilm: Judith
  33. 2008Off and RunningFilm: Irène Montier-Duval
  34. 2007The Price to PayFilm: Odile Ménard
  35. 2007ActeurFilm: Camille
  36. 2007Michou d'AuberFilm: Gisèle
  37. 2006Tell No OneFilm: Elysabeth Feldman
  38. 2006La CalifornieFilm: Maguy
  39. 2006My SonFilm: Mother / La mère
  40. 2005The Young LieutenantFilm: Commandant Vaudieu
  41. 2005One Stays, the Other LeavesFilm: Fanny
  42. 2004I've Been Waiting So LongFilm: Jeanne
  43. 2003France BoutiqueFilm: Sofia
  44. 2003FeelingsFilm: Carole
  45. 2003The Flower of EvilFilm: Anne Charpin-Vasseur
  46. 2002Catch Me If You CanFilm: Paula Abagnale
  47. 2002L’enfant des lumièresSeries: la comtesse Diane de Breyves (2 episodes)
  48. 2001Absolutely FabulousFilm: Patricia 'Patsy' Laroche
  49. 2001Barnie's Minor AnnoyancesFilm: Lucie
  50. 2001To MathieuFilm: Claire
  51. 2000Tomorrow's Another DayFilm: Sophie
  52. 1999An Affair of LoveFilm: Her
  53. 1999Venus Beauty InstituteFilm: Angèle Piana
  54. 1998Beware of My LoveFilm: Muriel
  55. 1998PaparazziFilm: Nicole, de l'agence Magma
  56. 1997Food of LoveFilm: Michele
  57. 1996Enfants de salaudFilm: Sophie
  58. 1996Les Enfoirés 1996 - La Soirée des EnfoirésFilm
  59. 1994The MachineFilm: Marie Lacroix
  60. 1993And the Band Played OnFilm: Dr. Françoise Barre
  61. 1993MensongeFilm: Emma
  62. 1993Les contes sauvagesFilm: Narrator (voice)
  63. 1992The VoiceFilm: Lorraine
  64. 1992From Time to TimeFilm: Madame de Pompadour
  65. 1990The Man InsideFilm: Christine
  66. 1990Every Other WeekendFilm: Camille Valmont
  67. 1990C'est La VieFilm: Lena
  68. 1989Massacre PlayFilm: Bella
  69. 1988No Harm IntendedFilm: Catherine Duchêne
  70. 1987Engagements of the HeartFilm: Alice
  71. 1985HoneymoonFilm: Cécile Carline
  72. 1985Beethoven's NephewFilm: Leonore
  73. 1985DetectiveFilm: Françoise Chenal
  74. 1984Rive droite, rive gaucheFilm: Sacha Vernakis
  75. 1984Our StoryFilm: Donatienne Pouget / Marie-Thérèse Chatelard / Geneviève Avranche
  76. 1983I Married a ShadowFilm: Hélène
  77. 1982La BalanceFilm: Nicole Danet
  78. 1982The Return of Martin GuerreFilm: Bertrande de Rols
  79. 1982Short MemoryFilm: Judith Mesnil
  80. 1981Strange AffairFilm: Nina Coline

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.