Isabelle Huppert studied Russian at Langues at the French National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations, while simultaneously taking classes at the National School for Theater Arts and Techniques, familiarly known as the École de la rue Blanche, and the National Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she was a student of Jean-Laurent Cochet and of Antoine Vitez.
In film, she was first noticed for her performances in Bertrand Blier’s Going Places, in Aloïse, directed by Liliane de Kermadec and in The Judge and the Assassin by Bertrand Tavernier.
Her performance in Claude Goretta’s The Lacemaker earned her the British Academy of Film and Television-BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Feature Films. It was her close relationship with Claude Chabrol that allowed her to tackle a wide variety of film genres: comedy (The Swindle), drama (Story of Women), film noir (Merci pour le chocolat), literary adaptation (Madame Bovary), and even political fiction (Comedy of Power). Under his direction, she received a number of awards for her film performances: Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for Violette Nozière, at the Venice Film Festival for Story of Women, at the Moscow International Film Festival for Madame Bovary, and Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival and the César for Best Actress for The Ceremony.
Huppert has worked with directors Jean-Luc Godard, André Téchiné, Maurice Pialat, Patrice Chéreau, Michael Haneke, Raoul Ruiz, Benoît Jacquot, Jacques Doillon, Claire Denis, as well as with Christian Vincent, Laurence Ferreira Barbosa, Olivier Assayas, François Ozon, Anne Fontaine, Eva Ionesco, Joachim Lafosse, Serge Bozon or Catherine Breillat, Guillaume Nicloux and Samuel Benchetrit. She has also worked with major international directors such as Michael Cimino, Joseph Losey, Otto Preminger, the Taviani brothers, Marco Ferreri, Hal Hartley, David O’Russell, Werner Schroeter, Mauro Bolognini and Andrzej Wajda – and, most recently, with Rithy Panh, Brillante Mendoza, Joachim Trier and Hong Sang Soo.
The Venice Film Festival gave her a Special Jury Lion d’Or for her performance in Patrice Chéreau’s Gabrielle and for her entire body of work.
Cannes Film Fest: Two-Time Winner
At the Cannes Film Festival, she twice received the Best Actress Award (the second for Michael Haneke’s The Piano Teacher), she has been a jury member and mistress of ceremonies and was President of the Jury for the 62nd edition of the prestigious festival.
In parallel with the cinema, Isabelle Huppert has pursued her theatrical career in France and internationally. She has acted under the direction of Bob Wilson (Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, Heiner Müller’s Quartet), of Peter Zadek (Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure), of Claude Régy, (4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane, Paul Claudel’s Joan of Arc at the Stake). She has also played Euripides’ Medea, directed by Jacques Lassalle, most notably at the Avignon Festival; Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen, directed by Eric Lacascade; A Streetcar, director Krzysztof Warlikowski’s spin on Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire, at the Odéon Theater and on tour throughout Europe and internationally; The Maids by Jean Genet directed by Benedict Andrews with Cate Blanchett at the Sydney Theatre Company and at New York’s City Center in conjunction with the Lincoln Center Festival and Les Fausses Confidences by Marivaux directed by Luc Bondy at the Odéon Theater and on tour throughout Europe. This season, she is playing Phaedra(s) by Wajdi Mouawad, Sarah Kane and J. M. Coetzee, by director Krzysztof Warlikowski at the Odéon Theater, the BAM in New York this September and on tour throughout Europe and internationally.
Several of her films have recently been released: Things to Come by Mia Hansen Love, Tout de suite maintenant by Pascal Bonitzer and Elle by Paul Verhoeven, presented at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. Souvenir by Bavo Devurne will be released at the end of the year. She is currently shooting her fourth film with Michael Haneke, Happy End.
huppert is an Officer of the National Order of Merit of the Legion of Honor, and an Officer of the National Order of Merit and Commander in the Order of Arts and Letters.
Filmography
2016 ELLE – (Paul Verhoeven) THINGS TO COME – (Mia Hansen-Love) RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW – (Pascal Bonitzer)
2015 LOUDER THAN BOMBS – (Joachim Trier) VALLEY OF LOVE – (Guillaume Nicloux)
2013 ABUSE OF WEAKNESS – (Catherine Breillat) TIP TOP – (Serge Bozon)
2012 DORMANT BEAUTY – (Marco Bellocchino) AMOUR – (Michael Haneke) Cannes Film Festival – Palme d’Or IN ANOTHER COUNTRY – (Hong Sang-Soo) CAPTIVE – (Brillante Mendoza)
2010 COPACABANA – (Marc Fitoussi)
2009 VILLA AMALIA – (Benoît Jacquot)
2008 THE SEA WALL – (Rithy Panh) HOME – (Ursula Meier)
2009 WHITE MATERIAL – (Claire Denis)
2006 PRIVATE PROPERTY – (Joachim Lafosse)
2005 GABRIELLE – (Patrice Chereau) Venice Film Festival- Special Golden Lion for GABRIELLE and her overall career
2004 I HEART HUCKABEES – (David O’Russell)
2002 GHOST RIVER – (Olivier Dahan) 8 WOMEN – (François Ozon) Berlin International Film Festival- Silver Bear, Best Ensemble European Film Award, Best Ensemble
2001 THE PIANO TEACHER – (Michael Haneke) European Film Award, Best Actress Cannes Film Festival, Best Actress 2000 COMEDY OF INNOCENCE – (Raoul Ruiz) 2000 MERCI POUR LE CHOCOLAT – (Claude Chabrol) 2000 SENTIMENTAL DESTINIES – (Olivier Assayas) 2000 THE KING’S DAUGHTERS – (Patricia Mazuy) 2000 MODERN LIFE – (Laurence Ferreira Barbosa) 1997 THE SWINDLE – (Claude Chabrol) 1996 ELECTIVE AFFINITIES – (Paolo et Vittorio Taviani) 1995 LA CÉRÉMONIE – (Claude Chabrol) César Award, Best Actress Venice Film Festival- Volpi Cup, Best Actress, 1994 LA SÉPARATION – (Christian Vincent) 1994 AMATEUR – (Hal Hartley)
1993 THE FLOOD – (Igor Minaev) 1992 LOVE AFTER LOVE – (Diane Kurys) 1991 MADAME BOVARY – (Claude Chabrol) Moscow International Film Festival-Silver George, Best Actress 1991 MALINA – (Werner Shroeter Bundes), Film Preis Bundes Film Preis 1990 A WOMAN’S REVENGE – (Jacques Doillon) 1989 MIGRATIONS – (Alexandar Petrovic) 1988 STORY OF WOMEN – (Claude Chabro)l Venice Film Festival- Volpi Cup, Best Actress 1988 THE POSSESSED – (Andrzej Wajda) 1987 THE BEDROOM WINDOW – (Curtis Hanson) 1986 CACTUS – (Paul Cox) 1986 ALL MIXED UP – (Josiane Balasko) 1983 MY BEST FRIEND’S GIRL – (Bertrand Blier) 1983 THE STORY OF PIERA – (Marco Ferreri) 1983 ENTRE NOUS – (Diane Kurys) 1982 THE TROUT – (Joseph Losey) 1982 PASSION – (Jean-Luc Godard) 1981 EAUX PROFONDES – (Michel Deville) 1981 COUP DE TORCHON – (Bertrand Tavernier) 1981 THE LADY OF THE CAMELIAS – (Mauro Bolognini) 1980 HEAVEN’S GATE – (Michael Cimino) 1980 EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF – (Jean-Luc Godard) 1980 LOULOU – (Maurice Pialat) 1978 VIOLETTE NOZIÈRE – (Claude Chabrol) Cannes Film Festival, Best Actress 1977 THE LACEMAKER – (Claude Goretta) BAFTA Award, Best Actress