Life Story

Sophie Marceau was born Sophie Danièle Sylvie Maupu in the Paris suburbs on the 17th November 1966 a second child for her parents - Benoît and Simone and a sister for Sylvain who was born three years earlier.

Sophie's childhood was spent at first in Chelles and later in a council flat in Gentilly although she spent a lot of her time at her parents brasserie Le Pharaon, rue Crozatier in the 12th arrondissement of Paris.

At the age of twelve, Sophie was looking unsuccessfully for a job to occupy her during the school holidays when her mother suggested, jokingly, that she register with a baby modelling agency whose advert she had seen in the newspaper.

Although obviously not a baby, she agreed and went along for an interview accompanied by her mother. The agency told her she was too old for their requirements but went ahead and photographed her anyway.

Later she was contacted by the agency who informed her that Gaumont were to audition teenagers for a new film and suggested that she attend.

Sophie noted the address and went to the audition with her father. The scene that greeted her was a long corridor full to overflowing with teenagers and their parents awaiting their turn to be interviewed and to audition.

Her father wanted to leave but Sophie persevered and was eventually the 52nd teeneager to be seen by Françoise Menidrey, Casting Director for Gaumont.

Sophie was asked to return the following week in order to meet the Director, Claude Pinoteau. She returned as requested in the company of her brother.

Sophie Marceau began acting in films at 14. Up until that point, she grew up far away from studios spots. Back then, she was living in the Paris suburbs and her father was a truck driver. At that time, she learned from one of her friends that Claude Pinoteau (French director) was looking for new faces, for a teenagers movie call La Boum. This movie turned out to be a huge success. This led to the sequel La Boum 2 (1982) for which she received the 1983 Cesar for Most Promising Actress. She then bought back her contract with Gaumont when she was sixteen for one million French franks.

"Of course I had to borrow the money", she said, "I didn't have such an amount. People did everything to keep me from doing L'Amour Braque with Zulawski. It was violent and almost racist. I belonged to Gaumont (The studio she then worked for), I was their little pet and had to listen to them. But it was unbearable. I walked around the Champs Elysees wandering what to do. I was afraid to go to prison for breach of contract".

She has since become one of the most popular and respected actresses in her own country-and is only now becoming known internationally. Her role in Braveheart was her first English speaking part. Asked why he chose Sophie for the character of Princess Isabelle, Mel Gibson replied: "Well, she's beautiful, she's French and she's a good actress. The character needed to be at least two of those things". Bettina Rheims, who photographed her many times, calls her "the most beautiful and sensual of young actresses".

In spring 1995, she directed her first film, L'aube a l'envers, an eight minute short based on a screenplay she wrote while filming Braveheart. It was well received at the Cannes Film Festival.

She is critical of French cinema: "It's great that American cinema poses such a threat. In France we have all these pseudo-auteurs who don't have a new idea in their heads". She has a Hollywood agent, but is not tempted to move to Los Angeles and play the Hollywood system like Julie Delpy.

On July 24th, 1995, Sophie gave birth to her first child, a boy named Vincent. She is unmarried, and lives in Paris with Andrzej Zulawski, a Polish director who is 24 years her senior.

Sophie is an outspoken opponent of blood sports, and has joined Brigitte Bardot in protests against dove shooting in the Gironde and bullfighting in Provence. "I detest all forms of violence. For me, the toreador who tortures the bull loses his dignity as a man. One cannot respect life and approve of this game of death." She used to own an antique farmhouse in Seine-et-marne, but left it for good after her cats were shot by hunters and one of her dogs, an eleven year old cocker spaniel named Lolita, was stolen.

In addition to her work for animal welfare, Sophie is a patron of Arc-en-Ciel ("Rainbow"), an organization which helps sick children realize their dreams.

During the following weeks, Sophie returned several times to complete further auditions, screen tests, etc. and was offered the lead role in Claude Pinoteau's forthcoming film La Boum (The Party).

The film La Boum was released in 1980 and was an immediate success. Sophie Marceau became a household name, a star at the age of fourteen.

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