Isabelle Adjani

Adjani's rise to prominence came early. At the age of 20, she was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of Adèle Hugo in The Story of Adèle H., making her the youngest nominee in that category at the time. She later received a second Oscar nomination for her role in Camille Claudel, becoming the first French actress to earn two Oscar nominations for foreign-language films. Her César-winning performances include Possession, One Deadly Summer, Camille Claudel, La Reine Margot, and La Journée de la jupe. She also won the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actress Award for Possession and Quartet in 1981, the only actress to win a joint award for two films in the same competition slate.

Beyond her screen work, Adjani has also been a recording artist. In 1983, she released the pop album Pull marine, written and produced by Serge Gainsbourg, and in 2023 she released a second album, Bande originale. In her personal life, she has two sons, one with cinematographer Bruno Nuytten and another with actor Daniel Day-Lewis. She has also been outspoken on political issues, including opposing anti-immigrant sentiments in France and criticizing Pope Benedict XVI's comments on condoms. In 2010, she was made a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, and in 2014, a Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.