Nathalie Baye
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.
Photos
Movies (120)
Jacques Villeret, drôlement tragique
2025 · Self
Jean-Pierre Léaud: The Child of Cinema
2024 · Self - Actress
Mother Valley
2023 · Hélène
Godard Cinema
2023 · Self
Godard by Godard
2023 · Self (archive footage)
Nicole Garcia, actrice-cinéaste
2023 · Self
Suegros de alquiler. Agencia de engaños 2.0
2023 · Mme Martin
Sheila, toutes ces vies-là
2022 · Self (archive footage)
Downton Abbey: Una Nueva Era
2022 · Mme de Montmirail
Le soir où j'ai reçu le César 2022
2022 · Self
Bacri, comme un air de famille
2022 · Self
Haute Couture
2021 · Esther
Him
2021 · Mother
Sous le soleil de Pialat
2021 · Self
Conversation avec Nathalie Baye
2021 · Self
My Best Part
2020 · Bernadette Meyer
Soirée Pyjama
2019 · Self - Guest
Thomas
2018 · Anne Lancrey
The Guardians
2017 · Hortense Sandrail
Médée
2017 · The mother
Alibi.com
2017 · Marlène Martin
It's Only the End of the World
2016 · Martine
Xavier Dolan: Bound to Impossible
2016 · Self
Moka
2016 · Marlène
Préjudice
2015 · Mother
The Assistant
2015 · Marie-France
SK1
2015 · Frédérique Pons
Les Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'hui
2014
Lou!
2014 · Jeanne (La grand-mère)
Queens of the Ring
2013 · Colette
Laurence Anyways
2012 · Julienne Alia
Bon vent Claude Goretta
2011 · Self
Bye Bye
2011 · Cécile
Hitler in Hollywood
2011 · Nathalie Baye
Small World
2010 · Elisabeth Senn
Beautiful Lies
2010 · Mady
The Great Restaurant
2010 · Une cliente du restaurant
Together Is Too Much
2010 · Marie-France
Visage
2009 · Nathalie
God's Offices
2008 · Anne
Marie-Octobre
2008 · Marie-Hélène Dumoulin / Marie-Octobre
A French Gigolo
2008 · Judith
Off and Running
2008 · Irène Montier-Duval
The Price to Pay
2007 · Odile Ménard
Acteur
2007 · Camille
Michou d'Auber
2007 · Gisèle
Tell No One
2006 · Elysabeth Feldman
La Californie
2006 · Maguy
My Son
2006 · Mother / La mère
The Young Lieutenant
2005 · Commandant Vaudieu
One Stays, the Other Leaves
2005 · Fanny
François Truffaut, une autobiographie
2004 · Self
I've Been Waiting So Long
2004 · Jeanne
France Boutique
2003 · Sofia
Feelings
2003 · Carole
The Flower of Evil
2003 · Anne Charpin-Vasseur
Atrápame si puedes
2002 · Paula Abagnale
A Day in the Life of French Cinema
2002 · Self
Absolutely Fabulous
2001 · Patricia 'Patsy' Laroche
Barnie's Minor Annoyances
2001 · Lucie
To Mathieu
2001 · Claire
Tomorrow's Another Day
2000 · Sophie
An Affair of Love
1999 · Her
Venus Beauty Institute
1999 · Angèle Piana
Beware of My Love
1998 · Muriel
Paparazzi
1998 · Nicole, de l'agence Magma
Food of Love
1997 · Michele
Enfants de salaud
1996 · Sophie
Les Enfoirés 1996 - La Soirée des Enfoirés
1996
François Truffaut: The Man Who Loved Cinema - The Wild Child
1996 · Self
François Truffaut: The Man Who Loved Cinema - Love & Death
1996 · Self
The Machine
1994 · Marie Lacroix
Y la Banda Siguió Tocando
1993 · Dr. Françoise Barre
Mensonge
1993 · Emma
François Truffaut: Stolen Portraits
1993 · Self
Les contes sauvages
1993 · Narrator (voice)
The Voice
1992 · Lorraine
From Time to Time
1992 · Madame de Pompadour
The Man Inside
1990 · Christine
Every Other Weekend
1990 · Camille Valmont
C'est La Vie
1990 · Lena
Massacre Play
1989 · Bella
No Harm Intended
1988 · Catherine Duchêne
Engagements of the Heart
1987 · Alice
Honeymoon
1985 · Cécile Carline
Beethoven's Nephew
1985 · Leonore
Detective
1985 · Françoise Chenal
Rive droite, rive gauche
1984 · Sacha Vernakis
Our Story
1984 · Donatienne Pouget / Marie-Thérèse Chatelard / Geneviève Avranche
I Married a Shadow
1983 · Hélène
La Balance
1982 · Nicole Danet
The Return of Martin Guerre
1982 · Bertrande de Rols
Short Memory
1982 · Judith Mesnil
Strange Affair
1981 · Nina Coline
The Red Shade
1981 · Anna
Beau Pere
1981 · Charlotte
Voyage à travers un film (Sauve qui peut (la vie))
1981 · Self
Sauve la vie (qui peut)
1981 · Self (archive footage)
La provinciale
1981 · Christine Delumet
Every Man for Himself
1980 · Denise Rimbaud
A Week's Vacation
1980 · Laurence Cuers
Rat Race
1980 · Brigitte Ozendron
Madame Sourdis
1979 · Adèle Sourdis
Scénario de 'Sauve qui peut la vie'
1979 · Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mon Premier Amour
1978 · Fabienne
The Green Room
1978 · Cecilia Mandel
Monsieur Papa
1977 · Janine
The Man Who Loved Women
1977 · Martine Desdoits
Solemn Communion
1977 · Jeanne Vanderberghe
Mado
1976 · Catherine
The Honeymoon Trip
1976 · Sophie
The Last Woman
1976 · la fille aux cerises
Fill 'er Up with Super
1976 · Charlotte
Esquisse d'une jeune femme sens dessus dessous
1975 · Fabienne Veyrier, the young woman
Un jour, la fête
1975 · Julie
The Slap
1974 · Christine Abeillé
The Mouth Agape
1974 · Nathalie
L'Inconnu
1973
Day for Night
1973 · Joelle, the Script Girl
Faustine and the Beautiful Summer
1972 · Giselle
TV shows (22)
Il était une fois Champs-Élysées
2022 · Self (archive footage)
Criminal: Francia
2019 · Caroline Solal
Bonsoir bonsoir!
2019 · Self
Nox
2018 · Catherine Susini
Call My Agent!
2015 · Self
Spin
2012 · Anne Visage
Club social
2008 · Self
On n'est pas couché
2006 · Self - Guest
L’enfant des lumières
2002 · la comtesse Diane de Breyves
Vivement dimanche
1998 · Self
Téléthon
1987 · Self
Sacrée soirée
1987 · Self
Matin Bonheur
1987 · Self
Victoires de la musique
1985 · Self
Champs-Elysées
1982 · Self
Ciné regards
1978 · Self
Cérémonie des César
1976 · Self - Presenter, Self - President
Cinéma 16
1975 · Fabienne
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975 · Self
Spécial cinéma
1974 · Self
Le Grand Échiquier
1972 · Self
Les Cinq Dernières Minutes
1958 · Gisèle