Bérénice Bejo is an award-winning French actress of Argentine origin who is well-known for her starring role as Peppy Miller in the silent film The Artist (2011). The black-and-white film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning 5 including the night’s top 3 honors for “Best Actor”, “Best Director”, and “Best Picture”. Although Bérénice began her career working mostly in the French industry, she has given acclaimed performances in crossover films like The Past (2013) and The Childhood of a Leader (2016). She has more than 60k followers on Facebook, more than 60k followers on Instagram, and more than 20k followers on Twitter.
Born Name
Bérénice Bejo
Nick Name
Bérénice
Actress Bérénice Bejo at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014 (Georges Biard / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0)
Sun Sign
Cancer
Born Place
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Residence
Paris, France
Nationality
Argentine, French
Occupation
Actress
Family
Father – Miguel Bejo (Filmmaker)
Mother – Silvia de Paoli (Lawyer)
Siblings – Moira Grassi (Younger Sister) (Actress), She also has 2 step-siblings each from her parents’ previous relationships
Bérénice is represented by the United Talent Agency in California.
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 5 in or 165 cm
Weight
54 kg or 119 lbs
Boyfriend / Spouse
Bérénice Bejo has dated –
Michel Hazanavicius (2005-Present) – Bérénice met French director Michel Hazanavicius in 2005 on the set of his comedy film OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies in which she starred opposite Jean Dujardin. The two quickly fell in love and got married in 2008. The couple later became parents to 2 children – a boy named Lucien Hazanavicius (b. June 25, 2008) and a girl named Gloria Hazanavicius (b. September 18, 2011). Bejo is also stepmother to Simone and Fantine Hazanavicius (daughters from Michel’s previous marriage). After marriage, the duo continued to work together in films like The Search (2014), Redoubtable (2017), and The Artist (2011), the latter of which won 5 Academy Awards including “Best Director” for Hazanavicius.
Bérénice Bejo pictured with husband Michel Hazanavicius in 2011 (Raffi Asdourian / Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
Race / Ethnicity
Multiracial (White and Hispanic)
She has Argentinian, Italian (on her mother’s side), and Spanish (on her father’s side) ancestry.
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Hazel
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
Freckles on her nose
Wide smile
Brand Endorsements
Bérénice has done endorsement work for the following brands –
Chopard
Chaumet Jewellery
Gucci
Zuhair Murad
Miu Miu
Azzedine Alaïa
Céline Daoust
Venice Biennale (Arts Organization)
Le Planning Familial
Bérénice Bejo arriving at the world premiere of The BFG at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016 (GabboT / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
Best Known For
Starring as Peppy Miller in the black-and-white silent film The Artist in 2011 for which she received a César Award for “Best Actress” as well as nominations at the Golden Globes, BAFTA Awards, Academy Awards, SAG Awards, and many others
Her role as Marie Brisson in Asghar Farhadi’s The Past which garnered her the “Best Actress Award” at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013
First Film
In 1998, Bérénice made her feature film debut in Les soeurs Hamlet (The Hamlet sisters) as Karine Hamlet.
First TV Show
Bérénice made her first TV show appearance in 1996 as Laurence in the ‘Stories of Men’ episode of the French series Regards d’enfance (Glances of Childhood).
Bérénice Bejo Favorite Things
Film – Laura (1944)
Film Directors – Billy Wilder, Otto Preminger, Clint Eastwood, René Clair
Film Role – Laetitia Rance (in the French comedy Most Promising Young Actress in 2000)
Bérénice Bejo at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival (Georges Biard / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0)
Bérénice Bejo Facts
Both her parents decided to name her Bérénice for different reasons. Her father based the name on a short story by Edgar Allan Poe and her mother chose the name after the Coma Berenice constellation (due to her love for astronomy).
Her family fled Argentina to escape the dictatorial regime of Jorge Rafaél Videla (known for the Dirty War) and settled in France. Bérénice was 3 years old at that time.
She played the role of Marie Brisson in the famed Iranian director Asghar Farhadi’s film The Past (2013). She replaced Marion Cotillard after the latter stepped down to star in The Immigrant (2013).
Bérénice is one of the 17 French actresses (as of 2019) to be nominated for an Academy Award. Some of her fellow nominees include actresses like Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Riva, Catherine Deneuve, etc.
She made her American film debut in the Heath Ledger-starrer A Knight’s Tale in 2001. She played the role of Christiana, chamber-maid of the protagonist Jocelyn played by actress Shannyn Sossamon.
Bérénice is only the 2nd actress of Argentine origin to receive an Oscar nomination. The first one to do so is actress Norma Aleandro who was nominated for her role in the film Gaby: A True Story (1987).
Bérénice hosted the opening and closing ceremonies at the 65th Cannes Film Festival in 2012.
In 2002, she learned karate under Alain Figlarz for her performance as Margo in the ‘Koan’ episode of the TV series Vertiges.
Some of her hobbies include photography, biking, writing, and collecting hats from the 1920s.
Bérénice is a diehard fan of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe.
She had auditioned for the character of Rita Vrataski in the sci-fi film Edge of Tomorrow (2014). The role eventually went to actress Emily Blunt.
Bérénice had auditioned twice for the role of a Bond girl until 2019.
For her role as Peppy Miller in The Artist, Bérénice won “Best Actress” at the César Award (National Film Award of France) but was nominated for “Best Supporting Actress” at the Academy Awards. The move was calculated to give her the best chance at winning considering the fact that many heavyweights were nominated in the “Best Actress” category.
She voiced the character of Mérida in the French version of the Disney/Pixar film Brave (2012).
Bérénice was invited to be a part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in June 2012.
