Catherine Frot (; born 1 May 1956) is a French actress. A 10-time César Award nominee, she won the awards for Best Actress for Marguerite (2015) and Best Supporting Actress for Family Resemblances (1996). Her other films include Le Dîner de Cons (1998), La Dilettante (1999), and Haute Cuisine (2012).
Early life Frot was born in Paris, France, the daughter of an engineer and a mathematics teacher. Her younger sister, Dominique, was also an actress. Catherine demonstrated comic talent at an early age, and enrolled in the Versailles conservatory when she was 14, and was still in school. In 1974, she began her education at the school, and afterwards took up full-time studies at the conservatory.
Career In 1975, Frot appeared at the Festival d'Avignon with the Compagnie du Chapeau Rouge (Red Hat Company), which she founded with the help of others. From then on, she put all her energy into theatre performances in roles such as the Présidente de Tourvel in the play Les Liaisons dangereuses in 1987. She performed in a number of classical plays such as La Cerisaie, directed by Peter Brook in 1982, and La Mouette directed by Pierre Pradinas in 1985.
In films, Frot won the César Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 1996, for playing Yolande, the sweet silly wife of a provincial bully, in Cédric Klapisch's Un air de famille, and was funny and moving as a wealthy, rebellious nuisance in La Dilettante (1999). In the film 7 ans de mariage, she played a prudish banker, wife, and mother, who is drawn by her bored, sexually frustrated husband into the world of Parisian clubs échangistes ("wife-swapping clubs"). She is an officer of the Ordre national du Mérite.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1975Les Charmes de l'étéBéatriceTV mini-series1975Les Compagnons d'EleusisThe guardianTV series1977L'Enlèvement du régent - Le chevalier d'HarmentalBathildeTelefilm1980Mont-OriolCharlotte OriolTelefilm 1980 My American Uncle Young Arlette Le Gall 1980 Psy Babette 1980 La Ville Noire Tonine Telefilm1981Les Babas CoolVéronique1981Mon meilleur NoëlClaude's auntTV series1981—1982Cinéma 16Nathalie / Juliette TV series1982La CerisaieDonniachaTelefilm1982Guy de Maupassant Mouche1982Egmont Claire / Klare Telefilm1982Si je réponds pas, c'est que je suis mort Short film1982Les Atours de l'œil foudre Short film1982La Nuit du lac Short film1983A Stone in the MouthJacky1983OrpheusEurydiceTelefilm1984Les Amis de monsieur GazonPatricia Telefilm1984Les Timides aventures d'un laveur de carreauxJacqueline Telefilm1984Jacques le fataliste et son maîtreSophie Telefilm1984 Du sel sur la peau Charlotte 1985 Elsa, Elsa Juliette 1985 Escalier C Béatrice Nominated—César Award for Best Supporting Actress 1985 Mélodie pour un cafard Short film 1986 L'inconnue de Vienne Juliette Telefilm 1987 L'Heure Simenon Louise TV series 1987 Sorceress Cécile 1987 La Voix du désert Short film 1988 La Face de l'ogre Marion Telefilm 1989 Personne ne m'aime Telefilm 1989 Chambre à part Babette 1990 Tom et Lola Catherine (Tom's mother) 1990 Bienvenue à bord ! La blonde / Prostitute 1990 Sésame, ouvre-toi! Telefilm 1991 Haute tension Fabienne TV series1991Sushi Sushi The banker 1992Juste avant l'orageIrène 1992Vieille canailleMarylin1992Les Cinq Dernières MinutesJacqueline Cauvin TV series1993Vent d'estMartha Hubner 1993Ma petite MimiMimi Telefilm1994 I Can't SleepWoman With Bookcase(cameo appearance)1994 Un été à l'enversMarieTelefilm1994 Une femme dans l'ennuiShort film1995 Sa dernière lettreCécile Telefilm1995 Cycle SimenonAnna TV series1996Family Resemblances Yolande César Award for Best Supporting Actress1997 Un hommeGisèleTelefilm1997 Quand j'étais p'titSuzanne Telefilm1997 Le Dernier ÉtéBéatrice Bretty Telefilm1997 Les Lauriers sont coupésJosy Telefilm1998 Le Dîner de ConsMarlène Sasseur Nominated—César Award for Best Supporting Actress1998 Paparazzi Evelyne Bordoni1998Just Between UsHélène 1998Dormez, je le veux !Marie-Louise, the mother 1998Je vais t'apprendre la politesseThe BaronessTV series1998It Would Only Take a BridgeShort film 1999 À vot'service Fanny 1999 The New Eve Isabelle 1999 The Dilettante Pierrette Dumortier Best Actress Award (21st Moscow International Film Festival)Nominated—César Award for Best Actress 1999 Inséparables Gisèle 1999 Dessine-moi un jouetAntoinette Bomme Telefilm 2001 Chaos Hélène Nominated—César Award for Best Actress 2001 Day Off Sophie 2002 Cavale Jeanne Rivet 2002 Après la vie 2002 Un couple épatant 2002 L'Enfant éternel Carole Telefilm 2003 Chouchou Nicole Milovavovich 2003 Married for 7 Years Audrey 2004 Eros Therapy Agnès 2004 Viper in the Fist Paule "Folcoche" Rézeau 2004 Les Sœurs fâchées Louise Mollet 2005 Boudu Yseult Nominated - Globes de Cristal Award for Best Actress 2005 Mon petit doigt m'a dit... Prudence Beresford 2006 The Page Turner Ariane Fouchécourt Nominated—César Award for Best Actress2006Le Passager de l'étéMonique 2007 Odette Toulemonde Odette Toulemonde Nominated—César Award for Best Actress 2007 L'Affaire Christian Ranucci : le Combat d'une mère Héloïse Ranucci Telefilm 2008 Mark of an Angel Elsa ValentinNominated—Lumière Award for Best ActressNominated—Globes de Cristal Award for Best Actress2008 Crime Is Our Business Prudence Beresford Nominated—César Award for Best Actress2009 Le Vilain Maniette 2009 Happy End Ombeline 2010 Le MystèreValérie 2010 Imogène McCartheryImogène 2011 FabienneFabienne Bourrier 2012 BowlingCatherine 2012 Partners in CrimePrudence Beresford2012 Haute Cuisine Hortense Laborie Nominated—César Award for Best ActressNominated—Lumière Award for Best Actress 2015 MargueriteMarguerite DumontCésar Award for Best ActressLumière Award for Best Actress 2016La Tueuse caméléon 2016Heureux en France 2017The MidwifeClaire2020Home Front2020The Rose Maker (La fine fleur)Eve2024Misericordia (Miséricorde)Martine
References
External links
Portrait of Catherine Frot