Catherine Jacob (born 16 December 1956) is a French film and theatre actress who has won a César Award for her role in Life Is a Long Quiet River (1988), and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Tatie Danielle (1990), Merci la vie (1991) and Neuf mois (1994). She has been two-time president of the Lumière Awards. She is known for her voice and her charisma.
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Early life
Born in Paris on 16 December 1956, Catherine Jacob spent part of her childhood and adolescence in Compiègne, where she was educated at primary school and then Pierre d'Ailly High School. Her father was a dental surgeon and her mother an orthodontist. She has a younger brother.
Career
1980–1987: Beginnings
After obtaining a diploma in architecture, Catherine Jacob moved to Paris. From 1978 to 1980, she studied acting at the Cours Florent, then located on Saint Louis Island.
She started to act in the early 1980s as an extra in movies like Swann in Love by Volker Schlöndorff (1984), Les Nanas by Annick Lanoë (1985), State of Grace by Jacques Rouffio (1986) and Malady of Love by Jacques Deray (1987). She also appeared in TV movies and TV series like Dickie-roi by Guy Lefranc, Toutes griffes dehors by Michel Boisrond, Julien Fontanes, magistrat, Marie Pervenche, Sentiments and Qui c'est ce garçon ? by Nadine Trintignant in minor roles.
In 1985, she wrote and starred in her first one-woman show called Welcome to the Club, directed by Rémi Chenylle, drawing eleven portraits of characters. She appeared in several festivals with her show and toured with it the following year.
1988–1997: César and success
In 1988, she played Marie-Thérèse in the cult film Life Is a Long Quiet River by Étienne Chatiliez. The movie was a huge success, and Jacob won the César Award for Most Promising Actress. She also played in the TV miniseries Le vent des moissons alongside Annie Girardot. That same year, she and Jacques Bonnaffé also had a huge success with the play Paris-Nord - Attractions pour noces et banquets. It was planned to be shown only for 10 nights, but due to the success, the play continued for three years.
In 1989, she continued her tour with the play Paris-Nord - Attractions pour noces et banquets. She got a supporting role in Les Maris, les Femmes, les Amants by Pascal Thomas, with Jean-François Stévenin and Michel Robin. She starred in two TV movies: L'été de la révolution with Bruno Cremer and Brigitte Fossey and Le vagabond de la Bastille by Michel Andrieu. She also appeared in an episode of the TV series Imogène with Dominique Lavanant.
In 1990, she ended her tour with the play Paris-Nord - Attractions pour noces et banquets after three years. She appeared in the second movie of the director Étienne Chatiliez, Tatie Danielle with Tsilla Chelton, Isabelle Nanty and Karin Viard. It was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie was again a big success at the box office, well received by the critics and became a cult movie. Jacob was nominated for the César Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In 1991, she starred in The Imaginary Invalid by Molière, directed by Hans-Peter Cloos at the Théâtre national de Chaillot. She had a supporting role in Merci la vie by Bertrand Blier, alongside Charlotte Gainsbourg, Anouk Grinberg, Michel Blanc, Jean Carmet, Annie Girardot, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Gérard Depardieu. Jacob was nominated for her third César Award for Best Supporting Actress. She appeared in My Father the Hero by Gérard Lauzier, with Gérard Depardieu, Marie Gillain and Charlotte de Turckheim. She was also in the short Contes à rebours, directed by Gilles Porte.
In 1992, she starred in two new plays: Ubu Roi by Alfred Jarry, directed by Roland Topor at the Théâtre national de Chaillot, and Chambres by Philippe Minyana, directed by Hans-Peter Cloos at the Théâtre Paris-Villette. She played Rose in La Fille de l'air by Maroun Bagdadi, with Béatrice Dalle, Hippolyte Girardot and Jean-Claude Dreyfus. She also acted in Bella vista by Alfredo Arias, with Wadeck Stanczak. Jacob was in three shorts: Tout petit déjà by David Carayon, O mon amour with Artus de Penguern and Cocon by Martin Provost.
1998–2011: Television and festivals
In 1998, she was cast in Let There Be Light by Arthur Joffé, an ensemble comedy. She was in three TV movies: Théo et Marie with Véronique Jannot, Qui mange qui ? with Julien Guiomar and Maintenant et pour toujours with Marisa Berenson, Marlène Jobert and Agathe de La Boulaye. She also appeared in an episode of Chercheur d'héritiers with Bernadette Lafont.
In 1999, she played in the TV movie Fleurs de sel with François Berléand and Frédéric Pierrot. She appeared in one episode of the TV series Marc Eliot, directed by Josée Dayan. She came back to the theater after 3 years, with The Miser by Molière, directed by Jérôme Savary at the Théâtre des Célestins. She was invited to present an award at the 13th Molière Awards.
In 2000, she toured France with The Miser by Molière. She starred in Le coeur à l'ouvrage, with Mathilde Seigner and Amira Casar. She had the leading role in two TV movies: La Double Vie de Jeanne with Micheline Presle and Christine Citti, and Les faux-fuyants, with Arielle Dombasle and Nicolas Vaude.
In 2001, she had the leading role in the movie J'ai faim !!!, directed by Florence Quentin, with Michèle Laroque. The movie was shown during the Yokohama French Film Festival in Japan. She starred in the movie God Is Great and I'm Not with Audrey Tautou, Édouard Baer, Julie Depardieu, Philippe Laudenbach and Thierry Neuvic. It was screened at the Seattle International Film Festival. She was also in the short La concierge est dans l'ascenseur, with Michel Vuillermoz, Omar Sy and Fred Testot.
In 2002, she starred in the TV movies La torpille, with Pierre Cassignard and the sequel of Qui mange qui ?, called Qui mange quoi ?, directed by Jean-Paul Lilienfeld. Jacob also lent her voice to the animated TV miniseries Corto Maltese, with Richard Berry, Patrick Bouchitey and Marie Trintignant.
In 2003, she appeared in Who Killed Bambi?, directed by Gilles Marchand, with Sophie Quinton, Laurent Lucas, Yasmine Belmadi, Valérie Donzelli and Joséphine de Meaux. The movie was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Seattle International Film Festival and other festivals. She starred in two TV movies: L'adieu, with Thomas Jouannet, Mélanie Doutey, Gilles Lellouche, Jean Benguigui, and Cécile Cassel, and L'île atlantique by Gérard Mordillat. Jacob was a member of the jury at the Festival international du film fantastique de Gérardmer, presided by William Friedkin.
2012–present: Theater, television and cinema
In 2012, she played in two TV movies: À dix minutes des naturistes, directed by Stéphane Clavier, with Lionel Abelanski, Christine Citti and Macha Méril, and La Baie d'Alger, screened at the Alès Film Festival, directed by Merzak Allouache, with Biyouna, Jean Benguigui and Michèle Moretti. She also appeared in three episodes of the TV series Victoire Bonnot, with Valérie Damidot. She was chosen to preside at the 17th Lumière Awards.
In 2013, she returned to the theater after five years, touring with the play Le voyageur sans bagage by Jean Anouilh, directed by Alain Fromager and Gwendoline Hamon. She starred in two TV movies: Je vous présente ma femme, directed by Élisabeth Rappeneau, with Michel Robin and Les Vieux Calibres with Danièle Lebrun, Michel Aumont, Roger Dumas and Jean-Luc Bideau. She had two recurring roles in two TV series: Vive la colo ! with Virginie Hocq, Titoff, Julien Boisselier and Luce for four episodes, and La Famille Katz with Julie Depardieu and Serge Hazanavicius for six episodes. She also made an advertisement for LCL S.A.
In 2014, she played two supporting roles in two movies: L'Ex de ma vie with Géraldine Nakache and Kim Rossi Stuart, and Lili Rose with Mehdi Dehbi. She also starred in the TV movie Tout est permis, directed by Émilie Deleuze, with Judith Chemla. She appeared in a couple of episodes of Scènes de ménages, playing the daughter of Marion Game and Gérard Hernandez's characters. She has also shot advertisements for Canalsat.
In 2015, she starred in two TV movies: Lettre à France directed by Stéphane Clavier, with Julie Ferrier and Merci pour tout, Charles with Charlotte de Turckheim and Claudia Tagbo for France 2. She also appeared in two episodes of the TV series Nos chers voisins for TF1. Catherine Jacob was also on stage with Madame in which she played a prostitute who tells her memoirs. She was alone on stage and her performance was hailed by critics. She was also part of the show Elles se croient toutes Joly with other actresses paying tribute to the comedian Sylvie Joly. In April, she read on stage some letters written by deportees of the Royallieu-Compiègne internment camp.
In 2016, she appeared in Joséphine s'arrondit, directed by Marilou Berry. She also starred in three TV movies: Murders at Avignon, with Lætitia Milot for France 3, Baisers cachés with Patrick Timsit, and 3 Mariages et 1 coup de foudre with Helena Noguerra and Mylène Demongeot for France 2. In the theater, she appeared in L'impresario delle Smirne written by Carlo Goldoni, with Nicolas Vaude. She also joined the TV show Conseil d'indiscipline, broadcast on Paris Première and hosted by Jean-Louis Debré, for which she was a columnist for a couple of shows. In April, she was the godmother of the 19th Dinard Comedy Festival.
Filmography
Box-office
Movies starring Catherine Jacob with more than a million tickets sold in France.
Participations
1998 : Festival international du film de comédie de l'Alpe d'Huez (Jury)
2003 : 2003 Festival international du film fantastique de Gérardmer (Jury)
2005 : Festival du film d'aventures de Valenciennes (Jury)
2006 : Cabourg Film Festival (Jury)
2008 : 2008 Festival international du film fantastique de Gérardmer (President of the Jury - Short Competition)
2010 : Festival de Beaune (Jury)
2011 : Festival international du film de Saint-Jean-de-Luz (President of the Jury)
2011 : Festival du Film français de Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire (President of the Jury)
2012 : President of the 17th Lumière Awards
2012 : Dinard Comedy Festival (President of the Jury)
2016 : Godmother of the Dinard Comedy Festival
2017 : Festival international du film de comédie de Liège (Jury)
2018 : Festival du cinéma et musique de film de La Baule (President of the Jury)
2019 : Waterloo Historical Film Festival (Jury)
2019 : Des Notes et des Toiles (President of the Jury)
