Isabelle Adjani
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Isabelle Yasmine Adjani (born 27 June 1955) is a French actress and singer of Algerian and German descent. She has received various accolades, including five César Awards and a Lumière Award, along with nominations for two Academy Awards. Adjani was made a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur in 2010 and a Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2014.
Adjani has won a record five Césars for Best Actress for Possession (1981), One Deadly Summer (1983), Camille Claudel (1988), La Reine Margot (1994), and La Journée de la jupe (2009). Her other César-nominated roles were in The Story of Adèle H. (1975), Barocco (1976), Subway (1985), and The World Is Yours (2018). Other notable films include The Slap (1974), The Tenant (1976), The Driver (1978), Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), All Fired Up (1982), Deadly Circuit (1983), Ishtar (1987), Diabolique (1996), Adolphe (2002), Bon voyage (2003), French Women (2014), and Peter von Kant (2022).
Adjani came to international prominence for her portrayal of Adèle Hugo in The Story of Adele H., for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress at age 20, becoming the youngest nominee in the category at the time. She later collected a second Best Actress nomination for portraying Camille Claudel in Camille Claudel, thus becoming the first French actress to receive two Academy Award nominations for foreign-language films. Adjani also won the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actress Award for her performances in Possession and Quartet (1981), which makes her the only actress to win a joint award for two films in the same competition slate, and the Berlinale's Silver Bear for Best Actress for Camille Claudel.
Early life and educationEdit
Isabelle Yasmine Adjani was born on 27 June 1955 in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, to Mohammed Cherif Adjani, an Algerian Muslim from Constantine, and Emma Augusta "Gusti" Schweinberger, a German Catholic from Bavaria.<ref name="Allmovie">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="David2008">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="People">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Adjani's parents met near the end of World War II, when her father was in the French Army and stationed in Germany. They married and her mother returned with him to Paris, despite not speaking a word of French.<ref>Isabelle Adjani : "Mon père, kabyle, s'était engagé dans l'armée française à 16 ans, et c'est en remontant d'Italie jusqu'en Bavière à la fin de la seconde guerre mondiale qu'il rencontre et séduit ma mère" Interview with Isabelle Adjani, Télérama, 31 March 2009</ref><ref>"A German woman met in Bavaria who was married at the end of the Second World War by Mohammed Adjani, a Kabyle soldier in the French army", Jean de La Guérivière, Amère Méditerranée: Le Maghreb et nous, Seuil, 2004, p.391</ref> She asked him to take Cherif as his first name as she thought it sounded more "American".<ref>"My mother was Bavarian. She felt very uncomfortable in France, where she had arrived without speaking a word of French. She couldn't stand the fact that her husband was Algerian. She said he was of Turkish origin and I believed her. Between my parents, there was conjugal racism. My mother used to call my father a jerk and my father would say, "You dirty Kraut." His name was Mohammed but my mother had forced him to change his first name. On our mailbox, there was: Cherif Adjani. My mother thought it looked American."Adjani la vérité, Interview Isabelle Adjani, Le Nouvel Observateur, 1985</ref>
Isabelle grew up bilingual, speaking French and German fluently,<ref name="Yahoo! Movies">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Film Reference">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> in Gennevilliers, a northwestern suburb of Paris, where her father worked in a garage.<ref name="NYT" /> After winning a school recitation contest, Adjani began acting by the age of 12 in amateur theater. She successfully passed her baccalauréat and was auditing classes at the University of Vincennes in 1976.<ref name="People" />
Adjani had a younger brother, Éric, who was a photographer. He died on 25 December 2010, aged 53.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Acting careerEdit
At the age of 14, Adjani starred in her first motion picture, Template:Ill (1970).<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 0000254
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}}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:IMDb name with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|showblankpositional=1| 1 | 2 | id | name | section }}</ref> She first gained fame as a classical actress at the Comédie-Française, which she joined in 1972. She was praised for her interpretation of Agnès, the main female role in Molière's L'École des femmes. She soon left the theatre to pursue a film career.
After minor roles in several films, she enjoyed modest success in the 1974 film La Gifle (The Slap), which François Truffaut saw. He immediately cast her in her first major role in The Story of Adèle H. (1975), a project that he had finished writing five years prior but had waited to cast the right actress for the part. Critics unanimously praised her performance,<ref name=People/> with the American critic Pauline Kael describing her acting talents as "prodigious".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Only 19 when she made the film, Adjani was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, becoming the youngest Best Actress nominee at the time (a record she held for almost 30 years). She quickly received offers for roles in Hollywood films, such as Walter Hill's 1978 crime thriller The Driver. She had previously turned down the chance to star in films like The Other Side of Midnight. She had described Hollywood as a "city of fiction" and said, "I'm not an American. I didn't grow up with that will to win an award." Truffaut on the other hand said, "France is too small for her. I think Isabelle is made for American cinema."<ref name="People" /> She agreed to make The Driver because she was an admirer of Hill's first film Hard Times. Adjani said:
I think he is wonderful, very much in the tradition of Howard Hawks, lean and spare. The story is contemporary but also very stylized, and the roles that Ryan and I play are like Bogart and Bacall. We are both gamblers in our souls and we do not show our emotions or say a lot. For us, talk is cheap. I am really quite a mysterious girl in this film, with no name and no background. And I must say that it is restful not to have a life behind me; this way, I don't have to dig deep to play the part. All I know is that life for me is gambling and I am a loser. I have what people call a poker face.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The film was seen more than 1.1 million times in Adjani's native France but did not do as well in the US.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
She played Lucy in the German director Werner Herzog's 1979 remake of Nosferatu which was well-received critically and performed well at box offices in Europe.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Roger Ebert loved the film, calling Herzog's casting of Adjani one of his "masterstrokes" in the film. He wrote that she "is used here not only for her facial perfection but for her curious quality of seeming to exist on an ethereal plane."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The cast and the crew filmed both English- and German-language versions simultaneously upon request of 20th Century Fox, the American distributor,<ref name="horrordvds">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> as Kinski and Bruno Ganz could act more confidently in their native language.
In 1981, she received a double Cannes Film Festival's Best Actress award for her roles in the Merchant Ivory film Quartet, based on the novel by Jean Rhys, and in the horror film Possession (1981). The following year, she received her first César Award for Possession, in which she had portrayed a woman having a nervous breakdown.
In 1983, she won her second César for her depiction of a vengeful woman in the French blockbuster One Deadly Summer, and starred with Michel Serrault in the black diamond thriller Deadly Circuit directed by Claude Miller. That same year, Adjani released the French pop album Pull marine, written and produced by Serge Gainsbourg. She then starred in a music video for the hit title song, Pull Marine, which was directed by Luc Besson.
Adjani also drew controversy at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival when she refused to attend a traditional photocall after the press conference for One Deadly Summer. Adjani was annoyed at the time by the intrusion of photographers into her private life. The photographers in Cannes boycotted Adjani upon her arrival on the red carpet for the premiere, at which point they put down their cameras and turned their backs to her.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 1988, she co-produced and starred in a biopic of the sculptor Camille Claudel. She received her third César and second Oscar nomination for her role in the film, becoming the first French actress to receive two Oscar nominations. The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
She received her fourth César for the 1994 film Queen Margot, an ensemble epic directed by Patrice Chéreau. She received her fifth César for Skirt Day (2009), the most that any actress has received. The film features her as a middle school teacher in a troubled French suburb who takes her class hostage when she accidentally fires off a gun she found on one of her students. It was premiered on the French Arte channel on 20 March 2009, attaining a record 2.2 million viewers) and then in movie theaters on 25 March 2009.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The film was her return to the cinema after eight years of absence.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 2010, she made an appearance in the social comedy Mammuth, from directors Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern, and in which she played the phantom of Gérard Depardieu's first love.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The same year, she lent her voice to the character of Mother Gothel in the French version of the animated film Tangled.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2011, she co-starred in De Force, the first film directed by Frank Henry. She embodied the commander Clara Damico, head of the brigade for the repression of banditry.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
She became the first French actress to star in a Bollywood film, playing the mother of Preity Zinta in the 2013 romantic comedy Ishkq in Paris, directed by Prem Soni and alongside Shekhar Kapur.
She joined the comedy The World Is Yours, playing the eccentric Dany, directed by Romain Gavras alongside Vincent Cassel, which entered into the Directors' Fortnight during the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
In 2022, she played the movie star Sidonie von Grassenabb in the comedy drama Peter von Kant, tribute to Rainer Werner Fassbinder's The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, directed by François Ozon alongside Denis Ménochet, which entered as the opening film into the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival.
In 2023, Adjani released her second French pop album Bande originale, written and produced by Pascal Obispo, and arranged by Cécile DeLaurentis. She also joined the Netflix action film Wingwomen, directed by Mélanie Laurent, and then, the Netflix miniseries The Perfect Couple directed by Susanne Bier, alongside Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Personal lifeEdit
In 1979, Adjani had a son, Barnabé Saïd-Nuytten, with the cinematographer Bruno Nuytten.<ref name="Yahoo! Movies"/> She later hired Nuytten to direct her project Camille Claudel, a biopic of the sculptor who was the lover of Rodin.<ref name=NYT>Template:Cite news</ref>
During the mid-eighties, she had a relationship with Warren Beatty. He convinced her to appear with him in the epic comedy Ishtar, directed by Elaine May, co-starring Dustin Hoffman, and shot in Morocco.Template:Citation needed
From 1989 to 1995, she had a relationship with Daniel Day-Lewis,<ref name="Yahoo! Movies" /> which ended before the birth of their son, Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis, in 1995.<ref name="times" />
Adjani was later engaged to the composer Jean-Michel Jarre; they broke up in 2004.<ref name='times'>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 14 December 2023, Adjani was handed a two-year suspended sentence for tax fraud.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Political viewsEdit
Adjani has been vocal against anti-immigrant and anti-Algerian sentiments in France.<ref name="NYT" /> In 2009, she criticized statements by Pope Benedict XVI, who claimed that condoms are not an effective method of AIDS prevention.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In September 2009, she signed a petition in support of Roman Polanski, calling for his release after he was arrested in Switzerland in relation to his sexual abuse case.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 2017, Adjani was interviewed by Template:Ill on the French public radio station France Inter. During the interview, she expressed her vaccine hesitancy and opposition to mandatory vaccination.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2018 Adjani signed a letter calling to act "firmly and immediately" for stopping climate change and biodiversity loss.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Performances and worksEdit
FilmEdit
TelevisionEdit
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | L'école des femmes | Agnès | Raymond Rouleau | Television film produced by the Comédie-Française |
| 1974 | L'Avare | Mariane | René Lucot | |
| Le Secret des Flamands | Maria | Robert Valey | Miniseries; 4 episodes | |
| 1975 | Ondine | Ondine | Raymond Rouleau | Television film produced by the Comédie-Française |
| 2008 | Figaro | Countess Almaviva | Jacques Weber | Television film |
| 2011 | Aïcha | Doctor Assoussa | Yamina Benguigui | Episode: "Job à tout prix" |
| 2017 | Call My Agent! (Dix pour cent) | Herself | Jeanne Herry | Episode: "Isabelle" |
| 2018 | Capitaine Marleau | Isabelle Laumont | Josée Dayan | Episode: "Ne plus mourir jamais" |
| 2022 | Diane de Poitiers, la plus que reine | Diane de Poitiers | Miniseries; 2 episodes | |
| 2023 | Adieu Vinyle | Eve Faugère | Television film | |
| 2024 | The Perfect Couple | Isabel Nallet | Susanne Bier | Miniseries; 5 episodes |
| 2025 | Soleil noir | TBA | Marie Jardillier Edouard Salier | Miniseries; 6 episodes |
StageEdit
Music videosEdit
As lead artistEdit
| Title | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| "Pull marine" | 1984 | Luc Besson |
| "Princesse au petit pois" | 1986 | Jean-Paul Seaulieu |
| "Où tu ne m'attendais pas" | 2024 | Alexandre Mattiussi |
As featured artistEdit
| Title | Year | Main artist(s) | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Meet Me by the Gates" | 2019 | The Penelopes | Nicolas Bary |
| "Quelques mots" | 2022 | Malik Djoudi | Antoine Carlier |
As guest appearanceEdit
| Title | Year | Artist | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Y'a pas un homme qui soit né pour ça" | 2004 | Pascal Obispo feat. Florent Pagny and Calogero | Pascal Obispo |
DiscographyEdit
- 1983: Pull Marine by Serge Gainsbourg (Mercury/Universal)
- 1983: Journal by Alice James (Audiobook Éditions des Femmes)
- 1986: Princesse au petit pois / Léon dit (Mercury)
- 2003: Bon voyage (original film soundtrack Bon voyage by Jean-Paul Rappeneau)
- 2004: On ne sert à rien, by and with Pascal Obispo (album Sidaction, Ensemble contre le Sida, 10 ans ensemble)
- 2005: Je ne peux plus dire je t'aime, by and with Jacques Higelin (album Higelin Entre 2 Gares) (EMI)
- 2008: Wo wo wo wo, by and with Christophe (album Aimer ce que nous sommes)
- 2018 : Albert Camus et Maria Casarès, Correspondance (1944-1959) with Lambert Wilson (Audiobook Gallimard)
- 2018: D'accord, by and with Pascal Obispo, with Youssou N'Dour (album Obispo)
- 2019: Meet me by the Gates, by and with The Penelopes
- 2021: Revolution #49 (album Hey Clockface / La Face de pendule à coucou by Elvis Costello)
- 2021: Sous le soleil exactement (album Les Pianos de Gainsbourg by André Manoukian)
- 2021: Quelques mots, by and with Malik Djoudi (album Troie)
- 2022: The Last Goodbye, with The Penelopes
- 2022: Jeder tötet was er liebt (original film soundtrack Peter von Kant by François Ozon)
- 2023: Adjani, Bande Originale (Warner Music International)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
BibliographyEdit
- 2024: Du côté de chez Marilyn, written with Olivier Steiner (L'Observatoire)
Accolades and honoursEdit
Adjani was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour on 14 July 2010 for her contributions to the arts.<ref>"Légion d'honneur : Aubrac, Bouygues, Pérol, Adjani, Bolling parmi les promus", Le Monde, 14 juillet 2010</ref> She was appointed Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2014.
See alsoEdit
- Maghrebian community of Paris
- List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees – Youngest nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role
- List of actors with Academy Award nominations
- List of French Academy Award winners and nominees
- Legion of Honour
- Legion of Honour Museum
- List of Legion of Honour recipients by name (A)
- Ribbons of the French military and civil awards
NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
- Adjani, Isabelle (1980). Isabelle Adjani in : Jean-Luc Douin (Hrsg.): Comédiennes aujourd'hui : au micro et sous le regard. Paris: Lherminier. Template:ISBN
- Austin, Guy (2003). Foreign bodies: Jean Seberg and Isabelle Adjani, S. 91–106 in: ders., Stars in Modern French Film. London: Arnold. Template:ISBN
- Austin, Guy (2006). Telling the truth can be a dangerous business : Isabelle Adjani, race and stardom, in : Remapping World Cinema : Identity, Culture and Politics in Film, herausgegeben von Stephanie Dennison und Song Hwee Lim, London: Wallflower Press. Template:ISBN
- Halberstadt, Michèle (2002). Adjani aux pieds nus – Journal de la repentie. Paris: Editions Calmann-Lévy. Template:ISBN
- Roques-Briscard, Christian (1987). La passion d'Adjani, Lausanne et al.: Favre. Template:ISBN
- Zurhorst, Meinolf (1992). Isabelle Adjani : ihre Filme, ihr Leben. Heyne Film- und Fernsehbibliothek, Band 163. München: Heyne. Template:ISBN
- Rissa, Alvaro (pseudonimo di Walter Lapini) (2015), Ode an Isabelle, in Antologia della letteratura greca e Latina, Genova: Il Melangolo. Template:ISBN
- d'Estais, Jérôme Possession, Tentatives d'exorcisme, Editions Rouge profond, 2019 (Template:ISBN)
External linksEdit
Template:Sister project Template:Sister project
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