In the end, she fell in love with loneliness…
On November 17, 2021, one of the most beautiful actresses of French and world cinema celebrated her 55th birthday. Fragile, elegant, talented… She attracted men from a young age, and often fell in love herself. Sophie Marceau admitted that she started living as an adult too early, and this did not make her happy. And yet there were chosen ones on her way who played significant roles in her life…
Sophie Maupu was born in November 1966 in an ordinary family: her father worked as a trucker, and her mother was a saleswoman. Her parents divorced when the daughter was only 9 years old. At the age of 13, Sophie began working in a modeling agency, she had all the data for this: a slender, even skinny figure, tall stature, expressive eyes and self-confidence.
And when Claude Pinoteau was looking for young actresses for the film The Party, he asked the agency managers to pick up candidates. They pointed to Sophie Maupu and her friend. The friend failed the casting, and the director immediately liked Sophie. So she became an actress without even thinking about this profession.
The premiere of the film took place in 1980. It was a resounding success throughout Europe. And two years later, the sequel The Party 2 was released, with the same Sophie. But now she was listed in the credits as Marceau. Years later, it turned out that the aspiring artist chose the name of the highway under a pseudonym, along which she drove to her first and immediately successful casting.
At the age of 16, Sophie received the prestigious César Awards as the best promising debutante.
Since then, Marceau has been offered exclusively notable or major roles, and she has played in films with maestros: Gérard Depardieu, Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Belmondo and other high class artists.
She was so in demand and gave such hopes that the Gaumont film company signed a contract with her, under the terms of which Sophie could only cooperate with them. Violation of obligations entailed huge monetary fines. Moreover, instead of underage Sophie, the paper was signed by parents who, having never been wealthy, decided to make the most of their daughter.
At the age of 16, Sophie fell in love for the first time. She met the famous Polish writer and director Andrzej Żuławski. Their romance was so passionate, despite the 25-year age difference, that the girl did not hesitate to agree to play in his films and even go with him to Poland.
And then she, soaring on the wings of love, plummeted to the ground, receiving a penalty from Gaumont in the amount of a million francs. It was a lot of money. Żuławski came to the rescue, he repaid Marceau’s debt and freed her from creative slavery. “I belonged to Gaumont, was their pet and had to obey in everything. It was unbearable. I had no idea what to do, and I was afraid of going to jail for violating the contract,” she later recalled.
People were constantly gossiping behind their backs, but the lovers did not pay attention to them. Żuławski and Marceau left for Poland. There Sophie starred in films of her beloved man (they never officially married), studied local culture and language, raised her son Vincent, born in 1995.
Żuławski directed Marceau in the films Mad Love, My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days , La Note bleue. Their romance lasted more than 10 years, but despite the passion that once raged between them, the relationship ended. After the actress said that she was tired of being a little girl in need of constant care, but it was rumored that she was dating a new man. And he, according to gossips, was Mel Gibson, with whom Sophie starred in Braveheart.
The actress was said to be in many relationships, but she prefers not to disclose the details of her personal life, only smiling mysteriously, giving free rein to the fantasies of others.
While working with Gibson, Sophie Marceau starred in Hollywood for the first time. Żuławski was against her trip overseas. After that, she returned to the father of her firstborn, but not for long. However, the affair with Gibson was not long. “We remained good friends. He is a big and trusting child. I feel a little sorry for him,” she recalled about Mel and all his troubles in his personal life.
In 1997, the premiere of the film Anna Karenina took place. While working on it, the actress met American producer Jim Lemley. They started a relationship. The lovers got along well, but the actress no longer experienced the sensuality, warmth and trust that she had during her affair with Żuławski.
By the way, a year before that, Sophie Marceau released her memoir Telling Lies. After the publication, she was hit by a wave of criticism. The actress frankly said that she started having affairs too early and because of this her psyche was shaken. She also admitted that she regretted leaving Andrzej Żuławski, only realizing with age that he was the only one who was ready for anything for her and understood her like no one else.
Nevertheless, at the age of 36, Sophie gave birth to Jim Lemley’s daughter Juliette.
In 2007, Sophie Marceau made her directorial debut. In her first project, Trivial , played Christopher Lambert. They had known each other for a long time, but only a little. And now, having known each other more closely, they realized that they were in love. Marceau, who believed that she was unlucky in a relationship, was sure that Lambert would certainly make her happy.
Soon they began to live together. In 2012, there were rumors that the actors became spouses, but this was not the case. “I have been with many men, but I have not married. This is not in my plans now,” she said briefly about her relationship with Lambert.
In 2014, the lovers broke up.
Sophie Marceau was single for a short time. A year after breaking up with Lambert, she met chef Cyril Lignac at the Cannes Film Festival. He was 11 years younger than the actress, but this did not stand on their way.
Soon Sophie forgot about diets and food prohibitions. She admitted that her beloved spoiled her with delicious dishes and with him she found more time for herself.
However, the absorption of sweets did not affect the ideal figure of the actress at all. She always looks elegant and sophisticated. On the red carpets of international film festivals, Sophie Marceau is not afraid to sometimes appear in revealing and bold outfits.
She calls her beauty secrets healthy and long sleep, sports (jogging and swimming), as well as a minimum of make up.
Only Marceau herself knows about what is happening in her personal life now. “Sometimes I don’t hold back my feelings. I like the game of seduction. This is flirting, slight understatement, intrigue. It feels like we’re both walking on a tightrope. Yes, I have affairs with partners. And I’m not ashamed of it at all. Such a life is normal for an actress. I have nothing to be ashamed of. I’ve had wonderful men,” she confided in an interview.
But, despite the huge number of relationships and hobbies, Sophie has always called her children the main people in her life. “Women who don’t have children don’t live to the fullest,” she stated bravely.
When asked if she is free now, Marceau briefly replies: “I like to be with my loved ones. I like to drink fragrant coffee in silence early in the morning. I fell in love with loneliness. For how long, I don’t know… Women are fickle.”
