French actress Nathalie Baye died at the age of 77 in Paris, her loved ones announced this Saturday. Ill and in a worrying state of health since last summer, the French actress, who played in films by François Truffaut, Xavier Dolan, Bertrand Blier and Claude Chabrol, died “Friday evening at her Parisian home from Lewy body disease”, her family, including her daughter Laura Smet, told AFP in a joint statement.
As discreet as she is sunny, Nathalie Baye has established herself as an essential actress, a star without being so. Audacious, she knew how to break her classic and wise image to give free rein to her fantasy and offer herself a lush filmography, by François Truffaut (American Night…) to Xavier Dolan (Just the end of the world) via Bertrand Blier (Our story), Tony Marshall (Venus Beauty) and Claude Chabrol (The Flower of Evil).
Multi-awarded
Ella took a little trip to Hollywood, playing Leonardo Dicaprio’s mother in Catch me if you can by Steven Spielberg, played with Josiane Balasko in the French remake ofFrom Fabmade a splash in very successful schoolboy comedies Alibi.com 1 and 2 and perfected his (excellent) English in the film Downton Abbey 2sequel to the British TV series that conquered the world.
Loved by film buffs and the general public alike, it has won multiple César awards. Winning the statuette three years in a row, from 1981 to 1983: best supporting role in Save whoever can (life) by Godard and A strange affair by Granier-Deferre, best actress for Libra by Bob Swaim. Then crowned again in 2006 for The Little Lieutenant, without forgetting the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for A pornographic affair.
She also shines on stage, from Chekhov to Marivaux or alone on stage in Zouc par Zouc. As well as on television, playing his own role in the series Ten Percent.
An artist since his youth
“Fame is not necessarily a goal, success is,” said the woman who always hated fuss and glitter and opted for “gentle notoriety”. Haughty bearing but simplicity, soft voice almost whispering, she had that little something extra including Bertrand Tavernier, who directed her in A week’s vacationsaid: “It’s way beyond photogenic. She knows how to be loved by the light. »
Born July 6, 1948 in Mainneville (Eure), Nathalie Baye, daughter of bohemian painters, grew up in Paris then Menton. Hating school, she quit at 14 and joined a dance class in Monaco. Seeing herself as a ballerina, she pursued her dream for a year in New York. Back in Paris, she opened the door to the Simon course.
With Johnny, “we had a good laugh”
Conquered, she then went to the Conservatory. “Dancing, I did violence to myself all the time. Whereas playing immediately gave me well-being.” She starts in the theater, thinks she has no place in the cinema. “For me, it was made for bombs…” His meeting with Truffaut changed everything.
In a relationship with Johnny Hallyday in the 1980s, it was with him that she had her only daughter Laura Smet, who also became an actress. An explosive duo. “We had a good laugh together,” she said, “Johnny wasn’t what we imagined, he was much better than that. »
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