Juliette Binoche, the extraordinary actress - not just in 'Chocolat'!

Famous for her film roles which earned her numerous awards, Juliette Binoche is also a woman noted for her commitments to good causes. See in pictures what the life of this incredible veteran actress is like.

Juliette's father was the mime artist and sculptor Jean-Marie Binoche who died in 2019. She is also the daughter of Polish-born actress Monique Stalens, who later became a literature teacher. Her maternal grandparents, actors and intellectuals, were locked up in Auschwitz during the war.

Born in Paris on March 9, 1964, she suffered the divorce of her parents when she was 4 years old. Her mother was unable to take care of her and she was placed with her aunt. Only when she was 7 she could return to live with her mother and sister.

The future actress lived a difficult childhood: “As a child, I was lost at school, in the world of grades, of must/must not," she said in an interview with 'Psychologies in 2008. "In addition, I had not learned to read at the same time as others because of separations and travels during my childhood."

Acting became a vocation for Juliette Binoche. She enrolled very early in drama classes and then trained at the National Conservatory of Paris. In 1985, at only twenty-one years old, she played for Jean-Luc Godard in the film 'Hail Mary.'

The meeting with Leos Carax on the set of 'Bad Blood' (Mauvais Sang), in 1986, was decisive in her young years. The actress and the director became a couple for five years. They separated on the set of 'The Lovers on the Bridge' (Amants du Pont-Neuf), while working together.

The international breakthrough for Juliette Binoche came with 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' in 1987. She played alongside Daniel-Day Lewis. An adaptation of Milan Kundera's novel, the film depicts the fate of several characters at the time of the Prague Spring in 1968.

Success continued in the 1990s. Juliette Binoche received the César for best actress for 'Three Colors: Blue' by Krzysztof Kieślowski in 1994, then the Oscar for the best-supporting role in 'The English Patient' in 1997. Binoche came to stand out as one of the best actresses of her generation, both in France and internationally.

Juliette Binoche has never been afraid to decline proposals for prestigious roles but if they do not line up with her universe. She refused two collaborations with Steven Spielberg: one for 'Indiana Jones' and the other for 'Jurassic Park.'

In 1994, Juliette Binoche nearly lost her life with her five-month-old son Raphaël during the Los Angeles earthquake. It claimed the lives of thousands of people. "I really thought that was the end. It lasted quite a long time, a little less than a minute, with this sort of calm acceptance that these are my last moments, and that I must try to protect my son." She said the impactful words in the show 'Le Divan' in 2016.

In 2000, Juliette Binoche played a romantic duet with Johnny Depp in the comedy 'Chocolat.' It takes place in a French village in the 1950s where unorthodox newconers are not easily accepted.

After having shared a life with the father of her son Raphaël and then with actor Olivier Martinez, Juliette Binoche met Benoît Magimel on the set of 'Children of the Century' in 1999. The couple had a daughter, Hannah, and separated in 2003.

Juliette Binoche's film career continued in the 2000s, but we found her less often in the headlines. She did star in the thriller 'Hidden' (Caché) by Michael Haneke, alongside Daniel Auteuil.

In 2010, Juliette Binoche won the prize for female interpretation at the Cannes Film Festival for 'Certified Copy.' She joined Juliane Moore as the only actresses to have achieved the 'grand slam' consisting of awards at both the Cannes, Venice, and Berlin film festivals. And then there were of course also the César award and her Oscar.

In 2013, she played the title role in 'Camille Claudel 1915' by Bruno Dumont. This feature film depicts the famous sculptor when she is interned in a religious institution and awaits a visit from her brother, the writer Paul Claudel. Juliette Binoche will reconnected with Dumont a few years later in 'Slack Bay ' (Ma Loute) 2016.

A renowned actress, Juliette Binoche is also a committed activist. In 2018, she initiated a forum in newspaper 'Le Monde'with astrophysicist Aurélien Barrau. They sounded the alarm against global warming. No less than 200 personalities signed the call, and among them were Alain Delon, Jane Birkin, Mathieu Kassovitz, Patti Smith ( photo), and many others.

In early 2019, as France was shaken by the Yellow Vests protest movement, Binoche showed her support for the demonstrators in an interview given to the German newspaper 'Der Spiegel.' She then launched a forum in support of the movement, signed by many personalities from the world of culture.

Once again with Aurélien Barrau, she launched a forum against the “return to normal” after the Covid-19 crisis in May 2020. The two invited societies to use the momentum and radically change their way of life. A resounding international call, it was soon joined by personalities from all over the world, like Sting and Robert De Niro.

Meanwhile,Juliette Binoche has not stopped acting. In 2021,for example, she appeared in 'Between Two Worlds (Ouistreham) by Emmanuel Carrère. This film is an adaptation of the story' Le Quai de Ouistreham' by Florence Aubenas, a journalist who immersed herself in the world of precarious housekeepers on the ferries that connect France and England.