BAYE, NATHALIE

(1951- )

Actress. Nathalie Baye first appeared in cinema in Robert Wise's American filmTwo People(1972). She made her debut in French film in Nina Companeez'sFaustine et le bel été(1973), and later played a small part inFrançois Truffaut'sLa Nuit américaine. Baye would rejoin Truffaut forL'homme qui aimait les femmes(1977) andLa Chambre Verte(1978). She partook in Michel Pascal's homage,François Truffaut:portraits volés(1992).

Some of Baye's first major roles were in Maurice Pialat'sLa geule ouverte(1974), Alain Cavalier'sLe plein de super(1976), Philippe Monnier'sMonsieur Papa, and Daniel Vigne'sLe retour de Martin Guerre(1981).She received her firstCésarnomination for Best Actress inBertrand Tavernier'sUne semaine de vacances(1980). In the early 1980s, she won three consecutive Césars: Best Supporting Actress inJean-Luc Godard'sSauve qui peut(la vie) in 1981, Best Supporting Actress in Pierre Granier-Deferre'sUne étrange affairein 1982, and Best Actress in Bob Swaim'sLa balancein 1983. She gained another César nomination for her performance in Robin Davis'sJ'ai épousé une ombre(1983).

Baye would team with several prominent directors more than once. She acted inBertrand Blier'sBeau-père(1981) andNotre Histoire(1984), and would find Godard again inDetective(1984). She starred in Bruno Chiche'sLe pinceau à lèvres(1990) andBarnie et ses petites contrariétés(2000). To date she has worked withTonie Marshallthree times: inEnfants de salaud(1996),Vénus beauté(institut) (1999), which earned her another César nomination, andFrance boutique(2002). She has also starred in Jeanne Labrune's filmsSi je t'aime,prends garde à toi(1998) andCa ira mieux demain(2000), and in Xavier Beauvois'sSelon Matthieu(2000) andLe petit lieutenant(2004). Baye played leading roles in Philippe Labro'sRive droit,rive gauche(1984), Patrick Jamain'sLune de miel(1985), Alain Jessua'sEn toute innocence(1987), Robert Enrico'sDe guerre lasse(1987), Diane Kurys'sLaBaule-les-Pins(1990),Nicole Garcia'sUn week-end sur deux(1990) — which earned her yet another César nomination—François Margolin'sMensonge(1992), Catherine Bottaro'sLa mère(1995), and Alain Berberian'sPaparazzi(1999).

Baye won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at Venice for her interpretation in Frédéric Fonteyne'sUne liaison pornographiquein 1999. She is still prolific in the twenty-first century. She plays key roles in Gabriel Aghion'sAbsolument fabuleux(2001),Claude Chabrol'sLa Fleur du mal(2002), and Noémie Lvovsky'sLes sentiments(2002). She has worked in anglophone films as well, including Stephen Poliakoff'sFood of Love(1998) and Steven Spielberg'sCatch Me If You Can(2002). She continues to be regarded as a major actress in France, playing significant roles in films such as Thierry Klifa'sUne vie à t'attendre(2003),Claude Berri'sUn reste,l'autre part(2005), and Martial Fougeron'sJe t'aime tant(2005).