Nathalie Baye
Acting • Born 1948-07-06
Biography
Nathalie Marie Andrée Baye (born 6 July 1948) is a French film, television, and stage actress. She began her career in 1970 and has appeared in more than 80 films. A ten-time César Award nominee, her four wins were for Every Man for Himself (1980), Strange Affair (1981), La Balance (1982), and The Young Lieutenant (2005). Her other films include Day for Night (1973), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Tell No One (2006), and The Assistant (2015). In 2009, she was appointed a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. Baye was born in Mainneville, Eure, Normandy to Claude Baye and Denise Coustet, two painters. At 14, she joined a school of dance in Monaco. Three years later she went to the United States. On returning to France, she continued with dance but also registered for the Simon Course and was admitted to the Conservatoire, from where she graduated in 1972 with a second prize in comedy, dramatic comedy, and foreign theatre. Her second cinema appearance was in Two People (1973), directed by Robert Wise. She became better known as the script girl in Day for Night (La Nuit américaine, 1973) by François Truffaut. Throughout the 1970s, she played the good girlfriend or nice provincial girl in film and television. She won her first César, as best supporting artist, for Every Man for Himself (Sauve qui peut (la vie), 1980) directed by Jean-Luc Godard. There then followed The Return of Martin Guerre (Le Retour de Martin Guerre, 1982) and La Balance (also 1982). Baye won two more César Awards, Best Supporting Actress, for Strange Affair (Une étrange affaire, 1981), and Best Actress for La Balance, 1982). Her four-year relationship with Johnny Hallyday made them a celebrity couple and their daughter is Laura Smet, now an actress. After changing her image by playing a streetwalker in La Balance, she widened her scope with more obscure characters in J'ai épousé une ombre (1983) and En toute innocence (1988). In 1986, she returned to the theatre with an interpretation of Adriana Monti. In 1999, she was voted Best Supporting Actress at Venice Film Festival for Une liaison pornographique and starred in Vénus Beauté (Institut) (2000) by Tonie Marshall which won multiple César Awards including Best Film. She has worked with Claude Chabrol and Steven Spielberg. Source: Article "Nathalie Baye" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Filmography
141 credits
The Man Who Loved Women
Movie • 1977
Martine Desdoits
Catch Me If You Can
Movie • 2002
Paula Abagnale
Day for Night
Movie • 1973
Joelle, the Script Girl
The Last Woman
Movie • 1976
la fille aux cerises
And the Band Played On
Movie • 1993
Dr. Françoise Barre
I Married a Shadow
Movie • 1983
Hélène
The Flower of Evil
Movie • 2003
Anne Charpin-Vasseur
The Return of Martin Guerre
Movie • 1982
Bertrande de Rols
Thomas
Movie • 2018
Anne Lancrey
The Green Room
Movie • 1978
Cecilia Mandel
Sous le soleil de Pialat
Movie • 2021
Self
Le soir où j'ai reçu le César 2022
Movie • 2022
Self
Strange Affair
Movie • 1981
Nina Coline
The Young Lieutenant
Movie • 2005
Commandant Vaudieu
The Price to Pay
Movie • 2007
Odile Ménard
Venus Beauty Institute
Movie • 1999
Angèle Piana
Beau Pere
Movie • 1981
Charlotte
Michou d'Auber
Movie • 2007
Gisèle
Tomorrow's Another Day
Movie • 2000
Sophie
A French Gigolo
Movie • 2008
Judith
Paparazzi
Movie • 1998
Nicole, de l'agence Magma
Les Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'hui
Movie • 2014
Solemn Communion
Movie • 1977
Jeanne Vanderberghe
Nicole Garcia, actrice-cinéaste
Movie • 2023
Self
France Boutique
Movie • 2003
Sofia
Feelings
Movie • 2003
Carole
An Affair of Love
Movie • 1999
Her
The Red Shade
Movie • 1981
Anna
Beautiful Lies
Movie • 2010
Mady
A Week's Vacation
Movie • 1980
Laurence Cuers
Detective
Movie • 1985
Françoise Chenal
Rat Race
Movie • 1980
Brigitte Ozendron
Face
Movie • 2009
Nathalie
Fill 'er Up with Super
Movie • 1976
Charlotte
Together Is Too Much
Movie • 2010
Marie-France
Absolutely Fabulous
Movie • 2001
Patricia 'Patsy' Laroche
Barnie's Minor Annoyances
Movie • 2001
Lucie
The Mouth Agape
Movie • 1974
Nathalie
To Mathieu
Movie • 2000
Claire
The Slap
Movie • 1974
Christine Abeillé
My Son
Movie • 2006
Mother / La mère
One Stays, the Other Leaves
Movie • 2005
Fanny
Our Story
Movie • 1984
Donatienne Pouget / Marie-Thérèse Chatelard / Geneviève Avranche
C'est La Vie
Movie • 1990
Lena
Off and Running
Movie • 2008
Irène Montier-Duval
Enfants de salaud
Movie • 1996
Sophie
La Californie
Movie • 2006
Maguy
I've Been Waiting So Long
Movie • 2004
Jeanne
Small World
Movie • 2010
Elisabeth Senn
La Balance
Movie • 1982
Nicole Danet
Honeymoon
Movie • 1985
Cécile Carline
Laurence Anyways
Movie • 2012
Julienne Alia
L'Inconnu
Movie • 1973
Every Man for Himself
Movie • 1980
Denise Rimbaud
Marie-Octobre
Movie • 2008
Marie-Hélène Dumoulin / Marie-Octobre
Mensonge
Movie • 1993
Emma
Queens of the Ring
Movie • 2013
Colette
Mother Valley
Movie • 2023
Hélène
Beware of My Love
Movie • 1998
Muriel
The Machine
Movie • 1994
Marie Lacroix
Alibi.com 2
Movie • 2023
Mme Martin
Every Other Weekend
Movie • 1990
Camille Valmont
Rive droite, rive gauche
Movie • 1984
Sacha Vernakis
Godard by Godard
Movie • 2023
Self (archive footage)
No Harm Intended
Movie • 1988
Catherine Duchêne
Soirée Pyjama
Movie • 2019
Self - Guest
The Honeymoon Trip
Movie • 1976
Sophie
Faustine and the Beautiful Summer
Movie • 1972
Giselle
Engagements of the Heart
Movie • 1987
Alice
Lou!
Movie • 2014
Jeanne (La grand-mère)
Beethoven's Nephew
Movie • 1985
Leonore
SK1
Movie • 2015
Frédérique Pons
Xavier Dolan: Bound to Impossible
Movie • 2016
Self
Tell No One
Movie • 2006
Maître Elysabeth Feldman
It's Only the End of the World
Movie • 2016
Martine
Un jour, la fête
Movie • 1975
Julie
Bacri, comme un air de famille
Movie • 2022
Self
Monsieur Papa
Movie • 1977
Janine
Esquisse d'une jeune femme sens dessus dessous
Movie • 1975
Fabienne Veyrier, the young woman
The Assistant
Movie • 2015
Marie-France
François Truffaut: The Man Who Loved Cinema - The Wild Child
Movie • 1996
Self
Godard Cinema
Movie • 2023
Self
François Truffaut: The Man Who Loved Cinema - Love & Death
Movie • 1996
Self
Sheila, toutes ces vies-là
Movie • 2022
Self (archive footage)
Short Memory
Movie • 1982
Judith Mesnil
Préjudice
Movie • 2015
Mother
The Man Inside
Movie • 1990
Christine
Les contes sauvages
Movie • 1993
Narrator (voice)
Alibi.com
Movie • 2017
Marlène Martin
Moka
Movie • 2016
Marlène
The Guardians
Movie • 2017
Hortense Sandrail
François Truffaut, une autobiographie
Movie • 2004
Self
Médée
Movie • 2017
The mother
Hitler in Hollywood
Movie • 2011
Nathalie Baye
Food of Love
Movie • 1997
Michele
God's Offices
Movie • 2008
Anne
Mon premier amour
Movie • 1978
Fabienne
Scénario de 'Sauve qui peut la vie'
Movie • 1979
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
François Truffaut: Stolen Portraits
Movie • 1993
Self
The Great Restaurant
Movie • 2010
Une cliente du restaurant
My Best Part
Movie • 2020
Bernadette Meyer
Les Enfoirés 1996 - La Soirée des Enfoirés
Movie • 1996
Massacre Play
Movie • 1989
Bella
Haute Couture
Movie • 2021
Esther
Mado
Movie • 1976
Catherine
Him
Movie • 2021
Mother
Bon vent Claude Goretta
Movie • 2011
Self
Voyage à travers un film (Sauve qui peut (la vie))
Movie • 1981
Self
Acteur
Movie • 2007
Camille
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Movie • 2022
Mme de Montmirail
The Voice
Movie • 1992
Lorraine
Conversation avec Nathalie Baye
Movie • 2021
Self
La provinciale
Movie • 1981
Christine Delumet
A Day in the Life of French Cinema
Movie • 2002
Self
Madame Sourdis
Movie • 1979
Adèle Sourdis
Jean-Pierre Léaud: The Child of Cinema
Movie • 2024
Self - Actress
Sauve la vie (qui peut)
Movie • 1981
Self (archive footage)
From Time to Time
Movie • 1992
Madame de Pompadour
Jacques Villeret, drôlement tragique
Movie • 2025
Self
Bonsoir bonsoir!
TV • 2019
Self
Victoires de la musique
TV • 1985
Self
Spin
TV • 2012
Anne Visage
Nox
TV • 2018
Catherine Susini
Spécial cinéma
TV • 1974
Self
Le Grand Échiquier
TV • 1972
Self
Club social
TV • 2008
Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
TV • 1975
Self
Criminal: France
TV • 2019
Caroline Solal
Champs-Elysées
TV • 1982
Self
Il était une fois Champs-Élysées
TV • 2022
Self (archive footage)
Téléthon
TV • 1987
Self
Vivement dimanche
TV • 1998
Self
Matin Bonheur
TV • 1987
Self
Call My Agent!
TV • 2015
Self
Cinéma 16
TV • 1975
Fabienne
Les Cinq Dernières Minutes
TV • 1958
Gisèle
Sacrée Soirée
TV • 1987
Self
On n'est pas couché
TV • 2006
Self - Guest
L’enfant des lumières
TV • 2002
la comtesse Diane de Breyves
Cérémonie des César
TV • 1976
Self - Presenter
Cérémonie des César
TV • 1976
Self - President