One of France's most celebrated film stars, Nathalie Baye, has died aged 77, French media report. President Emmanuel Macron said the much-loved stalwart of French cinema had been 'an actress with whom we loved, dreamed and grew up'. A four-time acting winner at the Césars—France's equivalent of the Oscars—Baye starred in about 80 films in her lifetime after breakout roles in the early 1970s.
Her family told the French news agency AFP she had died at her home in Paris on Friday evening from a form of dementia. Born into a bohemian family of artists in Normandy in 1948, she began her career as a dancer before turning to acting. Baye got her break in François Truffaut's 1973 comedy La nuit américaine, when she was fresh out of drama school.
Over a career spanning five decades, she became one of France's most decorated actresses. She won her first César in 1981 for her supporting role in Jean-Luc Godard's dark comedy Sauve qui peut (la vie). She was again named best supporting actress in 1982 and best actress the following year for Une étrange affaire and La Balance. Baye was named best actress at the 1999 Venice Film Festival for Une liaison pornographique.
Later in her career, she appeared in high-profile international projects, such as Steven Spielberg's 2002 film Catch Me if You Can, in which she played Leonardo DiCaprio's mother. More recently, she played a parody of herself in the acclaimed series Call My Agent! alongside her daughter, actress Laura Smet. Baye's final on-screen role came in the 2023 Franco-Lebanese drama La nuit du verre d'eau. Beyond acting, she was also known for her advocacy on climate change and assisted dying legislation.
Paying tribute, Macron wrote on social media: 'We loved Nathalie Baye so much. With her voice, her smile and her grace, she has been a constant presence in French cinema over the past few decades.' Culture Minister Catherine Pégard remarked that Baye had 'lit up a long chapter in the history of French cinema with her talent and radiant personality.'
Her family told the French news agency AFP she had died at her home in Paris on Friday evening from a form of dementia. Born into a bohemian family of artists in Normandy in 1948, she began her career as a dancer before turning to acting. Baye got her break in François Truffaut's 1973 comedy La nuit américaine, when she was fresh out of drama school.
Over a career spanning five decades, she became one of France's most decorated actresses. She won her first César in 1981 for her supporting role in Jean-Luc Godard's dark comedy Sauve qui peut (la vie). She was again named best supporting actress in 1982 and best actress the following year for Une étrange affaire and La Balance. Baye was named best actress at the 1999 Venice Film Festival for Une liaison pornographique.
Later in her career, she appeared in high-profile international projects, such as Steven Spielberg's 2002 film Catch Me if You Can, in which she played Leonardo DiCaprio's mother. More recently, she played a parody of herself in the acclaimed series Call My Agent! alongside her daughter, actress Laura Smet. Baye's final on-screen role came in the 2023 Franco-Lebanese drama La nuit du verre d'eau. Beyond acting, she was also known for her advocacy on climate change and assisted dying legislation.
Paying tribute, Macron wrote on social media: 'We loved Nathalie Baye so much. With her voice, her smile and her grace, she has been a constant presence in French cinema over the past few decades.' Culture Minister Catherine Pégard remarked that Baye had 'lit up a long chapter in the history of French cinema with her talent and radiant personality.'
