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Ludivine Sagnier

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Ludivine Sagnier
Sagnier in 2013
Born (1979-07-03) 3 July 1979 (age 45)
La Celle-Saint-Cloud, Yvelines, France
OccupationActress
Years active1989–present
PartnerKim Chapiron
Children3

Ludivine Sagnier (born 3 July 1979)[1][2] is a French actress, known to international audiences for the films Swimming Pool and Peter Pan (both 2003), and the Netflix series Lupin (2021–present). She has also appeared in the English-language series The Young Pope (2016) and The Serpent Queen (2022–2024).

Sagnier has been nominated for the César Award for Best Supporting Actress three times, for her performances in 8 Women (2002), Swimming Pool, and A Secret (2007).

Early life

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Sagnier was born on 3 July 1979[1] in La Celle-Saint-Cloud, in the département of Yvelines, France, and grew up in Sèvres.[3] Her mother is a retired secretary and her father is a professor of English at the University of Paris.[4] She has one sister, Delphine.[4] As a child, Sagnier underwent abdominal surgery to remove a benign tumor from her intestine, resulting in a surgical scar on her abdomen.[5] Following this surgery, she also fell ill with meningitis, from which she recovered.[5]

Sagnier studied piano at a young age but disliked performing music, and instead opted to take acting classes with her parents' permission.[5] Commenting on this, she said: "My only desire was to escape classical music. In my family, everyone is a musician. I took piano lessons and I hated this instrument. To escape it and music theory, I asked to take acting classes. It was during one of them that I was noticed for a casting. And I was accepted. It then took me years to understand that this was the profession I wanted to pursue."[5]

Career

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1989–2003

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She made her film debut at the age of nine in Les Maris, les Femmes, les Amants (1989), directed by Pascal Thomas, and had other minor roles in the early 1990s, including an appearance in Cyrano de Bergerac with Gerard Depardieu.

Sagnier's career began in earnest in adulthood, as she gained commercial and critical success for her performances in three films directed by François Ozon: Water Drops on Burning Rocks (2000), 8 Women (2002), and Swimming Pool (2003). 8 Women was awarded acting prizes for Sagnier and her seven co-stars collectively.

In Swimming Pool, a psychological thriller, she starred alongside Charlotte Rampling. Sagnier received significant international media attention for performing several nude scenes in the film, having previously also done so in Water Drops on Burning Rocks;[6] she would later express disappointment that this led directors in the United States to attempt to typecast her in sexually explicit roles.[7] Nonetheless her work in Swimming Pool earned her several accolades, including a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the César Awards. Also in 2003, Sagnier played Tinker Bell in P.J. Hogan's live-action adaptation of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. Initially, she had been brought in to provide inspiration to the film's visual effects department for a CGI model that was being created for the character, but she impressed the production team with her performance and was cast in the role.[6]

2004–2020

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Sagnier at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival

Despite being primed for a lucrative international career in the wake of Swimming Pool and Peter Pan, Sagnier chose to focus primarily on French cinema, stating that she felt uncomfortable with the competitive nature of the Hollywood film industry.[7] She subsequently appeared in French films including Love Songs (2007), A Secret (2007), which garnered her another César nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and Mesrine (2008). 2011 saw her return to international work with a role in the biographical drama The Devil's Double. In 2016, she appeared alongside Jude Law in the Paolo Sorrentino-directed miniseries The Young Pope, later reprising her role in the follow-up series The New Pope (2020).

2021–present

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Since 2021 Sagnier has starred in the Netflix-produced crime thriller series Lupin as Claire Laurent, the estranged wife of protagonist Assane Diop (Omar Sy) and the mother to their son Raoul, whom she is raising alone. Loosely based on the Arsène Lupin stories written by Maurice Leblanc, the show became an international hit, and has been regarded as one of Netflix' most successful series in a language other than English.[8] Sagnier's performance as Claire has received praise from critics, with Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times writing that "like Sy, [she] brings a lot of soul to her part ... and the two actors have great chemistry."[9]

Following the success of Lupin, Sagnier was cast in several English-language historical dramas. In the STARZ series The Serpent Queen (2022–2024), about the life and rise to power of Catherine de' Medici, she portrayed Catherine's rival Diane de Poitiers. Sagnier said that she was drawn to the role of Diane because she was interested in playing an antagonist, something she had seldom done in her career prior to then.[10] She also made an appearance as Thérésa Tallien in Ridley Scott's biopic Napoleon (2023), though her performance was cut from the theatrical version of the film,[11] and played composer Anne Louise Brillon de Jouy in the Apple TV+ miniseries Franklin (2024), about Benjamin Franklin's expedition to France during the time of the American Revolutionary War.

In 2024, Sagnier featured in the film adaptation of Nicolas Mathieu's novel And Their Children After Them, and reunited with François Ozon after a two-decade hiatus in their creative relationship for When Fall Is Coming. That same year she was nominated for a Molière Award for her performance in Le Consentement, a one-woman play based on the memoir of the same name by Vanessa Springora.

Personal life

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Sagnier gave birth to a daughter in 2005, with her then boyfriend, actor Nicolas Duvauchelle.[12] She is in a relationship with her partner, director Kim Chapiron, with whom she has two daughters.[13]

In a 2019 podcast interview with journalist Frédéric Taddeï, Sagnier stated that the politician she admired most was left-wing former Minister of Justice of France Christiane Taubira.[14] In 2024, she was one of 230 artists who signed a petition calling on president Emmanuel Macron to officially recognize the state of Palestine.[15]

Since 2020, Sagnier has developed and taught an acting course at the École Kourtrajmé. The school, founded in 2018 by director Ladj Ly in his native Montfermeil, provides training to students from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds who are interested in pursuing careers in the dramatic arts and the film industry.[16][17]

Filmography

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Key
† Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released

Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1989 Les Maris, les Femmes, les Amants Élodie
I Want to Go Home La petite fille de la place du village
1990 Le pont du silence La petite fille Short film
Cyrano de Bergerac The little sister
1999 Mon frère Sophie Short film
Le ciel, les oiseaux,... et ta mère! Dance girl 1
Rembrandt Cornelia van Rijn
Children of the Century Hermine de Musset
Acide animé Anna Short film
Acteurs à l'Écran for Best Actress
2000 Water Drops on Burning Rocks Anna
Bon plan Clémentine
2001 Un jeu d'enfants Daphnée
My Wife Is an Actress Géraldine
2002 8 Women Catherine Berlin International Film Festival: Outstanding Artistic Achievement (shared with the ensemble cast)
European Film Award for Best Actress (shared with the ensemble cast)
Nominated — César Award for Most Promising Actress
Les frères Hélias Victoire Short film
2003 Petites coupures Nathalie
La légende de Parva Lula Voice role
Swimming Pool Julie Nominated — Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress (2nd place)
Nominated — César Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — European Film Awards: Audience Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
La Petite Lili Lili Silver Hugo Award for Best Actress
Peter Pan Tinker Bell Nominated — Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male or Female Actor in an Effects Film
2005 Une aventure Gabrielle
Foon La reine du bal de l'an dernier
2006 Paris, je t'aime Claire Segment: "Parc Monceau"
French California Helène
Toothache Anna
Coup de sang La serveuse
2007 Molière Célimène
Love Songs Julie Pommeraye Nominated — Globes de Cristal Award for Best Actress
A Girl Cut in Two Gabrielle Aurore Deneige
A Secret Hannah Golda Stirn/Grinberg Nominated — César Award for Best Supporting Actress
2008 Mesrine Sylvia Jeanjacquot
2010 Lily Sometimes Lily Dreyer
Love Crime Isabelle Guérin
2011 The Devil's Double Sarrab
Beloved young Madeleine
A Monster in Paris Maud Voice role
2013 Love Is in the Air Julie
2014 Lou! Journal infime La mère
Tristesse Club Chloé
2015 Through the Air Delphine Cavelle
2018 Lola & Her Brothers Lola Esnard
Rémi sans famille Madame Barberin
2019 The Truth Anna
2023 Napoleon Theresa Cabarrus Director's cut only
2024 And Their Children After Them Hélène
When Fall Is Coming Valérie Tessier

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1992 La famille Fontaine Anne-Sophie
Vacances au purgatoire Sophie TV movie
1996 Le secret d'Iris Mylène TV movie
1998 Meurtres sans risque Virginie Gallais TV movie
À nous deux la vie Charlotte TV movie
Passion interdite Estelle TV movie
1999 Mission protection rapprochée Melinda Moores
2000 La banquise Anna Kowalski TV movie
Des monstres a l'état pur Ginnie TV short
2002 Marie Marmaille Marie TV movie
Napoléon Hortense de Beauharnais miniseries
Navarro Vanessa Berger
2016 The Young Pope Esther Aubrey miniseries
2020 The New Pope miniseries
2021–present Lupin Claire Laurent Netflix series
Kinéo Award for Best Actress
2022–2024 The Serpent Queen Diane de Poitiers Starz series
2024 Franklin Anne Louise Brillon de Jouy Apple TV+ miniseries

Theatre

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Year Title Role Author Director Notes
2022; 2024 Le Consentement multiple Vanessa Springora Sébastien Davis Nominated — Molière Award for one-person show

References

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  1. ^ a b "Sagnier, Ludivine (1979–)". Encyclopedia.com. Cengage. Archived from the original on 18 April 2025.
  2. ^ "Ludivine Sagnier". AlloCiné (in French). Archived from the original on 24 December 2024.
  3. ^ Lawrence, Vanessa (25 August 2011). "Love Hurts". W. Archived from the original on 14 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b Tang, Jean (6 July 2003). "More than meets the eye". The Boston Globe. pp. N9, N10 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c d Mathieu, Hélène (29 January 2009). "Ludivine Sagnier : "Mon côté enfantin est une arme"". Psychologies (in French). Archived from the original on 16 October 2023.
  6. ^ a b Tinkham, Chris (2 September 2011). "Ludivine Sagnier: Interview with the star of Love Crime". Under the Radar. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024.
  7. ^ a b Clarke, Donald (17 March 2025). "Ludivine Sagnier: 'This sexy bombshell had nothing to do with who I was. I felt confused'". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 17 March 2025.
  8. ^ Goldbart, Max (26 March 2025). "'Lupin' Writer François Uzan On Going Undercover In A School For Latest Netflix Project 'Recalé' — Series Mania". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 5 April 2025.
  9. ^ Lloyd, Robert (22 January 2021). "Why everyone's jumping on the bandwagon of Netflix's French hit, 'Lupin'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 9 June 2024.
  10. ^ Rathe, Adam (25 September 2022). "Go Behind the Scenes of The Serpent Queen with Ludivine Sagnier". Town and Country Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 June 2023.
  11. ^ Fourny, Marc (28 November 2023). "Ludivine Sagnier coupée dans «Napoléon» : «C'est un peu crispant»" [Ludivine Sagnier cut from Napoleon: "It's a little nerve-racking"]. Le Point (in French).
  12. ^ Aftab, Kaleem (21 November 2008). "Nicolas Duvauchelle". Interview. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Ludivine Sagnier - Biography". IMDb.
  14. ^ "En balade avec: Frédéric Taddeï avec Ludivine Sagnier". Europe 1 (in French). 22 December 2019. Archived from the original on 28 March 2020.
  15. ^ "Reconnaissance de l'Etat palestinien : qu'attendez-vous monsieur Macron? 230 artistes lancent un appel" [Recognition of the state of Palestine: What are you waiting for, Mr. Macron? 230 artists launch an appeal]. Libération (in French). 4 June 2024. Archived from the original on 4 June 2024.
  16. ^ Cénac, Lætitia (18 November 2022). "Ludivine Sagnier : «Il se dégage de moi une part d'enfance qui ne m'appartient pas»" [Ludivine Sagnier: "There is a part of my childhood which doesn't belong to me"]. Madame Figaro (in French). Archived from the original on 17 September 2024.
  17. ^ Eschapasse, Baudouin (10 March 2024). "Rendez-vous avec Ludivine Sagnier: «J'ai eu de la chance, je suis toujours tombée sur des partenaires de jeu respectueux»" [Meeting with Ludivine Sagnier: "I was lucky, I always had very respectful co-stars"]. Le Point (in French).
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