# Valérie Benguigui

Valérie Benguigui (6 novembre 1965 – 2 September 2013) was a French actress and theater director. Born in Oran, Algeria, she took acting courses at the Cours Florent and the National Chaillot Theatre School. Her first film role was in Francis Huster's On a volé Charlie Spencer (1986).
Her most successful television role was in the series Avocats et Associés [fr], in which she appeared from 2000 to 2005. She also produced and directed several plays at this time. In 2012, she portrayed Élisabeth in the film What's in a Name? (Le Prénom), which earned her a César Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as a Molière Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

## Personal life

Benguigui was married to actor and restaurant manager Eric Wapler, whom she met while studying at Cours Florent. They had two children.

## Death

Benguigui died from breast cancer, aged 52, on 2 September 2013 in Paris. She had had the disease for three years. Benguigui was buried at Montparnasse Cemetery.

## Theater

| Year | Title | Author | Director | Notes |
| 1992 | La Princesse d'Élide | Molière | Jean-Luc Revol | |
| 1993 | Le Plus Heureux des trois | Eugène Labiche | Jean-Luc Revol (2) | |
| 2005 | Pour ceux qui restent | Pascal Elbé | Charles Berling | |
| 2007 | The Memory of Water | Shelagh Stephenson | Bernard Murat | |
| 2010 | What's in a Name? | Matthieu Delaporte Alexandre de la Patellière | Bernard Murat (2) | Nominated - Molière Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2012 | Le Dindon | Georges Feydeau | Bernard Murat (3) | |

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1986 | On a volé Charlie Spencer! | | Francis Huster | |
| 1989 | Palace | Various | Jean-Michel Ribes | TV series |
| 1997 | I Got a Woman | The Actress | Yvan Attal | Short |
| 1997 | La Vérité si je mens ! | Élie | Thomas Gilou | |
| 1997 | Le bonheur est un mensonge | | Patrick Dewolf | TV movie |
| 1997 | Straight into the Wall | The interpreter | Pierre Richard | |
| 1999 | Accidents | | Pascal Laëthier | Short |
| 1999 | Mes amis | The camerawoman | Michel Hazanavicius | |
| 1999 | My Father, My Mother, My Brothers and My Sisters | Martine | Charlotte de Turckheim | |
| 1999 | The Journey to Paris | | Marc-Henri Dufresne | |
| 2000 | Drug Scenes | | Isabelle Doval | TV series (1 episode) |
| 2000 | Jet Set | The Baroness | Fabien Onteniente | |
| 2001 | Chaos | Medecin | Coline Serreau | |
| 2001 | A Hell of a Day | Stéphanie | Marion Vernoux | |
| 2001 | Gregoire Moulin vs. Humanity | Madame Moulin | Artus de Penguern | |
| 2001-05 | Avocats et Associés [fr] | Nadia Botkine | Several | TV series (48 episodes) |
| 2002 | Ces jours heureux | Madame Gabison | Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache | Short |
| 2003 | Laughter and Punishment | Audrey | Isabelle Doval (2) | |
| 2004 | The Grand Role | Viviane | Steve Suissa | |
| 2004 | The Role of Her Life | Hélène | François Favrat | |
| 2005 | Let's Be Friends | Eva | Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache (2) | |
| 2005 | Cavalcade | Sexologist | Steve Suissa (2) | |
| 2006 | Hey Good Looking ! | Alice | Lisa Azuelos | |
| 2006 | Charlie Says | Charlie's mother | Nicole Garcia | |
| 2006-07 | Kaamelott | Prisca | Alexandre Astier | TV series (5 episodes) |
| 2007 | Pur week-end | Véronique Alvaro | Olivier Doran | |
| 2007 | I Hate My Best Friends' Kids | Louise | Anne Fassio | |
| 2007 | La Vie d'artiste | Solange | Marc Fitoussi | |
| 2007 | Two Lives Plus One | Valentine | Idit Cebula | |
| 2008 | Baby Blues | France Laud | Diane Bertrand | |
| 2008 | Drôle de Noël! | Mélanie | Nicolas Picard | TV movie |
| 2009 | Safari | Magalie | Olivier Baroux | |
| 2009 | La famille Wolberg | Marianne | Axelle Ropert | |
| 2009 | Jusqu'à toi | Myriam | Jennifer Devoldère | |
| 2009 | La sainte Victoire | Michèle Dalembert | François Favrat (2) | |
| 2010 | Turk's Head | Yelda | Pascal Elbé | |
| 2010 | My Father's Guests | Karine Paumelle | Anne Le Ny | |
| 2010 | The Italian | Hélène | Olivier Baroux (2) | |
| 2011 | Les Tuche | Claudia | Olivier Baroux (3) | |
| 2012 | What's in a Name? | Élisabeth | Alexandre de La Patellière & Matthieu Delaporte | César Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2014 | Fiston | Sophie | Pascal Bourdiaux | |