Marie-Christine Barrault

Marie-Christine Barrault (born 21 March 1944) is a French actress. She is best known for her performance in Cousin Cousine (1975) for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 2010, she released her autobiography, titled This Long Way To Get To You.
Life and career
Marie-Christine Barrault was born in Paris, France, the daughter of Martha (née Valmier) and Max-Henri Barrault. Her parents later divorced. Barrault's father, who worked in the theatre, died while she was a teenager. With no support, her mother was unable to care for her and her brother, Alain. Barrault was raised by her grandmother, Felicite. She was mentored in acting by her aunt and uncle, French performers Jean-Louis Barrault and Madeleine Renaud. They initially did not support her dreams of becoming an actress. She performed in plays in secondary school and then enrolled in an acting conservatory.
Barrault got her start on television in L'oeuvre (1967). She made her feature film debut in Éric Rohmer's My Night at Maud's (1969). In 1970 Barrault was featured along with Pierre Richard in the comedy film Le Distrait. In 1975 Barrault starred in Cousin Cousine, for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She worked with Rohmer once again in 1978, in the role of Guinevere in Perceval le Gallois and she also has a cameo in his Chloe in the Afternoon.
Barrault is not fluent in English and therefore has generally turned down offers to appear in English-language films. However, in 1980 she accepted an offer from Woody Allen to appear in his film Stardust Memories. In 1988 she was nominated for a Genie Award for her performance in No Blame. In 1991 she portrayed Marie Curie in a television mini-series. In her later career, she has preferred acting on the stage in France. In 2015, she came to Los Angeles on tour to perform in the play Les Yeux Ouverts, in which she portrays French author Marguerite Yourcenar.
Barrault's first husband was producer Daniel Toscan du Plantier, whom she married in 1965. With him, she had two children, David and Ariane. Barrault was married to director Roger Vadim from 1990 until his death from cancer in 2000. She herself is a breast cancer survivor.
Select filmography
L'oeuvre (1967, TV movie) Christine
My Night at Maud's (1969) Françoise
Lancelot of the Lake (1970, TV movie) La reine Guenièvre
Le distrait (1970) Lisa Gastier
Le misanthrope (1971, TV movie) Célimène
Les papiers d'Aspern (1971, TV movie) Hélène Prest
Le sagouin (1972, TV movie) Léone
Figaro-ci, Figaro-là (1972, TV movie) Julie
Love in the Afternoon (1972) Dream Sequence
Les intrus (1972) Françoise
Histoire vraie (1973, TV movie) Rose
L'enlèvement (1973, TV movie) Marie-Josèphe
Le tour d'écrou (1974, TV movie) Miss Jessel
La famille Grossfelder (1974, TV movie) Marie-Louise en 1930
La confession d'un enfant du siècle (1974, TV movie) Brigitte
John Glückstadt (1975) Hanna Hansen
Cousin Cousine (1975) Marthe
By the Tennis Courts (1976) Marie-Christine
Le chandelier (1977, TV movie) Jacqueline
The Medusa Touch (1978) Patricia
The Savage State (1978) Laurence
Perceval le Gallois (1978) La Reine Guenevievre
Woman Between Wolf and Dog (1979) Lieve
Vestire gli ignudi (1979, TV movie) Ersilia
The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (1980, TV series) Narrator
My Dearest (1980) Jeanne
Petit déjeuner compris (1980, TV mini-series) Marie-Louise Leroux
Même les mômes ont du vague à l'âme (1980) Eva
Stardust Memories (1980) Isobel
L'amour trop fort (1981) Rose-Marie de Boisel
Après tout ce qu'on a fait pour toi (1982, TV movie) Jeanne
Le village sur la colline (1982, TV mini-series) Mme de Cheilly
Mir reicht's – ich steig aus (1983)
Table for Five (1983) Marie
A Love in Germany (1983) Maria Wyler
Les mots pour le dire (1983) Eliane
Orpheus (1983, TV movie) La mort
Swann in Love (1984) Madame Verdurin
Pianoforte (1984) La mère de Maria
L'année terrible (1985, TV movie)
Louise... l'insoumise (1985) Mme Royer
Le passage (1985, TV movie) Rhona
Je suis à Rio, ne m'attends pas pour dîner (1985, TV movie) Constance
A Better Life (1985) La mère de Véronique
Power of Evil (1985) Sylvie
Le soulier de satin (1985) La lune
L'été 36 (1986, TV movie) Lise
Vaudeville (1986) Madeleine
The Lizard King (1987, TV movie)
Manuela's Loves (1987) Manuela
Bonne fête maman (1987, TV movie) Jeanne Thomas
No Blame (1988, TV movie) Suzanne
Daniya, jardín del harem (1988) Almodís
Adieu je t'aime (1988) Nicole Dupré
The Abyss (1988) Hilzonde
Sanguine (1988) Nedie
Women in Prison (1988) Dessombes
Une femme tranquille (1989, TV movie) Marianne
Jesus of Montreal (1989) Dubbing actress
Un été d'orages (1989) Anne
Gallant Ladies (1990) Jacquette de Bourdeille
Moi, général de Gaulle (1990, TV movie) Mme Costal
L'enfant des loups (1991, TV movie) Leubovère
Marie Curie, une femme honorable (1991, TV mini-series) Marie Curie
Necessary Love (1991) Valentina
Jenny Marx, la femme du diable (1993, TV movie) Jenny Marx
Amour Fou (1993, TV movie) Louise
Next Time the Fire (1993) Elena
Bonsoir (1994) Marie Wileska
Les maîtresses de mon mari (1995, TV movie) Elisa
La nouvelle tribu (1996, TV mini-series) Jeanne
Tendre piège (1996, TV movie) Françoise
Mon père avait raison (1996, TV movie) Germaine Bellanger
Un coup de baguette magique (1997, TV movie) Jeanne
Obsession (1997) Ella Beckmann
Les braconniers de Belledombre (1997, TV movie) Françoise Sampaing
Love, Math and Sex (1997) La prof de maths
Le grand Batre (1997, TV movie) Thérèse
Maison de famille (1999, TV movie) Françoise Cornier
The Dilettante (1999) Thérèse Rambert
Azzurro (2000) Elizabeth Broyer
Le vieil ours et l'enfant (2001, TV movie) La Duchesse
Les amants de Mogador (2002)
Le Don fait à Catchaires (2003, TV movie) Jeanne
La deuxième vérité (2003, TV movie) Mathilde
Rêves en France (2003, TV movie) Madame Labourdette
Droit d'asile (2003, TV movie) Christine
Saint-Germain ou La négociation (2003, TV movie) Catherine de Médicis
Parlez-moi d'amour (2005, TV movie) Élisa
Ange de feu (2006, TV movie) Janine Cordey
Passés troubles (2006, TV movie) Béatrice
Trivial (2007) Mélanie Bérangère
Making Plans for Lena (2009) Annie
L'Art de la fugue (2014) Nelly
Shades of Truth (2015) Sister Maria Angelica
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman (2022) Komura's mother
References
External links
1944 births
Living people
Actresses from Paris
French film actresses
French television actresses
French National Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni
French stage actresses
20th-century French actresses
21st-century French actresses
Audiobook narrators