| BIOGRAPHY
Bearing a distinctive dark-haired, porcelain-skin beauty that
lent itself to the tragic heroines she frequently played, Isabelle
Adjani became one of France's biggest and most acclaimed stars
in the '80s, winning four Césars between 1981 and 1994.
Of Algerian and German parentage, Adjani was born in Gennevillier
(near Paris) on June 27, 1955. She grew up loving poetry and theater,
and began acting in amateur stage productions at the age of 12
after winning a school recitation prize.
Two years later, she made her film debut in 1970's Le Petit Bougnat
while on summer vacation. Her second film, Faustine et le Bel
Été (1972), was also made while she was still in
school. At the age of 17, Adjani was permitted to join the prestigious
Comédie Française, where she drew excellent audience
and critical response performing the classics. She signed a 20-year
contract with the troupe, which she broke a short time later to
pursue her film career, and the resulting controversy was be the
first of many.
In 1974, the young actress appeared in La Gifle and won the prestigious
Prix Suzanne Bianchetti for Most Promising Actress. She became
a bona fide star the following year, after director François
Truffaut cast her as the tormented daughter of Victor Hugo in
L'Histoire d'Adèle H./The Story of Adèle H., which
earned her an Oscar nomination and worldwide acclaim. Many French
critics, in particular, enthused over her performance, comparing
her with the legendary Jeanne Moreau. Further acclaim greeted
Adjani in 1981, when she won the Best Actress award at the Cannes
Film Festival for her performances in Possession and Quartet,
as well as her first César for the former film.
With the release of L'Été Meurtrier in 1983, Adjani
garnered both her second César and another helping of controversy.
Although the film was a box-office hit and created many new fans
for the actress, Adjani declined to behave in the manner expected
of a movie star; she refused to allow herself to be photographed
by the press at Cannes, and avoided interviews and press conferences.
Despite her difficulties with the press, Adjani continued to
rack up excellent screen portrayals and industry awards. She received
particular praise for her work in the title role of Camille Claudel
(1988), directed by her former longtime companion (and father
of one of her sons) Bruno Nuytten; it was also the first film
that she produced herself. Adjani won an Oscar nomination and
her third César for her performance as the tragic heroine,
but she caused more controversy during her César acceptance
speech by reading aloud from Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses.
More acclaim and less controversy followed for the actress in
1994, when she won her fourth César for her portrayal of
the title character in La Reine Margot. A subsequent -- and uncharacteristic
-- Hollywood outing, the 1996 remake of Diabolique, proved a disappointment,
and, for the next couple of years, Adjani receded from view. However,
she was no less respected in her homeland, where she was appointed
president of the 50th Cannes Film Festival in 1997.
She also continued to be highly visible on the political scene,
staunchly supporting Algerian rebel activities and actively fighting
racism against North African immigrants (such as her father) in
France. She was particularly outspoken concerning the activities
of the French National Front. In 1986, the anti-immigration group
organized a smear campaign against her, starting rumors that she
was dying of AIDS. This actually resulted in newspaper reports
of Adjani's death, which caused her to go on national television
to prove that she was, in fact, still alive.
|
FILMOGRAPHY
• Bon Voyage (2004)
• Monsieur Ibrahim (2004)
• Adolphe (2003)
• Mortelle Randonnee (2003)
• Diabolique (1996)
• Queen Margot (1994)
• Camille Claudel (1989)
• Ishtar (1987)
• Subway (1985)
• Next Year If All Goes Well (1984)
• One Deadly Summer (1983)
• Possession (1981)
• Possession/Shock (1981)
• Quartet (1981)
• Nosferatu - The Vampyre (1979)
• The Driver (1978)
• Barocco (1976)
• The Slap (1976)
• The Tenant (1976)
• The Story of Adele H. (1975) |
