Noémie Merlant

Noémie Merlant (born 27 November 1988) is a French actress and filmmaker. She has been nominated for her performances three times at the César Awards, including a nomination for her breakout role in Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) and a win for The Innocent (2022).

Career
Merlant was born on 27 November 1988 in Paris. Both of her parents are real estate agents. She was raised in Rezé near Nantes.

Merlant began her career as a professional model before attending the Cours Florent acting school in Paris. She had her first breakthrough in the 2016 film Heaven Will Wait for which she was nominated for the César Award for Most Promising Actress.

In 2019, Merlant starred in Portrait of a Lady on Fire. She won the Lumières Award for Best Actress for her performance and was nominated for the César Award for Best Actress alongside her co-star Adèle Haenel.

In 2020, Merlant starred in Zoé Wittock's Jumbo, a film about a woman who falls in love with an amusement park ride. She also starred in Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar's A Good Man.

In 2022, Merlant portrayed Francesca Lentini, a musician and personal assistant to the celebrated composer/conductor Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett), in the movie Tár, directed by Todd Field.

In 2023, it was announced that Merlant would play the titular character Emmanuelle in a reboot of the iconic franchise directed by Audrey Diwan.

In June 2023, Merlant was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Directing
Merlant has directed two short films, the 2017 film Je suis #unebiche and the 2019 film Shakira. In 2021, she made her feature directorial debut with Mi Iubita Mon Amour, which premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. Her sophomore directorial effort, The Balconettes, premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

Singles

 * "Fate" (2016)