Agnès Jaoui (French: [aɲɛs ʒawi]; born 19 October 1964) is a French actress, screenwriter, film director and singer.[1][2]

Agnès Jaoui
Agnès Jaoui at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival
Born (1964-10-19) 19 October 1964 (age 60)
Antony, France
Alma materThéâtre Nanterre-Amandiers
Occupation(s)Actress, screenwriter, film director, singer
Years active1983–present
PartnerJean-Pierre Bacri (1987‍–‍2012)
Children2

Jaoui has won six César Awards,[3] three Lumières Awards,[4] and a Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival.[5] She has received numerous other awards and nominations, including a nomination for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.[6]

Life and career

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Jaoui was born in Antony, Hauts-de-Seine, and is of Tunisian Jewish descent.[7] She is the daughter of Hubert Jaoui and Gyza Jaoui, who are both writers.[7] They moved to Paris when she was 8 years old. She started theatre when she was in high school at the Lycée Henri-IV in Paris.[7] She entered the Cours Florent when she was 15.[7] Patrice Chéreau, director of the Théâtre des Amandiers in Nanterre where she began attending drama classes in 1984, gave her a role in the film Hôtel de France in 1987. That same year, she appeared in Harold Pinter's L'anniversaire with Jean-Pierre Bacri, who later became a faithful colleague and companion.[8]

Jaoui and Bacri wrote the play Cuisine et dépendances, which was adapted onscreen in 1992 by Philippe Muyl. In 1993, director Alain Resnais asked them to write an adaptation of Alan Ayckbourn's 8-part play Intimate Exchanges, which became the 2-part film Smoking/No Smoking. This ironic diptych about free will and destiny won the César Award for Best Writing in 1994. In 1996, they came to know greater success with Cédric Klapisch's adaptation of their play Family Resemblances (Un air de famille), which showed their ability to observe and depict everyday life, and to criticize the social norms through bitter and corrosive humor. Once again, they won the César Award for Best Writing in 1997 and the same year collaborated again with Resnais on Same Old Song (On connaît la chanson), which they wrote but also interpreted: together, they won their third César Award for Best Writing, and Jaoui her first César Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Jaoui directed her first feature film, The Taste of Others (Le Goût des autres, 2000, written with Bacri), which questions social-cultural identities. The film was a huge success in France and attracted 4 million spectators. It also won 4 César Awards in 2001 including Best Film and Best Writing, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2004, Jaoui's second film as a director, Look at Me (Comme une image), co-written with Bacri, was selected for the Cannes Festival and won the prize for Best Screenplay. She starred in the last Richard Dembo's film, La maison de Nina (2005) and then focused on music and released her album of Latin songs, Canta (2006). She returned to cinema in 2008 with Let's Talk About the Rain (Parlez-moi de la pluie), with French humorist Jamel Debbouze in a different role from what he was used to.

In 2012, Jaoui directed her latest film to date, Under the Rainbow (Au bout du conte), also co-written with Bacri. She revisits several fairy tales such as Cinderella, Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood. It received acclaim from critics and audiences for originality and humor in the writing and dialogue.[9]

Music

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Jaoui studied music in the conservatoire when she was 17, but did not start her career as a singer until 2006 when her first album Canta was released. It mixed several Latin music genres (such as flamenco, bolero, and bossa) and she sang exclusively in Spanish and Portuguese.[10] In 2007, it won the Victoire de la Musique award for "best traditional music album".

Jaoui's second album, Dans Mon Pays, was released in 2009. It also featured Latin sonorities and songs sang in Spanish and Portuguese, except for two songs in French.[11]

Personal life

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Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri in 2013 at the première showing of Au bout du conte.

Jaoui is the daughter of Gyza Jaoui; a pioneering figure of transactional analysis, a form of psychotherapy initiated by Eric Berne. Jaoui has a brother, Laurent Jaoui [fr], who is also a screenwriter and a director.

Jaoui was in a relationship with Jean-Pierre Bacri from 1987 to 2012.[8] After their breakup, the two stayed on good terms and continued to work together.[12][13]

Jaoui adopted two children from Brazil in 2012.[14]

Jaoui is a member of the 50/50 collective, which aims to promote gender equality and diversity in cinema.[15]

Filmography

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As actress

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Year English title Original title Role Notes
1983 Le Faucon Sandra
1987 Hôtel de France Madame Bouguereau
1987 L'Amoureuse Agathe
1990 Ivanov Babakina
1991 Canti
1993 Cuisine et Dépendances Charlotte
1996 Family Resemblances Un air de famille Betty Ménard
1997 Le Déménagement Claire
1997 Same Old Song On connaît la chanson Camille
1998 Le Cousin Claudine Delvaux
1999 On The Run Kristin
2000 Une femme d'extérieur Françoise
2000 The Taste of Others Le Goût des autres Mani
2003 24 Hours in the Life of a Woman 24 heures dans la vie d'une femme Marie Collins Brown
2004 The Role of Her Life Le Rôle de sa vie Elisabeth Baker
2004 Nina's House La Maison de Nina Nina
2004 Look at Me Comme une image Sylvia Millet
2008 Let It Rain Parlez-moi de la pluie Agathe Villanova [16][17]
2012 The Dandelions Du vent dans mes mollets Colette Gladstein
2013 Under the Rainbow Au bout du conte Marianne
2014 The Easy Way Out L'Art de la fugue Ariel
2015 The Sweet Escape Comme un avion Laëtitia
2015 I'm All Yours Je suis à vous tout de suite Simone Belkacem
2017 Aurore Aurore [18]
2018 Best Intentions Les Bonnes Intentions Isabelle
2021 À l'ombre des filles Catherine
2021 Compagnons Hélène
TBA Kaiser Karl Gaby Aghion

As filmmaker

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Year Title Credited as Notes
Director Screenwriter
1993 Cuisine et Dépendances Yes
1993 Smoking/No Smoking Yes
1996 Family Resemblances Yes
1997 Same Old Song Yes
2000 The Taste of Others Yes Yes
2004 Look at Me Yes Yes
2008 Let's Talk About the Rain Yes Yes
2013 Under the Rainbow Yes Yes
2014 The Easy Way Out Yes Script consultant
2017 Place publique Yes Yes starred as Helene [19][20]

Discography

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Year Title
2006 Canta
2009 Dans Mon Pays
2015 Nostalgias

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Nominated work Original title Result Notes
1994 César Award for Best Writing Smoking/No Smoking Won [3]
1997 César Award for Best Writing Family Resemblances Un air de famille Won [3]
1997 César Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated [3]
1997 Lumières Award for Best Screenplay Won [4]
1997 César Award for Best Writing Same Old Song On connaît la chanson Won [3]
1998 César Award for Best Supporting Actress Won [3]
2000 Lumières Award for Best Film The Taste of Others Le Goût des autres Won [4]
2000 Lumières Award for Best Director Won [21]
2000 Lumières Award for Best Screenplay Won [4]
2000 European Film Award for Best Film Nominated
2000 European Film Award for Best Screenwriter Won
2000 Montreal World Film Festival - Grand Prix des Amériques Won
2001 César Award for Best Film Won [3]
2001 César Award for Best Writing Won [3]
2001 César Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated [3]
2001 César Award for Best Director Nominated [3]
2001 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film Nominated [6]
2001 BIFA for Best Foreign Independent Film Nominated
2001 Guldbagge Award for Best Foreign Film Nominated
2001 René Clair Award Won
2004 Cannes Film Festival - Best Screenplay Look at Me Comme une image Won[22] [5]
2004 European Film Award for Best Screenwriter Won
2004 European Film Award for Best Director Nominated
2004 London Film Critics' Circle Award for Screenwriter of the Year Nominated
2005 César Award for Best Writing Nominated [3]
2005 Bodil Award for Best Non-American Film Won
2007 Victoires de la Musique — World music album of the year Canta Won
2016 César Award for Best Supporting Actress The Sweet Escape Comme un avion Nominated [3]

References

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  1. ^ "Agnès Jaoui". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  2. ^ AlloCine. "Agnès Jaoui". AlloCiné (in French). Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Agnès Jaoui". Cesar Awards (in French). Archived from the original on Dec 31, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  4. ^ a b c d AlloCine. "Awards And Nominations For Agnès Jaoui". AlloCiné (in French). Archived from the original on Dec 31, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  5. ^ a b "Agnès JAOUI - Festival de Cannes 2023". www.festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on Dec 31, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  6. ^ a b "Academy Awards Database Search | Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences". awardsdatabase.oscars.org. Archived from the original on Dec 31, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  7. ^ a b c d Klifa, Thierry (February 2000). "Agnès Jaoui: L'art de vivre". Studio magazine (153): 124–129. ISSN 0982-8354.
  8. ^ a b Lorrain, François-Guillaume (11 September 2008). "Jaoui ne se laisse pas faire". Le Point. Archived from the original on 17 March 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  9. ^ ""Au bout du conte", d'Agnès Jaoui, une comédie piquante très Jaoui-Bacri". Télérama.fr. 3 June 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  10. ^ ""Canta" ou la délicatesse d'Agnès Jaoui". Linternaute.com. February 2006. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  11. ^ ""Dans mon pays", Agnès Jaoui y El Quintet Oficial". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  12. ^ Amalric, Laurent (31 January 2013). "Le conte est bon à Six-Fours pour le duo Bacri-Jaoui". Nice-Matin. Archived from the original on 2014-03-26. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  13. ^ Williams, Michael (1998-08-31). "Agnes Jaoui & Jean-Pierre Bacri". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  14. ^ Karelle, Fitoussi (26 August 2012). "Agnès Jaoui, la douceur de vivre". Paris Match. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  15. ^ ""Mains baladeuses", sexisme et âgisme : Agnès Jaoui tacle le monde du cinéma". www.terrafemina.com (in French). Retrieved 2023-06-12.
  16. ^ Holden, Stephen (2010-06-17). "You Have Issues? So Does Everybody". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  17. ^ Dupont, Joan (2008-10-10). "Modern French society, through Agnès Jaoui's lens". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  18. ^ Byrnes, Paul (2018-05-18). "Aurore review: Agnes Jaoui in role of her life in achingly real film". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  19. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (2017-05-19). "Director Agnes Jaoui and SBS Films Team With Le Pacte for 'Place Publique' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  20. ^ Hoeij, Boyd van (2018-04-23). "'Place Publique': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  21. ^ AlloCine. "Meilleur mise en scène - Lumières de la presse étrangère". AlloCiné (in French). Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  22. ^ "Festival de Cannes: Look at Me". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
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