Nathalie Marie Andrée Baye (; 6 July 1948 – 17 April 2026) was a French film, television and stage actress. She began her career in 1970 and has appeared in more than 80 films. A ten-time César Award nominee, her four wins were for Every Man for Himself (1980), Strange Affair (1981), La Balance (1982), and The Young Lieutenant (2005). Her other films include Day for Night (1973), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Tell No One (2006), and The Assistant (2015). In 2009, she was appointed a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.
Early life Baye was born in Mainneville, Eure, Normandy, on 6 July 1948, to Claude Baye and Denise Coustet, two painters. At 14, she joined a school of dance in Monaco. Three years later she went to the United States. On returning to France, she continued with dance but also registered for the Simon Course and was admitted to the Conservatoire, from where she graduated in 1972 with a second prize in comedy, dramatic comedy, and foreign theatre.
Career
Baye's second film appearance was in Two People (1973), directed by Robert Wise. She became better known as the script girl in Day for Night (La Nuit américaine, 1973) by François Truffaut. Throughout the 1970s, she played the good girlfriend or nice provincial girl in film and television.
She won her first César, as best supporting artist, for Every Man for Himself (Sauve qui peut (la vie), 1980) directed by Jean-Luc Godard. There then followed The Return of Martin Guerre (Le Retour de Martin Guerre, 1982) and La Balance (also 1982).
Baye won two more César Awards, Best Supporting Actress, for Strange Affair (Une étrange affaire, 1981), and Best Actress for La Balance, 1982). Her four-year relationship with Johnny Hallyday made them a celebrity couple and their daughter is Laura Smet, now an actress.
After changing her image by playing a streetwalker in La Balance, she widened her scope with more obscure characters in J'ai épousé une ombre (1983) and En toute innocence (1988). In 1986, she returned to the theatre with an interpretation of Adriana Monti.
In 1999, she was voted Best Supporting Actress at Venice Film Festival for Une liaison pornographique and starred in Vénus Beauté (Institut) (2000) by Tonie Marshall which won multiple César Awards including Best Film.
She worked with François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol and Steven Spielberg.
Death Baye died from complications of Lewy body dementia in Paris, on 17 April 2026, at the age of 77.
Filmography
Year Title Role Director Notes1970Au théâtre ce soirMartine LegrandPierre SabbaghEpisode Les Croulants se portent bien1972Two PeopleuncreditedRobert Wise1973L'InconnuYouriTV film1973Day for NightJoelleFrançois Truffaut1974The Mouth AgapeNathalieMaurice Pialat1974La GifleChristine Claude Pinoteau1975Un jour, la fêteJuliePierre Sisser 1975Cinéma 16FabienneAlain BoudetEpisode Esquisse d'une jeune femme sans dessus-dessous1976The Last WomanThe girl with cherriesMarco Ferreri1976Le Plein de superCharlotteAlain Cavalier1976Le Voyage de nocesSophieNadine Trintignant1976MadoCatherine Claude Sautet1977The Man Who Loved WomenMartine DesdoitsFrançois Truffaut1977Monsieur PapaJaninePhilippe Monnier1977Solemn CommunionJeanne VanderbergheRené Féret1977Les Cinq Dernières MinutesGisèleGuy Séligmann Episode Une si jolie petite cure1978Mon premier amourFabienneÉlie Chouraqui1978The Green RoomCécilia MandelFrançois Truffaut1978Sacré farceurMarianneJacques RoulandTV film1979Every Man for HimselfDenise RimbaudJean-Luc Godard1979La Mémoire courteJudith Mesnil Eduardo de Gregorio1979Madame SourdisAdèle Sourdis Caroline HuppertTV film1980Je vais craquerBrigitte Ozendron François Leterrier1980A Week's VacationLaurence CuersBertrand Tavernier1980La ProvincialeChristineClaude Goretta1981Strange AffairNina ColinePierre Granier-Deferre1981Beau-pèreCharlotteBertrand Blier1981L'Ombre rougeAnnaJean-Louis Comolli1982The Return of Martin GuerreBertrande de RolsDaniel Vigne1982La BalanceNicole DanetBob Swaim1983J'ai épousé une ombreHélèneRobin Davis1984Our StoryDonatienne Pouget / Marie-Thérèse Chatelard / Geneviève AvranchesBertrand Blier1984Rive droite, rive gaucheSachaPhilippe Labro1985DétectiveFrançoise ChenalJean-Luc Godard1985HoneymoonCécile CarlinePatrick Jamain1985Beethoven's NephewLeonore Paul Morrissey1987Alice ManginRobert Enrico1987En toute innocenceCatherine Alain Jessua1989Massacre PlayBellaDamiano Damiani1990The Man InsideChristineBobby Roth1990C'est la vieLenaDiane Kurys1990Every Other Weekend Camille ValmontNicole Garcia1990Le Pinceau à lèvresElle Bruno ChicheShort film1992The VoiceLorrainePierre Granier-Deferre1992The TimekeeperMadame de PompadourJeff Blyth1993MensongeEmmaFrançois Margolin1993Les Contes sauvagesNarratorGérald CalderonJean-Charles CuttoliUncredited1993And the Band Played OnFrançoise Barré-SinoussiRoger SpottiswoodeTV film1994The MachineMarie Lacroix François Dupeyron1994François Truffaut : Portraits volésHerselfSerge ToubianaMichel PascalDocumentary1995La MèreThe motherCaroline BottaroShort film1996Enfants de salaudSophie Tonie Marshall1997Food of LoveMichele Stephen Poliakoff1997PaparazziNicoleAlain Berberian1998Si je t'aime, prends garde à toiMurielJeanne Labrune1999Venus Beauty InstituteAngèleTonie Marshall1999Une liaison pornographiquesheFrédéric Fonteyne2000To MatthieuClaireXavier Beauvois2000Ça ira mieux demainSophie Jeanne Labrune 2001Absolutely FabulousPatsyGabriel Aghion2001Barnie et ses petites contrariétésLucie Barnich Bruno Chiche 2002L'Enfant des lumièresDiane Daniel VigneTV film2002Catch Me If You CanPaula AbagnaleSteven Spielberg2002The Flower of EvilAnne Charpin-VasseurClaude Chabrol2003FeelingsCarole Noémie Lvovsky2003France BoutiqueSofiaTonie Marshall2004Une vie à t'attendreJeanneThierry Klifa2005L'Un reste, l'autre partFannyClaude Berri2005The Young LieutenantCaroline VaudieuXavier Beauvois2006French CaliforniaMaguyJacques Fieschi2006Tell No OneElisabeth FeldmanGuillaume Canet2006The Ant BullyThe Queen AntJohn A. DavisFrench voice2006Mon fils à moiThe motherMartial Fougeron2007Michou d'AuberGisèle Thomas Gilou2007ActeurCamille Degas Jocelyn QuivrinShort film2007The Price to PayOdile Ménard Alexandra Leclère2008A French GigoloJudithJosiane Balasko2008Passe-passeIrène Montier-DuvalTonie Marshall2008Les Bureaux de DieuAnneClaire Simon2008Marie-OctobreMarie-Hélène Dumoulin / Marie-OctobreJosée DayanTV film2009FaceNathalieTsai Ming-liang2010Ensemble, c'est tropMarie-FranceLéa Fazer2010H.H. – Hitler à HollywoodHerselfFrédéric Sojcher2010De vrais mensongesMaddyPierre Salvadori2010Small WorldElisabeth SennBruno Chiche2011Bye ByeCécileÉdouard DelucShort film2011Dormir deboutVéroniqueJean-Luc PerréardShort film2011Je voulais vous direRomain DelangeShort film2011Le Premier RôleNathalieMathieu HippeauShort film2011À l'abriThe womanJérémie LippmannShort film2012SpinAnne Visage Frédéric TellierTV series2012Laurence AnywaysJulienne AliaXavier Dolan2013Queens of the RingColette Jean-Marc Rudnicki2014Lou! Journal infimeLou's grandmotherJulien Neel2014L'Affaire SK1Frédérique PonsFrédéric Tellier2015The AssistantMarie-France Christophe AliNicolas Bonilauri2015PrejudiceMotherAntoine Cuypers2015Call My Agent !HerselfCédric Klapisch TV series (2 Episodes)2016It's Only the End of the WorldMartineXavier Dolan2016MokaMarlèneFrédéric Mermoud2017Alibi.comMadame MartinPhilippe Lacheau2017Les GardiennesHortense SandrailXavier Beauvois2018Nox Catherine SusiniMabrouk El MechriTV series (6 episodes)2019Criminal: France Caroline SolalFrédéric MermoudTV series (1 episode)2020My Best Part (Garçon chiffon)Bernadette MeyerNicolas Maury 2022 Downton Abbey: A New Era The dowager Marchioness of MontmirailSimon Curtis
Awards and nominations
Year Title of work Award Category Result 1981 Every Man for Himself César Award Best Supporting Actress A Week's Vacation César Award Best Actress 1982 Strange Affair César Award Best Supporting Actress 1983 La Balance César Award Best Actress 1984 J'ai épousé une ombre César Award Best Actress 1991 Un week-end sur deux César Award Best Actress 1999 Une liaison pornographique Venice International Film Festival Volpi Cup European Film Award Best Actress 2000 Venus Beauty Institute César Award Best Actress Seattle International Film Festival Best Actress 2004 Les Sentiments César Award Best Actress 2006 The Young Lieutenant César Award Best Actress European Film Award Best Actress Globes de Cristal Award Best Actress Mon fils à moi San Sebastián International Film Festival Best Actress 2009 A French Gigolo Globes de Cristal Award Best Actress Body of work Legion of Honour Chevalier of the legion of Honour 2012 Magritte Award Honorary Margritte Award 2017 It's Only the End of the World Canadian Screen Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role César Award Best Supporting Actress Riviera International Film Festival Best Actress 2018Nox ACS Awards Best Actress
References
External links