Nathalie Baye
Known for: Acting
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.
Filmography
Series
Ciné regards
Self
1978
Series
Bonsoir bonsoir!
Self
2019
Series
Spécial cinéma
Self
1974
Series
Vivement dimanche
Self
1998
Series
Sacrée soirée
Self
1987
Series
Champs-Elysées
Self
1982
Series
Cérémonie des César
Self - Presenter
1976
Series
Cérémonie des César
Self - President
1976
Film
Catch Me If You Can
Paula Abagnale
2002
Series
Le Grand Échiquier
Self
1972
Series
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Self
1975
Series
On n'est pas couché
Self - Guest
2006
Series
Les Cinq Dernières Minutes
Gisèle
1958
Series
Victoires de la musique
Self
1985
Series
Call My Agent!
Self
2015
Club social
Self
2008
Series
Téléthon
Self
1987
Film
Beau Pere
Charlotte
1981
Film
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Mme de Montmirail
2022
Series
Cinéma 16
Fabienne
1975
Film
It's Only the End of the World
Martine
2016
Film
Tell No One
Elysabeth Feldman
2006
Series
Criminal: France
Caroline Solal
2019
Series
Matin Bonheur
Self
1987
Film
Médée
The mother
2017
Series
Il était une fois Champs-Élysées
Self (archive footage)
2022
Film
Laurence Anyways
Julienne Alia
2012
Film
Day for Night
Joelle, the Script Girl
1973
Film
And the Band Played On
Dr. Françoise Barre
1993
Film
Alibi.com 2
Mme Martin
2023
Film
Feelings
Carole
2003
Series
Spin
Anne Visage
2012
Film
Haute Couture
Esther
2021
Film
Alibi.com
Marlène Martin
2017
Film
An Affair of Love
Her
1999
Film
Hitler in Hollywood
Nathalie Baye
2011
Film
Bye Bye
Cécile
2011
Film
Queens of the Ring
Colette
2013
Film
Detective
Françoise Chenal
1985
Film
The Assistant
Marie-France
2015
Film
The Last Woman
la fille aux cerises
1976
Film
To Mathieu
Claire
2001
Film
SK1
Frédérique Pons
2015
Film
Our Story
Donatienne Pouget / Marie-Thérèse Chatelard / Geneviève Avranche
1984
Film
Marie-Octobre
Marie-Hélène Dumoulin / Marie-Octobre
2008
Film
The Guardians
Hortense Sandrail
2017
Film
A French Gigolo
Judith
2008
Series
Nox
Catherine Susini
2018
Film
The Man Who Loved Women
Martine Desdoits
1977
Film
The Return of Martin Guerre
Bertrande de Rols
1982
Film
Mother Valley
Hélène
2023
Film
Visage
Nathalie
2009
Film
Venus Beauty Institute
Angèle Piana
1999
Film
C'est La Vie
Lena
1990
Film
Beautiful Lies
Mady
2010
Film
Madame Sourdis
Adèle Sourdis
1979
Film
Le soir où j'ai reçu le César 2022
Self
2022
Film
Moka
Marlène
2016
Film
The Slap
Christine Abeillé
1974
Film
Lou!
Jeanne (La grand-mère)
2014
Series
L’enfant des lumières
la comtesse Diane de Breyves
2002
Film
The Price to Pay
Odile Ménard
2007
Film
Godard Cinema
Self
2023
Film
Every Man for Himself
Denise Rimbaud
1980
Film
The Flower of Evil
Anne Charpin-Vasseur
2003
Film
The Green Room
Cecilia Mandel
1978
Film
The Mouth Agape
Nathalie
1974
Film
La Balance
Nicole Danet
1982
Film
My Best Part
Bernadette Meyer
2020
Film
Xavier Dolan: Bound to Impossible
Self
2016
Film
Michou d'Auber
Gisèle
2007
Film
Strange Affair
Nina Coline
1981
Film
I've Been Waiting So Long
Jeanne
2004
Film
Nicole Garcia, actrice-cinéaste
Self
2023
Film
François Truffaut: Stolen Portraits
Self
1993
Film
A Day in the Life of French Cinema
Self
2002
Film
Him
Mother
2021
Film
My Son
Mother / La mère
2006
Film
Absolutely Fabulous
Patricia 'Patsy' Laroche
2001
Film
Faustine and the Beautiful Summer
Giselle
1972
Film
La Californie
Maguy
2006
Film
Small World
Elisabeth Senn
2010
Film
Mado
Catherine
1976
Film
Les Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'hui
2014
Film
Voyage à travers un film (Sauve qui peut (la vie))
Self
1981
Film
Paparazzi
Nicole, de l'agence Magma
1998
Film
Rat Race
Brigitte Ozendron
1980
Film
The Voice
Lorraine
1992
Film
The Honeymoon Trip
Sophie
1976
Film
The Young Lieutenant
Commandant Vaudieu
2005
Film
François Truffaut: The Man Who Loved Cinema - Love & Death
Self
1996
Film
Enfants de salaud
Sophie
1996
Film
Rive droite, rive gauche
Sacha Vernakis
1984
Film
The Machine
Marie Lacroix
1994
Film
François Truffaut, une autobiographie
Self
2004
Film
L'Inconnu
1973
Film
Les Enfoirés 1996 - La Soirée des Enfoirés
1996
Film
Godard by Godard
Self (archive footage)
2023
Film
Fill 'er Up with Super
Charlotte
1976
Film
Barnie's Minor Annoyances
Lucie
2001
Film
Scénario de 'Sauve qui peut la vie'
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1979
Film
One Stays, the Other Leaves
Fanny
2005
Film
Jean-Pierre Léaud: The Child of Cinema
Self - Actress
2024
Film
Tomorrow's Another Day
Sophie
2000
Film
Sous le soleil de Pialat
Self
2021
Film
Jacques Villeret, drôlement tragique
Self
2025
Film
Monsieur Papa
Janine
1977
Film
The Great Restaurant
Une cliente du restaurant
2010
Film
The Man Inside
Christine
1990
Film
Beethoven's Nephew
Leonore
1985
Film
Bon vent Claude Goretta
Self
2011
Film
God's Offices
Anne
2008
Film
I Married a Shadow
Hélène
1983
Film
Food of Love
Michele
1997
Film
Every Other Weekend
Camille Valmont
1990
Film
Les contes sauvages
Narrator (voice)
1993
Film
Off and Running
Irène Montier-Duval
2008
Film
Esquisse d'une jeune femme sens dessus dessous
Fabienne Veyrier, the young woman
1975
Film
Soirée Pyjama
Self - Guest
2019
Film
Honeymoon
Cécile Carline
1985
Film
France Boutique
Sofia
2003
Film
Mensonge
Emma
1993
Film
Engagements of the Heart
Alice
1987
Film
Solemn Communion
Jeanne Vanderberghe
1977
Film
No Harm Intended
Catherine Duchêne
1988
Film
La provinciale
Christine Delumet
1981
Film
A Week's Vacation
Laurence Cuers
1980
Film
Short Memory
Judith Mesnil
1982
Film
Together Is Too Much
Marie-France
2010
Film
Sheila, toutes ces vies-là
Self (archive footage)
2022
Film
Sauve la vie (qui peut)
Self (archive footage)
1981
Film
Beware of My Love
Muriel
1998
Film
Thomas
Anne Lancrey
2018
Film
Massacre Play
Bella
1989
Film
Bacri, comme un air de famille
Self
2022
Film
François Truffaut: The Man Who Loved Cinema - The Wild Child
Self
1996
Film
From Time to Time
Madame de Pompadour
1992
Film
The Red Shade
Anna
1981
Film
Un jour, la fête
Julie
1975
Film
Préjudice
Mother
2015
Film
Mon Premier Amour
Fabienne
1978
Film
Conversation avec Nathalie Baye
Self
2021
Acteur
Camille
2007