Adjani, Isabelle

(1955- )

   actor

   Known for her sensitive character portrayals, Isabelle Adjani was born in paris and had her stage debut at the comédie française (L'École des Femmes, Ondine). She very soon had a film success with La Gifle (1974) and above all L'Histoire d'Adèle H. (1975), directed by François truffaut, for which she received an Academy Award nomination. in that film, she demonstrated her extraordinary skill at portraying complex, intelligent heroines, especially in period pieces. since then, her star has not dimmed, as she played the main role in Les Soeurs Brontë (1979), Possession (1981), and Quartet (1981), winning the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for the last two. other films include L'Été meutrier (1983), for which she won the Cesar Award, Le Métro (1985), and Camille Claude (1988), a film based on the story of the sculptor whose life was overshadowed by that of her lover, auguste rodin, and for which Isabelle Adjani again received an Academy Award nomination for best actress. Her later films include La Reine Margot (1994).