What is Mélanie Laurent’s Net Worth?
Mélanie Laurent is a French model, actress, singer, director, and writer who has a net worth of $8 million. Mélanie Laurent was born in Paris, France, in 1983, to a ballerina mother and actor father. Laurent’s dad voices the French version of Ned Flanders in the hit series “The Simpsons”. She made her acting debut after being discovered by fellow French actor Gerard Depardieu. Laurent starred in his movie “The Bridge” before her 17th birthday. She appeared in close to two-dozen films during the late ’90s and early 2000s.
Laurent’s best-known parts include appearances in “Summer Things”, “Rice Rhapsody”, “The Beat That My Heart Skipped”, “Days of Glory”, “Don’t Worry, I’m Fine”, “Hidden Love”, “La Chambre des morts”, “Beginners”, and “Inglourious Basterds”. Laurent has had several award-winning parts, including earning a Cesar Award for Most Promising Actress and a Lumiere Award for Most Promising Young Actress for the role of Elise Tellier in “Don’t Worry, I’m Fine” in 2006. She was nominated for a Best Actress honor at the Lumiere Awards a year later for “La Chambre des morts”. Laurent also scored a variety of awards and nominations for her role as Shosanna Dreyfus in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” in 2009. Laurent made her screenwriter and directorial debut with 2008’s short film “De moins en moins”. She has written and/or directed several other works, including “X Femmes”, “Les Adoptes”, “Surpeche”, and “Respire”.
Early Life
Laurent was born on February 21, 1983 in Paris, France. She is the daughter of Annick and Pierre Laurent. Her mother was a ballerina while her father was a voiceover actor. She grew up in a Jewish household of both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jewish descent.
Career
Laurent began her acting career after visiting the set of “Asterix and Obelix” and meeting actor Gérad Depardieu, who asked Laurent if she was interested in acting. He advised her not to take acting class as he believed she already possessed natural talent. When she was 16 years old, Depardieu gave her a part in “The Bridge,” a dramatic film he starred in and co-directed. She played the role of Lisbeth Daboval. She also worked as a voiceover actor early on in her career, dubbing the character of Satsuki in the French version of “My Neighbor Totoro” and another character in the animated adaptation of “Sophie’s Misfortunes.”
Laurent also had minor roles in “Summer Things,” “Rice Rhapsody,” “The Beat That My Heart Skipped,” and “Days of Glory.” Her breakthrough role came in 2006 when she was cast as the sullen 19-year-old who lost her twin brother in “Don’t Worry, I’m Fine.” For her performance, she won a César Award for Most Promising Actress and she received glowing reviews from a number of critics.
She then starred in the comedy film “Dikkenek” by director Olivier Van Hoofstadt. The film has since attained a cult following over the years. For her work in that film, she received the Etoile d’Or for Best Female Newcomer. In 2007, she appeared in the films “Le tueur” and “Hidden Love.” She was nominated for her performance in “La Chambre des morts” at the Lumières Awards in the Best Actress category. In 2008, she appeared in the film “Paris,” which was well-received.
In 2009, she made her Hollywood debut when she was cast as Shosanna Dreyfus in the Quentin Tarantino film “Inglouriuos Basterds” along with Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, and Chistroph Waltz. The film was a massive critical and commercial success and Laurent’s performance in particular received critical praise. She won a number of accolades from the Austin Film Critics Association, the Online Film Critics Society Awards, the Empire Awards, and the Saturn Awards, among others.
In 2010, Laurent starred in “The Round UP,” a French film directed by Roselyne Bosch. She again received rave critical reviews for her performance. She then appeared in “Le Concert” as the part of a violinist. She was selected as the host of the 64th Cannes Film Festival for both the opening and closing ceremonies. In 2011, she appeared in the comedy drama “Beginners,” which marked her second role in Hollywood. She then starred opposite Jeremy Irons in “Night Train to Lisbon” and in the film “Now You See Me.” She appeared in the psychological thriller “Enemy” which was originally screened at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. In 2014, she appeared in “Aloft” followed by “Boomerang” in 2015. The same year, she starred in Angelina Jolie’s film “By the Sea.” In 2018, she appeared in the drama “Operation Finale.”
Laurent has also worked behind the camera as a filmmaker. She made her directorial debut in the short film “De moins en moins,” which was nominated in the Best Short Film category at the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival. In 2011, she directed her first feature film, “The Adopted” which was screened at the International Critics’ Week section at the 2014 Cannes Films Festival and received high critical acclaim. She co-directed the 2015 documentary film “Tomorrow” which earned her a César Award for Best Documentary Film. She made her English-language directorial debut in 2018 with the film “Galveston,” based on the Nic Pizzolatto novel of the same name. In 2021, she directed “The Mad Woman’s Ball” and also starred in the film. In 2023, she directed “Voleuses” for Netflix.
In addition to her acting career, Laurent made her singing debut in May of 2011 with a studio album called “En t’attendant.” It contained twelve songs, five of which were co-written and co-produced by the Irish folk musician Damien Rice. She recorded the album with Rice at his home in Ireland and also in Woodstock, New York. The album charted in both France and Belgium.
Personal Life
Laurent was in a long-term relationship with fellow French actor Julien Boisselier until 2009. In March of 2013, she revealed she had been married but did not disclose the name of her spouse. The couple had a son together named Léo in September of 2013 and she has continued protecting the privacy of her husband. They had a daughter together named Mila in 2019 and reside in Los Angeles.
Laurent is involved in a number of environmental causes. She is a Climate Ambassador for Kofi Annan’s Global Humanitarian Forum. She also has been involved in campaigns against overfishing and provided the voice-over work for the French documentary “Surpêche.”