Nathalie Baye
Biography
Nathalie Marie Andrée Baye (July 6, 1948 – April 17, 2026) was 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.
Known For

Champs-Elysées

Catch Me If You Can

Spécial cinéma

Vivement dimanche

Sacrée soirée

Les Rendez-vous du dimanche

Le Grand Échiquier

Bonsoir bonsoir!
All Movies (120)
- Jacques Villeret, drôlement tragique2025 · as Self
- Jean-Pierre Léaud: The Child of Cinema2024 · as Self - Actress
- Mother Valley2023 · as Hélène
- Godard Cinema2023 · as Self
- Godard by Godard2023 · as Self (archive footage)
- Nicole Garcia, actrice-cinéaste2023 · as Self
- Alibi.com 22023 · as Mme Martin
- Sheila, toutes ces vies-là2022 · as Self (archive footage)
- Downton Abbey: A New Era2022 · as Mme de Montmirail
- Le soir où j'ai reçu le César 20222022 · as Self
- Bacri, comme un air de famille2022 · as Self
- Haute Couture2021 · as Esther
- Him2021 · as Mother
- Sous le soleil de Pialat2021 · as Self
- Conversation avec Nathalie Baye2021 · as Self
- My Best Part2020 · as Bernadette Meyer
- Soirée Pyjama2019 · as Self - Guest
- Thomas2018 · as Anne Lancrey
- The Guardians2017 · as Hortense Sandrail
- Médée2017 · as The mother
- Alibi.com2017 · as Marlène Martin
- It's Only the End of the World2016 · as Martine
- Xavier Dolan: Bound to Impossible2016 · as Self
- Moka2016 · as Marlène
- Préjudice2015 · as Mother
- The Assistant2015 · as Marie-France
- SK12015 · as Frédérique Pons
- Les Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'hui2014
- Lou!2014 · as Jeanne (La grand-mère)
- Queens of the Ring2013 · as Colette
- Laurence Anyways2012 · as Julienne Alia
- Bon vent Claude Goretta2011 · as Self
- Bye Bye2011 · as Cécile
- Hitler in Hollywood2011 · as Nathalie Baye
- Small World2010 · as Elisabeth Senn
- Beautiful Lies2010 · as Mady
- The Great Restaurant2010 · as Une cliente du restaurant
- Together Is Too Much2010 · as Marie-France
- Visage2009 · as Nathalie
- God's Offices2008 · as Anne
- Marie-Octobre2008 · as Marie-Hélène Dumoulin / Marie-Octobre
- A French Gigolo2008 · as Judith
- Off and Running2008 · as Irène Montier-Duval
- The Price to Pay2007 · as Odile Ménard
- Acteur2007 · as Camille
- Michou d'Auber2007 · as Gisèle
- Tell No One2006 · as Elysabeth Feldman
- La Californie2006 · as Maguy
- My Son2006 · as Mother / La mère
- The Young Lieutenant2005 · as Commandant Vaudieu
- One Stays, the Other Leaves2005 · as Fanny
- François Truffaut, une autobiographie2004 · as Self
- I've Been Waiting So Long2004 · as Jeanne
- France Boutique2003 · as Sofia
- Feelings2003 · as Carole
- The Flower of Evil2003 · as Anne Charpin-Vasseur
- Catch Me If You Can2002 · as Paula Abagnale
- A Day in the Life of French Cinema2002 · as Self
- Absolutely Fabulous2001 · as Patricia 'Patsy' Laroche
- Barnie's Minor Annoyances2001 · as Lucie
- To Mathieu2001 · as Claire
- Tomorrow's Another Day2000 · as Sophie
- An Affair of Love1999 · as Her
- Venus Beauty Institute1999 · as Angèle Piana
- Beware of My Love1998 · as Muriel
- Paparazzi1998 · as Nicole, de l'agence Magma
- Food of Love1997 · as Michele
- Enfants de salaud1996 · as Sophie
- Les Enfoirés 1996 - La Soirée des Enfoirés1996
- François Truffaut: The Man Who Loved Cinema - The Wild Child1996 · as Self
- François Truffaut: The Man Who Loved Cinema - Love & Death1996 · as Self
- The Machine1994 · as Marie Lacroix
- And the Band Played On1993 · as Dr. Françoise Barre
- Mensonge1993 · as Emma
- François Truffaut: Stolen Portraits1993 · as Self
- Les contes sauvages1993 · as Narrator (voice)
- The Voice1992 · as Lorraine
- From Time to Time1992 · as Madame de Pompadour
- The Man Inside1990 · as Christine
- Every Other Weekend1990 · as Camille Valmont
- C'est La Vie1990 · as Lena
- Massacre Play1989 · as Bella
- No Harm Intended1988 · as Catherine Duchêne
- Engagements of the Heart1987 · as Alice
- Honeymoon1985 · as Cécile Carline
- Beethoven's Nephew1985 · as Leonore
- Detective1985 · as Françoise Chenal
- Rive droite, rive gauche1984 · as Sacha Vernakis
- Our Story1984 · as Donatienne Pouget / Marie-Thérèse Chatelard / Geneviève Avranche
- I Married a Shadow1983 · as Hélène
- La Balance1982 · as Nicole Danet
- The Return of Martin Guerre1982 · as Bertrande de Rols
- Short Memory1982 · as Judith Mesnil
- Strange Affair1981 · as Nina Coline
- The Red Shade1981 · as Anna
- Beau Pere1981 · as Charlotte
- Voyage à travers un film (Sauve qui peut (la vie))1981 · as Self
- Sauve la vie (qui peut)1981 · as Self (archive footage)
- La provinciale1981 · as Christine Delumet
- Every Man for Himself1980 · as Denise Rimbaud
- A Week's Vacation1980 · as Laurence Cuers
- Rat Race1980 · as Brigitte Ozendron
- Madame Sourdis1979 · as Adèle Sourdis
- Scénario de 'Sauve qui peut la vie'1979 · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Mon Premier Amour1978 · as Fabienne
- The Green Room1978 · as Cecilia Mandel
- Monsieur Papa1977 · as Janine
- The Man Who Loved Women1977 · as Martine Desdoits
- Solemn Communion1977 · as Jeanne Vanderberghe
- Mado1976 · as Catherine
- The Honeymoon Trip1976 · as Sophie
- The Last Woman1976 · as la fille aux cerises
- Fill 'er Up with Super1976 · as Charlotte
- Esquisse d'une jeune femme sens dessus dessous1975 · as Fabienne Veyrier, the young woman
- Un jour, la fête1975 · as Julie
- The Slap1974 · as Christine Abeillé
- The Mouth Agape1974 · as Nathalie
- L'Inconnu1973
- Day for Night1973 · as Joelle, the Script Girl
- Faustine and the Beautiful Summer1972 · as Giselle
All TV Shows (22)
- Il était une fois Champs-Élysées2022 · as Self (archive footage)
- Criminal: France2019 · as Caroline Solal
- Bonsoir bonsoir!2019 · as Self
- Nox2018 · as Catherine Susini
- Call My Agent!2015 · as Self
- Spin2012 · as Anne Visage
- Club social2008 · as Self
- On n'est pas couché2006 · as Self - Guest
- L’enfant des lumières2002 · as la comtesse Diane de Breyves
- Vivement dimanche1998 · as Self
- Téléthon1987 · as Self
- Sacrée soirée1987 · as Self
- Matin Bonheur1987 · as Self
- Victoires de la musique1985 · as Self
- Champs-Elysées1982 · as Self
- Cérémonie des César1976 · as Self - Presenter
- Cérémonie des César1976 · as Self - President
- Cinéma 161975 · as Fabienne
- Les Rendez-vous du dimanche1975 · as Self
- Spécial cinéma1974 · as Self
- Le Grand Échiquier1972 · as Self
- Les Cinq Dernières Minutes1958 · as Gisèle