Hourrah ! The French have once again made their way to the Oscars with Marion Cotillard’s second nomination for Deux Jours, Une Nuit directed by the Dardenne brothers, and we are therefore once again filled with pride and excitement !
Out of the sixteen French actresses nominated in the history of the Oscars, only four went home with the lucky statuette. While we’re hoping for the best for Marion, let’s look back to those who painted their success in blue, white and red.
Claudette Colbert, a renowned stranger
You have probably never heard of her (don’t deny it ! ) and yet she was the first French woman to win an Oscar. Ever. She moved to New York when she was only 3 and progressively made her way to Broadway before reaching the top of the mountain with Frank Capra’s New York-Miami, in 1935.
She continued to act until 1962 and left her mark on Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of Fame.
Why we love her : she played with James Dean and Clark Gable (Gone with the Wind’s star and the first man who touched your soul, ladies ). And being able to live vicariously through those roles and heavenly situations is a chance enough – so thank you, Claudette !
Simone Signoret, a French myth
An iconic woman with feline eyes. She won the Oscar for Les Chemins de la Haute Ville before coming back to France and being crowned Queen of cinema. Her relationship with Yves Montant and friendship with Marylin Monroe gave more material for both women and men to gush over…
Why we love her : she was outspoken and politically involved – like a true Frenchie.
Juliette Binoche, the bilingual one
Our national pride and treasure… She’s got the smile, she’s got the charm, and she managed to impose herself on the other side of the Atlantic with The English Patient in 1997 – but also to win international recognition with prizes such as the BAFTA, the Cesar, the Oscar, and the Best Actress Award at Cannes, Venice and Berlin…
Why we love her : she said no to Steven Spielberg for a role in Jurassic Park because she had already committed to a Polish movie. Unintimidated.
And finally, Marion Cotillard, the outsider…
Marion was a French actress playing in French movies… But then it all changed when she became a Hollywood superstar, and we’re not sure we followed how that happened. Actually, when listening to her acceptance speech at the Oscars in 2008, (profoundly declaring “thank you love, thank you life”) we’re wondering if she knows how it happened herself ! Her nonchalance and quirkiness are charming and challenge the Hollywoodian ideal of perfection, and we like that.
Why we love her : she called her son Marcel, and prompted a well-deserved come back for outdated names. We might even call our children ‘Pierrot” or ‘Francis’ thanks to her – something we secretly wanted to do but never really admitted…