La Vie d'Actrice
Film, Theater, TV and Trivia

1960s

Pre-star: born in Paris, she passed her childhood in Ville d'Avray and high shoold studies in Saint-Cloud, (Ile de France, Hauts de Seine), then prepared her licence in Russian in college. Meanwhile, she took the drama courses at the school de le rue Blanche and the National Conservatoire of Drama in Paris, appeared on television ( where she also played extra roles), in Marcel Proust's show and in "Madame Baptise" (1974) of Claude Santelli, and débute those samll roles in cinema. In theater, she worked under the directions of Antonie Vitez and Robert Hossein. In 1974, She joined the troup, and came to the U.S. to play "L'Avare" in the universities, therefore she has been to 26 states.

1972

1972-1976: her film debute was "Fautine et le bel été" in 1971, and she was the kid sister of Romy Schneide in "Cesar et Rosalie" by Claude Sautet in 1972. Her most impressive role during this period, is the last-5-minute appearance in Bertrand Blier's "Les Valseuses" (aka: "Going Places") in 1974, where she played a 16-year-old virgin Jacqueline, who revolted her parents and died for running away with Depardieu-Dewaere-Miou-Miou three-gang-bang. She also worked with Otto Preminger in "Rosebud" (1975), Bertrand Tavernier in "The Judge and the Assassin" (1976)- which won her Le Prix Suzanne Bianchetti - Award for breakthrough actress, Liliane de Kermadec in Aloïse (1975) - her first film at Cannes.

1976

1977-1987: It's "Lacemaker" (aka: La Dentelliere) in 1977 first time brought her international stardom. The film was the most talk-about at Cannes Film Festival, and she was scandalously lost the Best Actress Award. In the following year, she made a strong back, with Claude Chabrol's "Violette Noziere", and triumphed. Since then, she became one of the most-wanted actresses, absolutely busiest one in Europe. From 1977 to 1983, she made 16 films in 6 years! (5 films in 18 months between 1978-80!). Her image of teenage or post-adolescent victim seemed permanent, she kept taking the roles in the films like "Les Indiens sont encore loin" (1976), "Retour à la bien-aimée" (1979), "La Dame aux Camelias" (1980), "The Heiresses"(1980), "Les Ailes de la Colombe" (1980), "Les Soeurs Brontë" (1979), all ended up dying young.

Being famous means having more opportunities to make good films, Isabelle thus worked with many top European directors: Jean-Luc Godard - "Sauve qui peut (la vie)" (1979) and "Passion" (1982), Bertrand Tavernier (who cast her again) - "Coup de Torchon" (1981), Maurice Pialat -"LouLou" (1980), Joseph Losey - "La Truite" (1982), Michel Deville - "Eaux Profondes" (1981), and went to USA to make her first American film - Michael Cimino's "Heaven's Gate" (1980), though, the film became the most disastrous film in history. The Gate of Hollywood is never open up to her.

1978

After many years simply living from film to film, Isabelle eventually felt tired by the summer of 1982. Having finished shooting "La Truite", she set out for a 3-month personal travel in Italy, despite of Diane Kurys, the director/scriptwriter of "Coup de Foudre" (aka: "Enter Nous" in USA), dying for her to play Lena, modeled from Diane's own mother. Isabelle was hesitant to take the role (later on proved to be one of the finest roles in her career) because she was worried that she could not play a mother convincingly. However, she took the role, and initialized a close friendship with Diane Kurys since then.

After Bertrand Blier's "My Best Friend's Girl" (1983), Isabelle stopped working for about 9 months, to give birth and take care of her first child - Lolita (born on October 1, 1983). Besides the happiness of a new mother, it was relatively a slack period in Isabelle's film career. She felt depressed, uncertained, (which can be told through many interviews made then) because the film market was so unpredictable. By the time with over 30 films in her account, she still, unfortunately, had yet won any domestic César Award. She turned to question herself and went to see psychologist regularly for 7 years.

1983

Slowly recovering, she returned to work in early of 1984, but would rather chose to work with her close friends: Christine Pascal in "La Garce"(1984), Josiane Balasko in "Sac de Noeuds"(1985), and her sister Caroline Huppert in "Sincerely Charlotte" (1985), or went abroad: Paul Cox in Australia for "Cactus" (1986), Curtis Hanson in USA for "Bedroom Window" (1986), Ronald Chammah in Italy for "Milan Noir" (1987) and Andrzej Wajda in Poland for "Les Possedes" (1987). In this last film, she appeared heavily pregnant.

From 1983 to 1987, She lived calmly, maybe happily too, in her personal life outside the circle of French Cinema. The second child Lorenzo was born at the end of 1987 (or early of 1988).

1988

1988-1996: "Story of Women" marks her return to France's cinema with the Best Actress Award at 1988's Venice Film Festival. Reunited with Claude Chabrol after 10 years, the film was one of the most highly acclaimed films of the year. Without waiting for another 10 years, Huppert-Chabrol threw to work together regularly: Madame Bovary (1990), "La Ceremonie" (1995), and "Rien ne va plus" (1997). For "La Ceremonie", Isabelle not only won her second Venice Best Actress Award, but also won her first and the only César Award (so far) after 7 nominations in past 20 years. The fame came to her fairly late, and once again for a Chabrol film. In her accepting speech at Cesar Night, she acknowledged Chabrol, by saying, "Claude, my most beautiful cinema belongs to you. This Cesar is donated to you. It's yours!".

1996

Still, she kept working with foreign directors, such as German Werner Schroeter - Malina (1991), Ukrainian Igor Minayev - L'Inondation (1994), Amercian Hal Hatley - Amateur (1994) and Italian Taviani Brothers - The Eelective Affinaties (1996). Her mermorable French films in this period include Christian Vincent's La Separation (1994) and Diane Kurys' Apres l'Amour (1992). She also came back to theater since 1977, started from 1988's "Un Mois à La Campagne", to 1993 & 94's "Orlando", and 1996's "Mary Stuart" at London Royal National Theater. In 1997, due to the pregnancy, Isabelle had to withdraw from Maison de Poupée d'Ibsen, avec Deborah Warner - the project that she initialized and aspired for. "I made a choice. The painful moment passed".

2001

1997-present: After giving birth of her third child Angelo (September, 1997), she reunited Benoit Jacquot, with whom she made "Wings of Dove" in 1981, for "School of Flesh". The film was started in Feb 1998 and was wrapped up only two days before Cannes announcements of the official selections for Competition at 1998 Festvial de Cannes. "School of Flesh" was made in due to Isabelle's exceptional performance. Since 1998, Benoit Jacquot and Isabelle would work on three films subsequently in 2 years: "School of Flesh" (1998), "Pas de Scandale" (1999) and "La Fausse Suivante" (2000).

Entering the forth decade of her career, Isabelle continues confirming her prominent position in French Cinema, constantly working 2 or 3 films every year. Besides working with veteran directors, such as Raoul Ruiz - "Comedy of Innocence" (2000), Claude Chabrol - "Merci pour le Chocolat" - the sixth collaboration won her Best Actress at 2000's Montreal International Film Festival, She also works with the directors of younger generation, such as Laurence Ferreira Barbosa in "La Vie Moderne" (1999), Patrica. Mazuy in "Saint-cyr" (2000), Olivier Ossayas in "Les Destinees Sentimentales" (2000) , even more younger directors like Francois Ozon in "8 Femmes"(2001) and Olivier Dahan in "La Vie Promise"(2002).

2002

"La Pianiste" (2001) by Michael Haneke brought her back to the top again, with the Prix de Cannes for the second time, 2001 Best European Actress, among others. She was also named as the top five film figures in France in 2001 and 2002 subsequently (voted by Cinéma Français). The Most Loved Actress in the year of 2002 polled by Studio Magazine.

Her stage performance includes 2000-01's Medee, 2002-03's "4.48 Psychose", 2003's opera "Joan of Arc", and 2004-05's "Hedda Gable".