Since the news broke that Angelina Jolie had filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, another name began to be whispered – that of Marion Cotillard, the French actress who has just finished filming wartime drama – and potential Oscar contender - Allied opposite Brad. And because, as we all know, Brad and Ange first fell in love on the set of Mr and Mrs Smith back in 2004, fingers have been pointed at Marion. Eye roll…
An Oscar winner, Dior muse and environmental campaigner, here’s everything you need to know about the accomplished star, who is much, much more than just a footnote in the tabloids’ Brangelina narrative.
Why is everyone talking about Marion Cotillard and Brad Pitt's film Allied?
After Angelina filed for divorce from Brad, the rumour mill went into overdrive, attempting to pin-point cracks in Hollywood's golden couple. Top of the agenda were claims that Brad (who notoriously met his soon-to-be ex-wife while still married to Jennifer Aniston) had embarked on an affair with Marion, his co-star in the forthcoming Allied. Naturally, the tabloids have been quick to draw potential parallels with Mr and Mrs Smith, though sources close to both stars have claimed that there is no 'third party' in the divorce.
It certainly didn't help matters that Paramount chose to launch the film's latest trailer on the very same day that news broke of Brangelina's impending divorce. Coincidence, or excellent marketing ploy? We'll leave you to decide, but with a release date of November 23rd, it looks like the studio has high hopes for awards season - we'll have to wait and see whether the circus surrounding Brangelina's divorce will impact its chances...
What can we learn from the Allied trailer?
The film itself is a period spy thriller set during World War Two. The pair play an American intelligence officer and a French resistance agent, who have to fake a marriage as part of a covert assassination plot. The spies end up falling in love and move to London to start a family - but one of them is hiding a dark secret.
From a dramatic desert kiss to lower-key family scenes, the clips seen in the trailer certainly showcase the pair's on-screen chemistry. According to the film's producer, Graham King, the rapport between Marion and Brad was 'electric.'
'Brad and Marion immediately had the utmost respect for each other, so once they delved into their characters, their chemistry was electric,' he told People this summer.
You can watch the latest trailer below...
How has Marion responded to the affair rumours?
In a lengthy statement posted on her Instagram account, which she says will be her 'first and only reaction to the whirlwind news,' the actress denied any involvement in Brad and Angelina's split. Reaffirming her relationship with long-term partner Guillame Canet (more of him later), who she described as 'my love, my best friend, the only one that I need,' she spoke out against the headlines which have described her as 'devastated,' writing 'To those who have indicated that I am devastated, I am very well thank you. This crafted conversation isn’t distressing.'
She went on to wish that both Brad and Angelina 'will find peace in this tumultuous moment.' To put things in Taylor Swift terms, then, Marion would very much like be excluded from this narrative.
How old is Marion Cotillard?
Marion was born in Paris on 30 September 1975, meaning that she is approaching her 41st birthday. Acting seems to run in the Cotillard family: her father, Jean-Claude, is an actor, playwright, director and former mime artist, while her mother Niseema is an actress and drama teacher.
Marion's early career
It’s no surprise then, that Marion’s first role was in one of her father’s plays. As a teenager, she went on to pick up minor roles (speaking both French and English) in TV shows, before landing her first sizeable part in Taxi, an action comedy. The role earned her a nomination for a César Award (the Oscars of French film, if you will) for Most Promising Actress in 1999.
La Vie En Rose
Her first Hollywood role was alongside Ewan McGregor and Helena Bonham Carter in Tim Burton’s fantasy drama Big Fish, but her big break came when director Olivier Dahan chose her to portray legendary French singer Édith Piaf in the biopic La Vie En Rose.
While the film’s distributor didn’t believe that Marion had enough star power to bring box office success, they were proved wrong; what’s more, her performance attracted universal acclaim from the critics. At a screening at the Berlin International Film Festival, the actress received a fifteen minute standing ovation (which is quite a long time to stand on your feet clapping).
During the production process, she sang every single day to fully immerse herself into the role – though her voice wasn’t actually used in the final film. Instead, the director used Piaf’s original recordings. Speaking to The Independent, she explained, ‘I had only three months when we finally got the funding, to prepare for the role. So it was […] freaking short! So I was frustrated, I have to say. Not that I really wanted to sing, but I wanted at least to have the time to try. And I didn’t.’
Success at the Oscars
Singing or no singing, Marion's method certainly paid off. She won a total of 27 awards for her turn as Piaf, including the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical and the Academy Award for Best Actress, becoming the second French actress to receive this award. In her acceptance speech for the latter, she thanked 'life' and 'love,' and declared, 'it is true, there [are] some angels in this city.' She was later congratulated on her 'masterful interpretation' of Piaf in a statement from Nicholas Sarkozy, then President of France.
The actress has sinced been nominated in the Best Actress category at the Oscars for her 2015 role in Two Days, One Night.
Marion Cotillard and Guillame Canet
Marion has been in a relationship with French actor Guillame Canet since 2007. The pair are thought to have met back in 1997, then co-starred in Love Me If You Dare in 2003. Canet was previously married to the model and actress Diana Kruger, who he split from in 2006, and has also dated Carla Bruni (who is currently married to former French president Nicolas Sarkozy) and Élodie Navarre, another French actress who was also on the cast of Love Me If You Dare. Got that?
In 2011, Canet told The Guardian, 'I’ve known [Marion] for 14 years now, but we never had any relation until three years ago. One moment you’re moving in a particular direction with a person, then one day you wake up and say: ‘"She’s the love of my life." I never saw it coming.'
Marion and Guillame have since co-starred in The Last Flight, a wartime drama based on the real-life disappearance of British pilot Bill Lancaster. They tend to keep their relationship out of the spotlight, but made their red carpet debut together at the Cannes premiere of the film in 2009. Currently parents to 5-year-old Marcel, Marion confirmed in her recent Instagram post that the couple are currently expecting their second child. While Guillame is often referred to as the actress’s husband, this isn’t actually the case: the pair aren’t married, and Marion tends to refer to her ‘boyfriend’ when pushed in interviews.
Marion’s views on feminism
Speaking to Porter magazine last autumn, the actress revealed that she does not consider herself to be a feminist, as she believes that ‘film-making is not about gender,’ and that the idea of feminism creates ‘too much separation.’
‘For me it doesn’t create equality, it creates separation. I mean, I don’t qualify myself as a feminist,’ she explained. ‘We need to fight for women’s rights but I don’t want to separate women from men. We’re separated already because we’re not made the same and it’s the difference that creates this energy in creation and love.’
Marion and Dior
A long-time muse of French fashion house Dior, the actress has been the face of the Lady Dior handbag since 2012. Naturally, she is a front row fixture at the brand's ready-to-wear and couture shows, and regularly chooses to wear the label for red carpet appearances.
READ MORE: Go Behind The Scenes With Marion Cotillard On Her Lady Dior Ad