Isabelle Huppert is a French actress who has appeared in more than 120 feature films, mostly in starring roles. Regarded as one of the most respected actresses in French cinema, she has appeared in films directed by Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc Godard and Michael Haneke. She has also starred in numerous stage productions, in Paris and around the world. In 2022 she received the Berlin Film Festival's Honorary Golden Bear.
She made her film debut in 1972 before her big break in Bertrand Blier's comedy-drama Les Valseuses (1974), which was a success in France. Huppert's first English-language film was Rosebud (1975), directed by Otto Preminger and starring Peter O'Toole.
As of 2022, she has appeared in 22 films that have been screened In Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes she has won the Best Actress Award twice, for her roles in Violette Nozière (1978) and The Piano Teacher (2001). She has also won a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for The Lacemaker (1977), and two Volpi Cups at Venice for Story of Women (1988) and La Cérémonie (1995). She has been nominated for 16 César Awards, twice winning the Best Actress award, for La Cérémonie and for Elle. Huppert won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her work in Paul Verhoeven's Elle (2016).
Also a prolific stage actress, Huppert is the most nominated actress for the Molière Award, with eight nominations; she received an honorary lifetime achievement award in 2017. In 2017 she was also awarded the Europe Theatre Prize.
Acting credits Film +Key Denotes films that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Notes 1972 Faustine et le Bel Été Student #2 The Bar at the Crossing Annie Smith César and Rosalie Marite 1974 Successive Slidings of Pleasure Bit Going Places Jacqueline L'Ampélopède The storyteller 1975 Serious as Pleasure A girl brought home The Common Man Brigitte Colin Rosebud Helene Nikolaos Aloïse Aloïse as a child The Big Delirium Marie 1976 Docteur Françoise Gailland Élisabeth Gailland The Judge and the Assassin Rose Little Marcel Yvette I Am Pierre Riviere Aimée 1977 The Lacemaker Pomme Spoiled Children The secretary of the deputy Uncredited The Indians Are Still Far Away Jenny 1978 Violette Nozière Violette Nozière 1979 Scénario de 'Sauve qui peut la vie Herself Short film Return to the Beloved Jeanne Kern The Brontë Sisters Anne Brontë 1980 Every Man for Himself Isabelle Rivière The Heiresses Irène Loulou Nelly Heaven's Gate Ella Watson 1981 The Lady of the Camellias Alphonsine Plessis The Wings of the Dove Marie Coup de Torchon Rose Mercaillou Eaux profondes Melanie 1982 Passion Isabelle The Trout Frédérique 1983 The Story of Piera Piera Entre Nous Lena Weber Also known as Coup de foudre My Best Friend's Girl Viviane 1984 La Garce Aline Kaminker / Édith Weber 1985 Sincerely Charlotte Charlotte All Mixed Up Rose-Marie Martin 1986Cactus Colo 1987 The Bedroom Window Sylvia Wentworth 1988 The Possessed Maria Sjatov Story of Women Marie Milan noir Sarah 1989 Migrations Dafina Isakovic 1990 A Woman's Revenge Cécile 1991 Malina The Woman Madame Bovary Emma Bovary 1992 Love After Love Lola 1993 The Flood Sofia Also associate producer 1994 Amateur Isabelle La Séparation Anne 1995 La Cérémonie Jeanne 1996 The Elective Affinities Carlotta 1997 Les Palmes de M. Schutz Marie Curie The Swindle Elizabeth / Betty 1998 The School of Flesh Dominique 1999 No Scandal Agnès Jeancourt 2000 Modern Life Claire False Servant La comtesse The King's Daughters Madame de Maintenon Sentimental Destinies Nathalie Barnery Comedy of Innocence Ariane Merci pour le Chocolat Marie-Claire 'Mika' Muller 2001 The Piano Teacher Erika Kohut 2002 8 Women (8 femmes) Augustine Two Magdalena / Maria La vie promise Sylvia 2003 Time of the Wolf Anne Laurent 2004 Ma Mère Hélène I Heart Huckabees Caterine Vauban Les Sœurs fâchées Martine Demouthy 2005 Gabrielle Gabrielle Hervey 2006 Comedy of Power Jeanne Charmant-Killman Private Property Pascale 2007 Hidden Love Danielle Medea Miracle Irène / Médée 2008 Home Marthe The Sea Wall Mother 2009 Villa Amalia Ann White Material Maria Vial 2010 Copacabana Elisabeth Delmotte, known as Babou Alice Bergerac Fantastic Mr. Fox Mrs. Felicity Fox (voice) French dubbed version 2011 Die Blutgräfin Maid Hermine My Little Princess Hanna Giurgiu My Worst Nightmare Agathe Novic 2012 The goat (voice) Uncredited Captive Thérèse Bourgoine Amour Eva In Another Country Anne Dormant Beauty Divina Madre Lines of Wellington Cosima Pia 2013 The Nun Supérieure Saint Eutrope Michael H – Profession: Director Herself Documentary Dead Man Down Maman Louzon Tip Top Esther Lafarge Abuse of Weakness Maud Schoenberg The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby Mary Rigby 2014 Paris Follies Brigitte Lecanu Dior and I Herself Documentary 2015 Macadam Stories Jeanne Meyer Louder Than Bombs Isabelle Reed Valley of Love Isabelle 2016 Things to Come Nathalie Chazeaux Elle Michèle Leblanc Tout de suite maintenant Solveig Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond Herself Documentary Souvenir Liliane Cheverny, known as Laura What Tears Us Apart Isabelle Short film 2017 Barrage Elisabeth Claire's Camera Claire Happy End Anne Laurent Madame Hyde Marie Géquil / Madame Hyde Reinventing Marvin Isabelle Huppert 2018 Isle of Dogs Interpreter Woman (voice) French dubbed version Eva Eva Greta Greta Hideg 2019 Golden Youth Lucile Wood Also known as Une jeunesse dorée White as Snow Maud Also known as Blanche comme neige Frankie Françoise Crémont, known as Frankie 2020 Mama Weed Patience Portefeux 2021 Promises Clémence Collombet 2022 About Joan Joan Verra EO The Countess Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris Claudine Colbert The Sitting Duck Maureen Kearney Caravaggio's Shadow Costanza Sforza Colonna 2023 The Crime Is Mine Odette Chaumette Sidonie in Japan Sidonie Perceval Marianne Marianne2024 A Traveler's Needs Iris My New Friends Lucie La Prisonnière de Bordeaux Alma Lund Two People Exchanging Saliva Short; executive producer2025 Luz Sabine The Richest Woman in the World Marianne Farrère 2026 The Blood Countess Erzsébet Báthory Parallel Tales Sylvie All About Corinne (Ni vue, ni connue) Corinne
Television Year Title Role(s) Notes 1971 Le PrussienElisabethTV film GilberteEpisode: "Du côté des chez Swann"1972 Figaro-ci, Figaro-làPauline TV film 1973 Histoire vraieAdelaïde Le Maître de pensionAnnie Le DrakkarYolande Vogue la galèreClotilde 1974 Madame BaptisteBlanche Plaies et bossesPatsy Lackan1977 No Trifling with LoveCamille1995 Un siècle d'écrivainsNarratorEpisode: "Nathalie Sarraute"1996 Gulliver's TravelsHouyhnhnm Mistress (voice)Episode #1.2 2001 MédéeMédéeTV film Isabelle Huppert, une vie pour jouerHerselfDocumentary2010 Law & Order: Special Victims UnitSophie GerardEpisode: "Shattered"2016 False ConfessionsAraminteTV film; released in U.S. theatres in July 20172017 I Love Isabelle HuppertHerselfDocumentary 2018 Call My Agent!HerselfEpisode: "Isabelle" The RomanoffsJacquelineEpisode: "House of Special Purpose"
Theater Year(s)PlayRoleVenue(s)1971–72Les Précieuses ridiculesLucileComédie-Française, Paris1972A Hunger Artist Caged pantherNational Theatre Daniel Sorano, ParisShiraz Arts Festival 1973The True Story of Jack the Ripper (La Véritable Histoire de Jack l'éventreur)Café-théâtre Le Sélénite, ParisThe MiserMarianneTour across universities in 25 American statesWill There Be Another Summer? (Viendra-t-il un autre été ?)MurielleOdéon-Théâtre de l'Europe, Paris1974For Whom the Bell TollsMariaComédie de Reims1975Travel Around My Pot (Voyage autour de ma marmite)Théâtre Essaïon, Paris1977No Trifling with Love (On ne badine pas avec l'amour)CamilleThéâtre des Bouffes du Nord, Paris1989A Month in the CountryNatalia PetrovnaThéâtre Édouard VII, Paris1991Measure for MeasureIsabellaOdéon-Théâtre de l'EuropeThéâtre National Populaire, ParisOpéra-Théâtre de Clermont-FerrandMaison de la Culture, ChambéryThéâtre de NîmesMaison de la Culture, Le Havre1992Jeanne d'Arc au bûcherJoan of ArcOpéra Bastille, Paris1993–95OrlandoOrlandoThéatre Vidy, LausanneOdéon-Théâtre de l'Europe, Paris1996Mary StuartMary, Queen of ScotsNational Theatre, London2000–01MedeaMedeaFestival d'Avignon,Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe, ParisLa RochelleToulouse2002–034.48 PsychosisSheThéâtre des Bouffes du Nord, ParisTour around Caen, Geneva, Lorient, Lisbon, Villeurbanne, Rennes, and São Paulo2003Jeanne d'Arc au bûcherJoan of ArcTeatro Nacional de São Carlos, Lisbon 2005Hedda GablerHedda GablerOdéon-Théâtre de l'Europe, ParisTour around Caen, Geneva, Barcelona, Hérouville-Saint-Clair, and Festival de la Ruhr4.48 PsychosisSheThéâtre des 13 vents, ParisUCLA Arts, Los AngelesBrooklyn Academy of MusicMontrealBerlinMilan2006–07QuartettMadame de MerteuilOdéon-Théâtre de l'Europe, ParisPiccolo Teatro, MilanBerliner FestspieleThéâtre du Gymnase, MarseilleComédie de Genève2008God of CarnageVéronique HouilléThéâtre Antoine-Simone Berriau, Paris2009QuartettMadame de MerteuillSão PauloPorto AlegreBrooklyn Academy of Music2010–12A Streetcar Named DesireBlanche DuBoisOdéon-Théâtre de l'Europe, ParisBerliner FestspieleMaison de la culture de GrenobleGrand Théâtre de LuxembourgPolish Theatre in WarsawAthensGenèveAmsterdamThe HagueAdelaide Festival2013–14The MaidsSolangeSydney Theatre Company, SydneyNew York City Center2014–15Les Fausses ConfidencesAraminteOdéon-Théâtre de l'Europe, ParisTour throughout France2016Phèdre(s)PhèdreOdéon-Théâtre de l'Europe, ParisComédie de Clermont-FerrandBarbican, LondonBrooklyn Academy of MusicThéâtre de LiègeOnassis Cultural Center, Athens2017Correspondence 1944-1959 Readings from the epistles between Albert Camus and Maria CasaresMariaTeatro Argentina, RomeAshes to Ashes (Special creation for the Europe Theatre Prize)Rebecca 2019The MotherMotherAtlantic Theater Company, New York City2019-25Mary Said What She SaidMary, Queen of ScotsThéâtre de la Ville, ParisVienna Festival, ViennaCultural Centre of Belém, LisbonTeatre Lliure, BarcelonaThalia Theater, Hamburg Teatro della Pergola, FlorenceBarbican, London Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, New York2020–22The Glass MenagerieAmanda WingfieldOdéon-Théâtre de l'Europe, ParisOnassis Stegi, AthensInternationaal Theater AmsterdamNew National Theatre Tokyo2021–23The Cherry OrchardLyubov RanevskayaFestival d'AvignonPompeii Theatrum MundiTeatro National D. Maria II, LisbonOdéon-Théâtre de l'Europe, ParisTheatre de LiegeComedie de GeneveInternationaal Theater AmsterdamMuseumsQuartier, ViennaComédie de Clermont-FerrandLa Coursive Scène nationale de la RochelleThéâtre National PopulaireNational Taichung Theater, Taïwan2024BéréniceBéréniceThéâtre de la Ville, Paris
Public readings Date(s)TitleAuthor(s)Venue(s)20 January 2006Selected textMaurice Blanchot and Françoise SaganCinémathèque Française18 October 2010Just KidsPatti SmithOdéon-Théâtre de l'Europe26 November 2012Une tribu, voilà ce que je suis, Je suis une erreur, Another sleepy dusty delta dayJan FabreThéâtre de Gennevilliers2015–18, December 2022Juliette et Justine, le vice et la vertuMarquis de SadeFestival d'Avignon / Théâtre des Capucins / Printemps des comédiens / Ancient Theatre of Fourvière / Queen Elizabeth Hall/ Antipolis Theatre d'Antibes2017–18The LoverMarguerite DurasShanghai Culture Square / Guangzhou Opera House / Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center / Teatro di San Carlo / Thalia Hall
Discography Albums 2001: Madame Deshoulières with Jean-Louis Murat
Tracks 1976: "La Commune Est En Lutte" for the soundtrack of The Judge and the Assassin 1976: "Promenade" for the soundtrack of The Judge and the Assassin 1981: "Dans La Chambre Vide (Romance)" for the soundtrack of Coup de Torchon 1985: "Signé Charlotte! (Souvenir Chiffonné)" for the soundtrack of Sincerely Charlotte 2002: "Message personnel" for the soundtrack of 8 Women 2004: "Rue De Jollières" for the soundtrack of Les Sœurs fâchées 2016: "Joli Garçon" for the soundtrack of Souvenir