# Josiane Balasko

Josiane Balasko (born Josiane Balašković; 15 April 1950) is a French actress, writer, and director. She has been nominated seven times for César Awards, and won twice.

## Career

One of Balasko's most recognized roles among English speakers is as a lesbian in 1995's Gazon maudit (French Twist). She won the 1996 César Award (shared with Telsche Boorman) for best screenplay, and was also nominated as best director. The movie was nominated for best film.
Balasko's other César nominations for best actress were for Too Beautiful for You (1989), Tout le monde n'a pas eu la chance d'avoir des parents communistes (1993), and That Woman (2003).

### 1973–1980: Early years

Balasko began her career in 1973. She was 23 years old when she first appeared on screen, in the short L'Agression, with Patrick Bouchitey. She was in the movie L'an 01, directed by Jacques Doillon.
After an absence of three years she returned to the screen in 1976 in the film The Tenant, directed by Roman Polanski, with a screenplay written by him and Gérard Brach. The movie was based on the novel written by Roland Topor.
Balasco career exploded in 1977, when she appeared in seven films over the course of the year. She first appeared in 'Solveig et le Violon turc, with Eugène Ionesco and Dominique Lavanant. She played Simone in Une fille unique, alongside her boyfriend at the time, Bruno Moynot.
She appeared in Animal, directed by Claude Zidi, with a screenplay written by him, Michel Audiard, and Dominique Fabre. It was a big success with more than three million attendances in France; the movie was #5 in 1977 in France. She appeared in Pardon Mon Affaire, Too!, directed by Yves Robert and written by him and Jean-Loup Dabadie. The movie was also a big success, with more than two million attending in France alone, and was #8 in 1977 in France.
She played Nadine in This Sweet Sickness, directed by Claude Miller, based on the novel written by Patricia Highsmith. The movie starred Gérard Depardieu, Miou-Miou, Claude Piéplu, Dominique Laffin, and Christian Clavier.
She also acted in Monsieur Papa, directed by Philippe Monnier, and with dialogue written by Jean-Marie Poiré. Balasko starred alongside Claude Brasseur, Nathalie Baye, Daniel Auteuil and Éva Darlan.
In 1978, Balasko played in "Si vous n'aimez pas ça, n'en dégoûtez pas les autres", with Gérard Jugnot and Thierry Lhermitte, and in "Les Petits Câlins", directed by Jean-Marie Poiré, alongside Dominique Laffin, Françoise Bertin and Gérard Jugnot. Then, she was in La Tortue sur le dos.
Balasko had the leading role in the comedy "Pauline et l'Ordinateur", for which she wrote the dialogue and where she acted next to Gérard Jugnot, Éva Darlan, Jacques Attali and Marie-Anne Chazel. Finally, she played Nathalie Morin in the cult comedy Les Bronzés, directed by Patrice Leconte, with her friends from Le Splendid, Marie-Anne Chazel, Michel Blanc, Gérard Jugnot, Thierry Lhermitte, Christian Clavier and Dominique Lavanant. The movie was a hit with more than two million attendances.
In 1979, Balasko played Emma-Ammé in one episode of the TV Mini-Series, "Les Quatre Cents Coups de Virginie", alongside Anémone. Then Nathalie Morin again, in the sequel Les Bronzés font du ski with the same cast, which was also a success with more than a millions attendances. She also appeared as a client in the movie "Les héros n'ont pas froid aux oreilles", with Daniel Auteuil, Gérard Jugnot, Roland Giraud, Gérard Lanvin, Michel Blanc, Thierry Lhermitte, Marie-Anne Chazel and Christian Clavier.

### 1981–1990: directing debut

1981 was very successful for Balasko. First, she played Louise in Clara et les Chics Types. Later, she had the leading role in the comedy Les hommes préfèrent les grosses. The movie was a commercial success. It was directed by Jean-Marie Poiré, who co-wrote the film, with Balasko. After this, she was in another comedy named Le Maître d'école, directed by Claude Berri. This film was also commercially successful, the #9 movie at the French Box Office in 1981. She played Colette, a supporting role, in Hotel America, directed by André Téchiné. It starred Catherine and Patrick Dewaere.
In 1982, Balasko was in another cult movie, Le Père Noël est une ordure, directed for the third time by Jean-Marie Poiré. The film was commercially successful.
In 1983, Balasko had two comedy hits. Papy fait de la résistance, which was #7 in the 1983 French box office, and Signes extérieurs de richesse, another success.
In 1984, Balasko played a supporting role in the comedy P'tit Con, directed by Gérard Lauzier. She had the leading role in the comedy, La smala, directed by Jean-Loup Hubert. Finally, she played a supporting role in the comedy La vengeance du serpent à plumes directed by Gérard Oury. The movie was her biggest success of that year. In 1985, she appeared in the movie Tranches de vie directed by François Leterrier. That year she also made her directoral debut with the comedy Sac de noeuds, which she wrote, directed and starred in.

### 1990 onward

Since 1990, Balasko has enjoyed a busy career acting in numerous films in a very wide variety of roles but having an international directing success in 1995 with Gazon Maudit (French Twist), in which she co-starred with Alain Chabat and gained her a César for best screenplay and a nomination for best film. In 2006 she was re-united once again with the Le Splendid team for another Bronzés film Bronzés 3: Amis pour La Vie.

### 2012–present

In 2018, Balasko record a song with the rapper Mac Tyer on his album C'est la street mon pote.
In February 2019, Balasko received the Crystal Comedy Award during the 4th Festival International du Film de Comédie de Liège to reward her career.

## Personal life

Bruno Moynot was her partner from 1974 until 1981. In a second union with sculptor Philippe Berry (brother of actor Richard Berry), she had a daughter, Marilou Berry (born 1 February 1983), also an actress, and an adopted son, Rudy Berry (born 1988). She divorced from Philippe Berry in 1999 and married American actor George Aguilar in 2003, whom she met on the set of The Frenchman's Son in 1999.

## Filmography
### Actress

Key :
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1973 | The Year 01 | | |
| 1976 | The Tenant | Viviane | |
| 1976 | An Unusual Girl | Simone | |
| 1977 | Pardon Mon Affaire, Too! | Josy | |
| 1977 | This Sweet Sickness | Nadine | |
| 1977 | Animal | Supermarket Girl | |
| 1977 | Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo | Uncredited | |
| 1977 | Monsieur Papa | | |
| 1978 | French Fried Vacation | Nathalie Morin | |
| 1978 | The Little Wheedlers | Corinne | |
| 1978 | Pauline et l'Ordinateur | Pauline | |
| 1978 | Si vous n'aimez pas ça, n'en dégoûtez pas les autres | A spectator | |
| 1978 | Like a Turtle on Its Back | | |
| 1979 | French Fried Vacation 2 | Nathalie Morin | |
| 1979 | Heroes Are Not Wet Behind the Ears | A client | |
| 1980 | Les Quatre Cents Coups de Virginie | Emma-Ammé | TV Mini-Series |
| 1981 | Men Prefer Fat Girls | Lydie Langlois | |
| 1981 | Le Maître d'école | Mrs. Lajoie | |
| 1981 | Hotel America | Colette | |
| 1981 | Clara et les Chics Types | Louise | |
| 1982 | Santa Claus Is a Stinker | Madame Musquin | |
| 1983 | Signes extérieurs de richesse | Béatrice Flamand | |
| 1983 | Gramps Is in the Resistance | The pharmacist | |
| 1984 | P'tit Con | Rolande | |
| 1984 | La smala | Simone | |
| 1984 | The Vengeance of the Winged Serpent | Jackie | |
| 1985 | All Mixed Up | Anita | |
| 1985 | Slices of Life | Madame Dupuis | |
| 1986 | Nuit d'ivresse | Frède | |
| 1986 | The Joint Brothers | Aline | |
| 1987 | Lady Cops | Insp. Mireille Molineux | |
| 1988 | Without Fear or Blame | Handmaid | |
| 1988 | Une nuit à l'Assemblée Nationale | The journalist | |
| 1989 | Too Beautiful for You | Colette Chevassu | |
| 1991 | My Life Is Hell | Leah Lemonier | |
| 1991 | The Professional Secrets of Dr. Apfelgluck | The scientist | |
| 1993 | Not Everybody's Lucky Enough to Have Communist Parents | Irène | |
| 1993 | Shadow of a Doubt | Sophia | |
| 1994 | Dead Tired | Herself | |
| 1995 | French Twist | Marijo | |
| 1997 | Didier | Madame Massart | |
| 1997 | Arlette | Arlette Bathiat | |
| 1998 | Un grand cri d'amour | Gigi Ortega | |
| 1999 | The Frenchman's Son | Suzanne | |
| 2000 | The Libertine | Baroness Holbach | |
| 2000 | Actors | André Dussollier 2 | |
| 2000 | Chicken Run | Bernadette | French Voice |
| 2001 | A Crime in Paradise | Lucienne Braconnier | |
| 2001 | Absolutely Fabulous | Edith "Eddie" Mousson | |
| 2002 | The Race | Madame Jo | |
| 2003 | That Woman | Michèle Varin | |
| 2004 | Madame Édouard | Nina Tchitchi | |
| 2005 | The Ex-Wife of My Life | Marie-Pierre Sarrazin | |
| 2005 | It's Our Life! | Blanche Delhomme | |
| 2005 | I Saw Ben Barka Get Killed | Marguerite Duras | |
| 2006 | French Fried Vacation 3 | Nathalie Morin | |
| 2006 | David Nolande | Sofia | TV series (1 Episode) |
| 2007 | The Red Inn | Rose Martin | |
| 2007 | The Key | Michèle Varin | |
| 2008 | A French Gigolo | Irène | |
| 2008 | Ruby Blue | Stéphanie | |
| 2008 | A Day at the Museum | Mother in Chanel | |
| 2008 | Françoise Dolto, le désir de vivre | Françoise Dolto | TV movie |
| 2009 | The Hedgehog | Renée Michel | |
| 2009 | Park Benches | Solange Renivelle | |
| 2009 | Neuilly Yo Mama! | School's director | |
| 2010 | Holiday | Christiane Mercier | |
| 2011 | A Happy Event | Claire | |
| 2011 | Beur sur la ville | Mamie Nova | |
| 2012 | Sport de filles | Joséphine de Silène | |
| 2012 | Maman | Paulette Mine | |
| 2012 | Mes héros | Olga | |
| 2013 | Demi-soeur | Antoinette Novack | |
| 2014 | Aunt Hilda! | Dolorès | |
| 2014 | Les Gazelles | Brigitte | |
| 2014 | The law of Barbara | Barbara Malo | TV Mini-Series |
| 2015 | The Roommates Party | Alexandra Leclère | |
| 2015 | Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir | Josiane / Sarah | TV series (1 Episode) |
| 2016 | Back to Mom's | Jacqueline Mazerin | |
| 2016 | Arrête ton cinéma | Brigitte | |
| 2016 | Joséphine, Pregnant & Fabulous | Josephine's mother | |
| 2016 | Par tous les seins | Voice | Short |
| 2017 | Let the Sunshine In | Maxime | |
| 2017 | The New Adventures of Cinderella | Josépha | |
| 2018 | Bécassine | Mademoiselle Châtaigne | |
| 2018 | Volontaire | Muriel Baer | |
| 2018 | J'ai perdu Albert | Simone Le Couidec | |
| 2018 | Neuilly sa mère, sa mère ! | Madame Bachelot | |
| 2019 | All Inclusive | Lulu | |
| 2019 | Les envoûtés | Leonora Evesco | |
| 2019 | Beaux-parents | Coline Rossi | |
| 2019 | 15 Minutes of War | Michèle Sampieri | |
| 2019 | By the Grace of God | Irène Thomassin | |
| 2019 | Vous êtes jeunes vous êtes beaux | Mona | |
| 2019 | Le Bazar de la Charité | Madame Huchon | TV Mini-Series |
| 2020 | L'esprit de famille | Marguerite | |
| 2020 | La pièce rapportée | Adélaïde Château-Têtard | |
| 2021 | Tralala | Lili Rivière | |
| 2021 | C'est la vie | Dominique | |
| 2021 | Mes très chers enfants | Chantal Blanc | |
| 2021 | Un tour chez ma fille... | Jacqueline Mazerin | |
| 2023 | Des mains en or | Martha | |
| 2024 | Captives | Bobotte | |
| 2024 | When Fall Is Coming † | Marie-Claude | |

### Filmmaker

| Year | Title |
| 1985 | Sac de noeuds |
| 1987 | Les keufs |
| 1991 | My Life Is Hell |
| 1995 | French Twist |
| 1998 | Un grand cri d'amour |
| 2005 | L'Ex-femme de ma vie |
| 2008 | Cliente |
| 2013 | Demi-soeur |

### Box-office

Movies starring or featuring Josiane Balasko with more than one million tickets sold at movie theatres in France.
| | Films | Year | France (entries) |
| 1 | Les Bronzés 3: Amis pour la vie | 2006 | 10,355,930 |
| 2 | Papy fait de la résistance | 1983 | 4,104,082 |
| 3 | French Twist | 1995 | 3,990,094 |
| 4 | Animal | 1977 | 3,157,789 |
| 5 | Le Maître d'école | 1981 | 3,015,596 |
| 6 | Didier | 1997 | 2,902,960 |
| 7 | La vengeance du serpent à plumes | 1984 | 2,663,303 |
| 8 | Neuilly sa mère! | 2009 | 2,517,140 |
| 9 | Les Bronzés | 1978 | 2,308,644 |
| 10 | Back to Mom's | 2016 | 2,198,341 |
| 11 | Les Frères Pétard | 1986 | 2,179,370 |
| 12 | A Crime in Paradise | 2001 | 2,137,829 |
| 13 | Pardon Mon Affaire, Too! | 1977 | 2,080,789 |
| 14 | Too Beautiful for You | 1989 | 2,031,131 |
| 15 | Grosse fatigue | 1994 | 2,015,230 |
| 16 | Les hommes préfèrent les grosses | 1981 | 1,931,038 |
| 17 | Le Père Noël est une ordure | 1982 | 1,582,732 |
| 18 | Les Bronzés font du ski | 1979 | 1,535,781 |
| 19 | The Race | 2002 | 1,456,267 |
| 20 | Nuit d'ivresse | 1986 | 1,381,464 |
| 21 | Absolument fabuleux | 2001 | 1,370,394 |
| 22 | My Life Is Hell | 1991 | 1,170,523 |
| 23 | The Roommates Party | 2015 | 1,169,659 |
| 24 | Neuilly sa mère, sa mère! | 2018 | 1,144,597 |
| 25 | Signes extérieurs de richesse | 1983 | 1,074,802 |
| 26 | Les Keufs | 1987 | 1,071,467 |

## Theater
### As actress

| Year | Title | Author | Director |
| 1970 | La pipelette ne pipa pas | Josiane Balasko | Josiane Balasko |
| 1971-74 | Quand j'srai grande, j'srai paranoïaque | Josiane Balasko | Vera Gregh |
| 1972-74 | Jeanne l'ébouriffée | Catherine Dasté | Catherine Dasté |
| 1975 | Silence là-dedans | Josiane Balasko | Josiane Balasko |
| 1976 | Le Pot de terre contre le pot de vin | Le Splendid | Le Splendid |
| 1976-77 | Ginette Lacaze | Coluche | Coluche |
| 1976-77 | Amour, coquillages et crustacés | Le Splendid | Le Splendid |
| 1978-80 | Bunny's bar | Josiane Balasko | Josiane Balasko |
| 1979-80 | Le Père Noël est une ordure | Le Splendid | Le Splendid |
| 1985–86 | Nuit d'ivresse | Josiane Balasko | Josiane Balasko |
| 1988-89 | L'Ex-femme de ma vie | Josiane Balasko | Josiane Balasko |
| 1992-94 | Shirley Valentine | Willy Russell | Josiane Balasko |
| 1995–97 | Un grand cri d'amour | Josiane Balasko | Josiane Balasko |
| 2005-07 | Dernier rappel | Josiane Balasko | Josiane Balasko |
| 2010–12 | La nuit sera chaude | Josiane Balasko | Josiane Balasko |
| 2014–15 | Un grand moment de solitude | Josiane Balasko | Josiane Balasko |
| 2016–18 | The Woman Destroyed | Simone de Beauvoir | Hélène Fillières |
| 2021-24 | Un chalet à Gstaad | Josiane Balasko | Josiane Balasko |

## Writer

* 2004 : Cliente, it became a movie in 2008 directed and starring Balasko, with Nathalie Baye, Éric Caravaca, Isabelle Carré, Catherine Hiegel, Marilou Berry, George Aguilar, Richard Berry and Maria Schneider.
* 2006 : Parano express
* 2011 : La nuit sera chaude, it became a play in 2011-2012
* 2019 : Jamaiplu

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Nominated work | Result |
| 1990 | César Award for Best Actress | Too Beautiful for You | Nominated |
| 1994 | César Award for Best Actress | Not Everybody's Lucky Enough to Have Communist Parents | Nominated |
| 1996 | César Award for Best Writing | French Twist | Won |
| 1996 | César Award for Best Film | French Twist | Nominated |
| 1996 | César Award for Best Director | French Twist | Nominated |
| 1996 | GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Limited Release | French Twist | Nominated |
| 1996 | Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film | French Twist | Nominated |
| 1996 | Lumières Award for Best Screenplay | French Twist | Won |
| 1996 | Palm Springs International Film Festival - Best Foreign Language Film | French Twist | Won |
| 2004 | César Award for Best Actress | That Woman | Nominated |
| 2010 | Women Film Critics Circle - Courage in Acting Award | The Hedgehog | Nominated |
| 2020 | César Award for Best Supporting Actress | By the Grace of God | Nominated |