Sylvie Testud

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Sylvie Testud
in 2011
Born (1971-01-17) January 17, 1971 (age 53)
Occupation(s)Actress, director, writer
Years active1991–present

Sylvie Testud (born January 17, 1971) is a French actress, writer and director. She started acting in films in 1991. She has since won two César Awards for her performances.

Biography[change | change source]

She grew up in the La Croix-Rousse quarter of Lyon, France. Her mother immigrated from Italy in the 1960s and married a Frenchman. He left the family when Sylvie was just two years old.

In 1985, when Testud was 14, she started taking acting classes in Lyon with the actor and director Christian Taponard. In 1989, she moved to Paris and studied for three years at the Conservatoire (CNSAD). In the early and mid 1990s, she began to have small roles in films. She acted in L'Histoire du garcon qui voulait qu'on l'embrasse (directed by Philippe Harel) and Love, etc. (directed by Marion Vernoux). In 1997 she had an important role in Caroline Link's Jenseits der Stille. This film was a great success in Germany. She had to learn German, sign language, and the clarinet for this film. In 1998, she played Béa in Thomas Vincent's Karnaval. This was her first important role in a French film. In 2000, she performed in Chantal Akerman's La Captive. In 2001 she won the César Award for Most Promising Actress for her role in Les Blessures assassines (English title: Murderous Maids).[source?]

In 2003, she wrote the book Il n'y a pas beaucoup d'etoiles ce soir about her life as an actress.[1]

One of her most important performances was in the film Stupeur et tremblements in 2003. She was awarded a César Award for Best Actress and a Prix Lumière award for best actress for her performance in this film. In 2007, she acted in La Vie en Rose. This film won two Academy Awards.[source?]

She became Chevalier (Knight) of the Ordre national du Mérite in March 2009.[2]

She has two children. Her son, Ruben, was born on 15 February 2005. Her daughter, Esther, was born in January, 2011.[3]

Selected filmography[change | change source]

At the César Awards 2008.
Year Title Role Director
1995 Those Were the Days Sylvie Didier Haudepin
1996 Beyond Silence Lara Caroline Link
1998 Karnaval Béa Thomas Vincent
The Misadventures of Margaret the young nun Brian Skeet
1999 Annaluise & Anton Laurence Caroline Link
2000 La Captive Ariane Chantal Akerman
Drug Scenes (episode "Lucie") Lucie Guillaume Nicloux (episode)
Sade Renée de Sade Benoît Jacquot
Murderous Maids Christine Papin Jean-Pierre Denis
2001 I'm Going Home Ariel Manoel de Oliveira
2002 Everyman's Feast Sophie Fritz Lehner
A Loving Father Virginia Jacob Berger
2003 Fear and Trembling Amélie Alain Corneau
Sole Sisters Tina Pierre Jolivet
2004 Words in Blue Clara Alain Corneau
2006 La Vie en rose Mômone Olivier Dahan
2007 La France Camille Serge Bozon
2008 Sagan Françoise Sagan Diane Kurys
2009 Lucky Luke Calamity Jane James Huth
Vengeance Irène Thompson Johnnie To
Lourdes Christine Jessica Hausner
2010 The Round Up Bella Zygler Roselyne Bosch
Mumu Ms. Mulard Joël Séria
2011 L'Ordre et la Morale Chantal Legorjus Mathieu Kassovitz
2012 The Scapegoat Bela Charles Sturridge

References[change | change source]

  1. "Il n'y a pas beaucoup d'etoiles ce soir - Sylvie Testud." Mortigi Tempo. Blogspot. 2 October 2006. Web. 20 December 2012.
  2. "Décret du 14 novembre 2008 portant promotion et nomination". JORF. 2008 (266): 17476. 2008-11-15. PREX0823631D. Retrieved 2009-03-14. (in French)
  3. "Paris Match, 26 January 2011". Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2012.

Other websites[change | change source]

  • Sylvie Testud on IMDb
  • Sylvie Testud Archived 2009-11-07 at the Wayback Machine at Actricesdefrance.org
  • CSOJ - Alain Badiou Sylvie Testud appears on an episode of the French television program Ce Soir (En direct, channel 3) featuring militant philosopher Alain Badiou. The topic of this episode is "Faut-il réinventer l'amour?" (Should we reinvent love?). Ms. Testud appears 46:18 minutes into the program and talks with Badiou and the program host for about 24 minutes (no commercials, this show is in French).