Josiane Balasko (born Josiane Balašković; 15 April 1950) is a French actress, writer, and director. She has been nominated eight times for César Awards, and won three times.

Career One of Balasko's most recognized roles among English speakers is as a lesbian in 1995's (French Twist). She won the 1996 César Award (shared with Telsche Boorman) for Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation, and was also nominated as Best Director. The movie was nominated for Best Film.

Balasko's other César nominations for Best Actress were for Too Beautiful for You (1989), (1993), and That Woman (2003).

1973–1980: Early years Balasko began her career in 1973. She was 23 years old when she first appeared on screen, in the short L'Agression, with Patrick Bouchitey. She was in the movie L'an 01, directed by Jacques Doillon.

After an absence of three years she returned to the screen in 1976 in the film The Tenant, directed by Roman Polanski, with a screenplay written by him and Gérard Brach. The movie was based on the novel written by Roland Topor.

Balasco career exploded in 1977, when she appeared in seven films over the course of the year. She first appeared in Solveig et le Violon turc, with Eugène Ionesco and Dominique Lavanant. She played Simone in Une fille unique, alongside her boyfriend at the time, Bruno Moynot.

She appeared in Animal, directed by Claude Zidi, with a screenplay written by him, Michel Audiard, and Dominique Fabre. It was a big success with more than three million attendances in France; the movie was #5 in 1977 in France. She appeared in Pardon Mon Affaire, Too!, directed by Yves Robert and written by him and Jean-Loup Dabadie. The movie was also a big success, with more than two million attending in France alone, and was #8 in 1977 in France.

She played Nadine in This Sweet Sickness, directed by Claude Miller, based on the novel written by Patricia Highsmith. The movie starred Gérard Depardieu, Miou-Miou, Claude Piéplu, Dominique Laffin, and Christian Clavier.

She also acted in Monsieur Papa, directed by Philippe Monnier, and with dialogue written by Jean-Marie Poiré. Balasko starred alongside Claude Brasseur, Nathalie Baye, Daniel Auteuil and Éva Darlan.

In 1978, Balasko played in "Si vous n'aimez pas ça, n'en dégoûtez pas les autres", with Gérard Jugnot and Thierry Lhermitte, and in "Les Petits Câlins", directed by Jean-Marie Poiré, alongside Dominique Laffin, Françoise Bertin and Gérard Jugnot. Then, she was in La Tortue sur le dos.

Balasko had the leading role in the comedy "Pauline et l'Ordinateur", for which she wrote the dialogue and where she acted next to Gérard Jugnot, Éva Darlan, Jacques Attali and Marie-Anne Chazel. Finally, she played Nathalie Morin in the cult comedy Les Bronzés, directed by Patrice Leconte, with her friends from Le Splendid, Marie-Anne Chazel, Michel Blanc, Gérard Jugnot, Thierry Lhermitte, Christian Clavier and Dominique Lavanant. The movie was a hit with more than two million attendances.

In 1979, Balasko played Emma-Ammé in one episode of the TV Mini-Series, "Les Quatre Cents Coups de Virginie", alongside Anémone. Then Nathalie Morin again, in the sequel Les Bronzés font du ski with the same cast, which was also a success with more than a millions attendances. She also appeared as a client in the movie "Les héros n'ont pas froid aux oreilles", with Daniel Auteuil, Gérard Jugnot, Roland Giraud, Gérard Lanvin, Michel Blanc, Thierry Lhermitte, Marie-Anne Chazel and Christian Clavier.

1981–1990: directing debut

1981 was very successful for Balasko. First, she played Louise in Clara et les Chics Types. Later, she had the leading role in the comedy Les hommes préfèrent les grosses. The movie was a commercial success. It was directed by Jean-Marie Poiré, who co-wrote the film, with Balasko. After this, she was in another comedy named Le Maître d'école, directed by Claude Berri. This film was also commercially successful, the #9 movie at the French Box Office in 1981. She played Colette, a supporting role, in Hotel America, directed by André Téchiné. It starred Catherine and Patrick Dewaere.

In 1982, Balasko was in another cult movie, Le Père Noël est une ordure, directed for the third time by Jean-Marie Poiré. The film was commercially successful.

In 1983, Balasko had two comedy hits. Papy fait de la résistance, which was #7 in the 1983 French box office, and Signes extérieurs de richesse, another success.

In 1984, Balasko played a supporting role in the comedy P'tit Con, directed by Gérard Lauzier. She had the leading role in the comedy, La smala, directed by Jean-Loup Hubert. Finally, she played a supporting role in the comedy La vengeance du serpent à plumes directed by Gérard Oury. The movie was her biggest success of that year. In 1985, she appeared in the movie Tranches de vie directed by François Leterrier. That year she also made her directoral debut with the comedy Sac de noeuds, which she wrote, directed and starred in.

1990 onward Since 1990, Balasko has enjoyed a busy career acting in numerous films in a very wide variety of roles but having an international directing success in 1995 with (French Twist), in which she co-starred with Alain Chabat and gained her a César for Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation and a nomination for Best Film. In 2006 she was re-united once again with the Le Splendid team for another Bronzés film Bronzés 3: Amis pour La Vie.

2012–present In 2018, Balasko record a song with the rapper Mac Tyer on his album C'est la street mon pote.

In February 2019, Balasko received the Crystal Comedy Award during the 4th Festival International du Film de Comédie de Liège to reward her career.

Personal life Bruno Moynot was her partner from 1974 until 1981. In a second union with sculptor Philippe Berry (brother of actor Richard Berry), she had a daughter, Marilou Berry (born 1 February 1983), also an actress, and an adopted son, Rudy Berry (born 1988). She divorced from Philippe Berry in 1999 and married American actor George Aguilar in 2003, whom she met on the set of The Frenchman's Son in 1999.

Filmography Actress

Year Title Role Notes 1973 The Year 01 1976 The Tenant Viviane An Unusual Girl Simone1977 Pardon Mon Affaire, Too! Josy This Sweet Sickness Nadine Animal Supermarket Girl Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo Uncredited Monsieur Papa1978 French Fried Vacation Nathalie Morin The Little Wheedlers Corinne Pauline et l'Ordinateur Pauline Si vous n'aimez pas ça, n'en dégoûtez pas les autres A spectator Like a Turtle on Its Back1979 French Fried Vacation 2 Nathalie Morin Heroes Are Not Wet Behind the Ears A client 1980 Les Quatre Cents Coups de Virginie Emma-Ammé TV Mini-Series1981 Men Prefer Fat Girls Lydie Langlois Le Maître d'école Mrs. Lajoie Hotel America Colette Clara et les Chics Types Louise1982 Santa Claus Is a Stinker Madame Musquin 1983 Signes extérieurs de richesse Béatrice Flamand Gramps Is in the Resistance The pharmacist1984 P'tit Con Rolande La smala Simone The Vengeance of the Winged Serpent Jackie1985 All Mixed Up Anita Slices of Life Madame Dupuis1986 Nuit d'ivresse Frède The Joint Brothers Aline 1987 Lady Cops Insp. Mireille Molineux1988 Without Fear or Blame Handmaid Une nuit à l'Assemblée Nationale The journalist 1989 Too Beautiful for You Colette Chevassu1991 My Life Is Hell Leah Lemonier The Professional Secrets of Dr. Apfelgluck The scientist 1993 Not Everybody's Lucky Enough to Have Communist Parents Irène Shadow of a Doubt Sophia 1994 Dead Tired Herself 1995 French Twist Marijo1997 Didier Madame Massart Arlette Arlette Bathiat 1998 Un grand cri d'amour Gigi Ortega 1999 The Frenchman's Son Suzanne2000 The Libertine Baroness Holbach Actors André Dussollier 2 Chicken Run Bernadette French Voice2001 A Crime in Paradise Lucienne Braconnier Absolutely Fabulous Edith "Eddie" Mousson 2002 The Race Madame Jo 2003 That Woman Michèle Varin 2004 Madame Édouard Nina Tchitchi2005 The Ex-Wife of My Life Marie-Pierre Sarrazin It's Our Life! Blanche Delhomme I Saw Ben Barka Get Killed Marguerite Duras2006 French Fried Vacation 3 Nathalie Morin David Nolande Sofia TV series (1 Episode)2007 The Red Inn Rose Martin The Key Michèle Varin2008 A French Gigolo Irène Ruby Blue Stéphanie A Day at the Museum Mother in Chanel Françoise Dolto, le désir de vivre Françoise Dolto TV movie2009 The Hedgehog Renée Michel Park Benches Solange Renivelle Neuilly Yo Mama! School's director 2010 Holiday Christiane Mercier2011 A Happy Event Claire Beur sur la ville Mamie Nova2012 Sport de filles Joséphine de Silène Maman Paulette Mine Mes héros Olga 2013 Demi-soeur Antoinette Novack2014 Aunt Hilda! Dolorès Les Gazelles Brigitte The law of Barbara Barbara Malo TV Mini-Series 2015 The Roommates Party Alexandra Leclère Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir Josiane / Sarah TV series (1 Episode)2016 Back to Mom's Jacqueline Mazerin Arrête ton cinéma Brigitte Joséphine, Pregnant & Fabulous Josephine's mother Par tous les seins Voice Short2017 Let the Sunshine In Maxime The New Adventures of Cinderella Josépha 2018 Bécassine Mademoiselle Châtaigne Volontaire Muriel Baer J'ai perdu Albert Simone Le Couidec Neuilly sa mère, sa mère ! Madame Bachelot 2019 All Inclusive Lulu Les envoûtés Leonora Evesco Beaux-parents Coline Rossi 15 Minutes of War Michèle Sampieri By the Grace of God Irène Thomassin Vous êtes jeunes vous êtes beaux Mona Le Bazar de la Charité Madame Huchon TV Mini-Series 2020 L'esprit de famille Marguerite La pièce rapportée Adélaïde Château-Têtard 2021 Tralala Lili Rivière C'est la vie Dominique Mes très chers enfants Chantal Blanc Un tour chez ma fille... Jacqueline Mazerin 2023 Des mains en or Martha 2024 Captives Bobotte When Fall Is Coming Marie-Claude 2025 Délocalisés Marianne Escort Boys Welder client TV series (2 episodes) 2026 L'arnaqueuse Massena Mauvaise Pioche Édith Benchemoul Tombé du ciel Soeur Catherine

Filmmaker Year Title 1985 Sac de noeuds 1987 Les keufs 1991 My Life Is Hell 1995 French Twist 1998 Un grand cri d'amour 2005 L'Ex-femme de ma vie 2008 Cliente 2013 Demi-soeur

Box-office Movies starring or featuring Josiane Balasko with more than one million tickets sold at movie theatres in France.

Films Year France (entries)1 Les Bronzés 3: Amis pour la vie 2006 2 Papy fait de la résistance 1983 3 French Twist 1995 4 Animal 1977 5 Le Maître d'école 1981 6 Didier 1997 7 La vengeance du serpent à plumes 1984 8 Neuilly sa mère! 2009 9 Les Bronzés 1978 10 Back to Mom's 2016 11 Les Frères Pétard 1986 12 A Crime in Paradise 2001 13 Pardon Mon Affaire, Too! 1977 14 Too Beautiful for You 1989 15 Grosse fatigue 1994 16 Les hommes préfèrent les grosses 1981 17 Le Père Noël est une ordure 1982 18 Les Bronzés font du ski 1979 19 The Race 2002 20 Nuit d'ivresse 1986 21 Absolument fabuleux 2001 22 My Life Is Hell 1991 23 The Roommates Party 2015 24 Neuilly sa mère, sa mère! 2018 25 Signes extérieurs de richesse 1983 26 Les Keufs 1987

Theater

As actress