Isabelle Adjani

Isabelle Adjani

Isabelle Adjani (born June 27, 1955) is a French actress. She is one of the most acclaimed and internationally recognized French actresses. She has won five César Awards, two Silver Bears, a Golden Globe Award, and a BAFTA Award. She is the only actress to have won the César Award for Best Actress five times.

Adjani was born in Paris, France, to a Kabyle Algerian father, Mohammed Adjani, and a German mother, Augusta. She began her acting career at the age of 14, appearing in the television film Le Secret des Flamands (1970). She made her film debut in La Gifle (1974), for which she won the César Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Adjani gained international recognition for her role in the 1975 film The Story of Adele H., for which she won the César Award for Best Actress and the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival. She went on to star in a number of successful films, including The Tenant (1976), Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), Possession (1981), One Deadly Summer (1983), Camille Claudel (1988), La Reine Margot (1994), and Skirt Day (2009).

Adjani has also appeared in a number of English-language films, including Mary Queen of Scots (1971), The Driver (1978), Quartet (1981), Ishtar (1987), and The Protégé (2021).

Adjani has been praised for her versatility and her ability to portray a wide range of characters. She is considered one of the greatest actresses of her generation.

Personal life

Adjani has two children, a son, Barnabé Nuytten (born 1979), with director Bruno Nuytten, and a daughter, Pauline Lecène (born 1999), with actor Daniel Day-Lewis. She has been married twice, to actor Daniel Day-Lewis (1995-1996) and to director Jean-Michel Jarre (2002-2004).

Awards and nominations

• César Awards

  • Best Supporting Actress (1975) - La Gifle
  • Best Actress (1976) - The Story of Adele H.
  • Best Actress (1982) - Possession
  • Best Actress (1989) - Camille Claudel
  • Best Actress (1995) - La Reine Margot

• Berlin International Film Festival

  • Silver Bear for Best Actress (1976) - The Story of Adele H.
  • Silver Bear for Best Actress (1981) - Possession

• Golden Globe Awards

  • Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama (1982) - Possession

• BAFTA Awards

  • Best Actress in a Leading Role (1983) - One Deadly Summer

• Cannes Film Festival

  • Best Actress Award (2010) - Skirt Day

• Venice Film Festival

  • Volpi Cup for Best Actress (1983) - One Deadly Summer
  • Golden Lion for Best Film (1988) - Camille Claudel

• San Sebastián International Film Festival

  • Best Actress Award (1976) - The Story of Adele H.