Hélène de Fougerolles

Hélène Christine Marie Rigoine de Fougerolles (French pronunciation: [elɛn fuʒʁɔl]; born 25 February 1973) is a French actress[1][2] who was twice nominated for the César Award for Most Promising Actress (known as the French Oscar)[3][4][5][6] for Arthur Joffé's Let There Be Light (1998) and Jacques Rivette's Va savoir (2001) for which she was also awarded the Prix Romy Schneider. de Fougerolles spent the first phase of her career in auteur cinema[7] appearing in such films as Jean-Pierre Mocky's Le Mari de Léon (1992), Patrice Chéreau's La Reine Margot (1994), Cédric Klapisch's Le Péril jeune (1994), Philippe Harel's The Story of a Boy Who Wanted to Be Kissed alongside Marion Cotillard, Mathieu Kassovitz's Assassin(s) (1997) or Baltasar Kormákur's The Sea (2002). She played Madame de Pompadour twice, in Fanfan la Tulipe (2003) alongside Penélope Cruz[8][9] and Robin Davis' Jeanne Poisson (2006). As of 2021, she has starred in more than 60 cinema, television and stage productions[10] and her book T'inquiète pas, maman, ça va aller (2021) about her daughter's autism[11][12] is published throughout the french-speaking world.[13][14][15][16][17]

Hélène de Fougerolles
De Fougerolles at the Globe de Cristal Awards ceremony in February 2017
Born
Hélène Christine Marie Rigoine de Fougerolles

(1973-02-25) 25 February 1973 (age 51)
Vannes, Morbihan, France
OccupationActress
Years active1992–present
Spouse
Éric Hubert
(m. 1997; div. 2004)
Children1

Early life

de Fougerolles in 2009.
By Studio Harcourt in 2008.

De Fougerolles was born on 25 February 1973 in Vannes, Morbihan, France and spent years of her childhood in Guadeloupe. The daughter of wine salesman Alain Rigoine de Fougerolles and breton sailing publicist Anne Saumay de Laval. Her parents divorced when she was three. She was initially planning to become a beautician, but she began to study acting at age 15. She later attended acting classes in Paris and briefly attending the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York City.[13][18]

Career

In 1999, de Fougerolles auditioned for Danny Boyle's The Beach to act alongside Leonardo DiCaprio but casting directors immediately told her that she was not mysterious enough as she arrived with blond hair in pigtails. She asked them if she could "be an extra or serve coffees there, three months in thailand, it sounds idyllic!". Although firstly reticent because the actress was already established in the industry, they finally accepted. As journalists were not allowed to come take pictures on set, the only picture the press could have of Guillaume Canet and Virginie Ledoyen before shooting started, was their departure at Paris airport with de Fougerolles. They made it the cover of Studio Magazine from which the international press reported her as officially cast. This eventually lended her lines being edited out of the final cut but present in the DVD extras.[19]

She made her first ever theatrical stage appearance in Occupe-toi d'Amélie! alongside Bruno Putzulu at the Théâtre de la Michodière in Paris from September 2012 to May 2013.

Personal life

De Fougerolles was married to Éric Hubert in 1997 and they have a daughter, born in 2003. The couple later divorced in 2004. She is vegan.[20]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleDirectorNotes
1993Le Mari de Léon [fr]GenevièveJean-Pierre Mocky
1994Jeanne la Pucelle II - Les prisonsJeanne de BarJacques Rivette
La Cité de la peurSandy BrookshieldAlain Berbérian
L'Histoire du garçon qui voulait qu'on l'embrasseKissing girl on the bridgePhilippe Harel
La Reine MargotA courtesanPatrice Chéreau
Le Péril jeuneChristineCédric Klapisch
1992–1995Le Collège des cœurs brisés [fr]Anne-Marie
  • Olivier Altman
  • Gérard Espinasse
Television series (37 episodes)
1995Été brulantNatachaJérôme FoulonTelevision film
1996When the Cat's AwayA modelCédric Klapisch (2)
Le Cheval de cœur [fr]VéroniqueCharlotte BrändströmTelevision film
Long coursCharlotteAlain TasmaTelevision film
1995–1997Avocat d'office [fr]Marie MorettiTelevision series (2 episodes)
1997La Divine Poursuite [fr]KarineMichel Deville
Assassin(s)HélèneMathieu Kassovitz
La Leçon de Monsieur PaillassonMichel FesslerShort film
1998Que la lumière soitJeanneArthur JofféNominated — César Award for Most Promising Actress
1999The FallMárta KissAndrew Piddington
De source sûreMurielLaurent TirardShort film
Un café... l'additionJulie
  • Félicie Dutertre
  • François Rabes
Short film
2000The BeachBeach Community MemberDanny Boyle
Le Prof [fr]ManonAlexandre Jardin
2001Mortel TransfertOlga KublerJean-Jacques Beineix
Va savoirDominique 'Do'Jacques Rivette (2)Nominated — César Award for Most Promising Actress
2002The RaceLéonore de SegonzacDjamel Bensalah
The SeaFrançoiseBaltasar Kormákur
2003Fanfan la TulipeMadame de PompadourGérard Krawczyk
VertigesLisa WeberLaurent CarcélèsTelevision series (1 episode)
Lapin intégralThe girlCécilia RouaudShort film
2004Ne quittez pas !Air HostessArthur Joffé (2)
InnocenceMademoiselle EdithLucile Hadžihalilović
Si j'étais elle [fr]AliceStéphane ClavierTelevision film
Le Plus Beau Jour de ma vie [fr]LolaJulie Lipinski
Les gens honnêtes vivent en France [fr]Agnès LerouxBob Decout
2005Einstein's Big Idea (E=mc2 - Une biographie de l'équation)Émilie du ChâteletGary JohnstoneTelevision film
2006Incontrôlable [fr]MarionRaffy Shart
Sable noirJulietteOlivier MegatonTelevision series (1 episode)
Les AristosMarie-Stéphanie MontcougnetCharlotte de Turckheim
Jeanne Poisson, marquise de Pompadour [fr]Madame de PompadourRobin DavisTelevision film
Des fleurs pour Algernon [fr]AliceDavid DelrieuxTelevision film
Pardonnez-moiBillyMaïwenn
2007New Délire [fr]PaulaÉric Le Roch
2008Papillon noir [fr]LauraChristian FaureTelevision film
Sans état d'âme [fr]JeanneVincenzo Marano
Les Dents de la nuit [fr]Jessica Conti
  • Stephen Cafiero
  • Vincent Lobelle
2009MutantsSoniaDavid Morley
Tricheuse [fr]ClémenceJean-François Davy
Les Fausses Innocences [fr]Mathilda StembertAndré ChandelleTelevision film
Sommeil blancCamilleJean-Paul Guyon
2011Maman ! [fr]LéaHélène de FougerollesShort film
Moi et ses ex [fr]AliceVincent GiovanniTelevision film
2013Le collier du MakokoHenri-Joseph Koumba Bididi
2015Le Secret d'Élise [fr]Alexandre LaurentTV miniseries
Accusé [fr]Claire BrattnerTelevision series (1 episode)
2016Arrête ton cinémaMarionDiane Kurys
Les Liens du cœur [fr]GaëlleRégis MussetTelevision film
Meurtres à Strasbourg [fr]Katel LeguennecLaurence KatrianTelevision film
2017La Loi de Julien [fr]Séverine DelamarcheChristophe DouchandTelevision film
2017Mention particulière [fr]FannyChristophe CamposTelevision film
2018BalthazarHélène BachTelevision series

Theatre

Original Poster of Occupe-toi d'Amélie

Awards and nominations

References