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Virginie Efira

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Virginie Efira
Efira in 2023
Born (1977-05-05) 5 May 1977 (age 47)
Brussels, Belgium
Nationality
  • Belgian
  • French (from 2016)
OccupationActress
Years active2005–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2002; div. 2009)​
Partners
Children2

Virginie Efira (born 5 May 1977) is a Belgian and French actress. She had her first leading role in the romantic comedy It Boy (2013). Efira subsequently received critical praise for her performance in the comedy drama In Bed with Victoria (2016), for which she received a Magritte Award for Best Actress as well as a César Award for Best Actress nomination. She then appeared in Paul Verhoeven's psychological thriller Elle (2016), the drama An Impossible Love (2018), the comedy drama Sibyl (2019) and the black comedy Bye Bye Morons (2020). In 2023, she won a César Award for Best Actress for Paris Memories (2022).

Early life

[edit]

Efira was born on 5 May 1977[1] in the Brugmann district of Brussels, Belgium, the daughter of Professor André Efira, an hemato-oncologist, and Carine Verelst. She has Greek-Jewish ancestry. Efira has three siblings. She grew up in Schaerbeek.[2] Her parents divorced when she was 18.[3]

Efira studied Latin, math, psychology and social sciences in Brussels. She relocated to Paris at age 28.[3]

Career

[edit]

1998–2008: Television anchor

[edit]
Virginie Efira poses for the camera
Virginie Efira at the Deauville American Film Festival in 2010

She was first hired by Club RTL (a Belgian TV channel in the RTL Group) to present a children's show called Mégamix. She went on to present other programmes in Belgium, including A la recherche de la nouvelle Star. In September 2002, she was offered the job of the presenter of Belgium's version of Star Academy.

After becoming a weather forecast presenter on the M6 channel in France, she soon became one of M6's main public faces, presenting shows such as Le Grand Zap, La saga des ..., Follement Gay, Absolument 80/90, Le Grand Piège and Drôles d'équipes. She was the host of Classé Confidentiel for one year, before replacing Benjamin Castaldi as the host of the popular musical reality show Nouvelle Star for the end of the show's fourth series. She also presented shows on RTL-TVi (a spin-off channel in the RTL Group).

2004–2015: Early roles and romantic parts

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Efira's film career began in 2004, appearing as Dr. Liz Wilson in the French-language version of Garfield: The Movie, as well as playing Piper in the French version of the 2005 film Robots. She also voiced the characters of Kitty Softpaws in Puss in Boots and Mavis in Hotel Transylvania (2012) and Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015). Efira also guest-starred in two episodes of the highly successful French show Kaamelott.

In 2010, she participated in Rendez-vous en terre inconnue. Efira next had a supporting role as a social worker in the comedy drama My Worst Nightmare (2011) directed by Anne Fontaine, opposite Isabelle Huppert, Benoît Poelvoorde and André Dussollier. The following year, she won the Audience Award at the 2nd Magritte Awards.[4]

In 2013, Efira starred alongside Pierre Niney in the romantic comedy It Boy, about a 38-year-old woman and her relationship with a teenage boy. The film was highly successful in France and received positive reviews. Variety wrote that she "has a particular talent for transmitting thoughts and eliciting laughs using facial expressions alone, a gift that gets another glorious workout here".[5]

2016–present: Expansion to dramatic roles

[edit]
Virginie Efira poses for the camera
Virginie Efira in 2017

In 2016, Efira starred in the romantic comedy-drama In Bed with Victoria, about a single mother and criminal lawyer who goes through a midlife crisis. The film was screened in the International Critics' Week section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, where it obtained very favourable reviews. Efira's performance was described by The Hollywood Reporter as both "vibrant" and "well-tuned", and earned her a Magritte Award for Best Actress as well as a César Award for Best Actress nomination.[6] That same year, Efira had a small but crucial role opposite Isabelle Huppert in Paul Verhoeven's psychological thriller Elle.[7] Her final release of 2016 was Up for Love, a romantic comedy with Jean Dujardin, in which she played a lawyer who falls in love with a man of diminutive stature.[8] The following year, she made a guest appearance as herself in one episode of the successful French series Call My Agent!.

In 2018, Efira took on the leading role in the drama An Impossible Love, Catherine Corsini's adaptation of the best-selling novel by Christine Angot – the story of the incestuous father of Angot and her mother who has not seen anything. The film and her performance received critical acclaim. Screen International felt that the actress "previously known for lighter material (In Bed With Victoria), shows herself more than capable of a heavyweight dramatic role, subtly maturing from romantic 20s to careworn middle age" and also added that "she offers a powerful, assured performance in a film that's likely to score highly both as a superior and very accessible melodrama and as an intelligent conversation piece".[9] She received Cesar Award, Globe de Cristal Award and Lumières Award nominations in the Best Actress category for her performance in the film.

That same year, Efira was part of the ensemble cast in the comedy Sink or Swim directed by Gilles Lellouche, which was screened out of competition at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, and earned her a Cesar Award nomination, for Best Supporting Actress. Also in 2018, her performance in the drama Keep Going was praised, with The Hollywood Reporter writing that she "is excellent here as a woman caught between her fiercely independent nature and her desire to be a good mother, trying to steer her son on the right path".[10] The following year, Efira starred in the comedy drama Sibyl, her second collaboration with director Justine Triet, playing a psychotherapist who wants to return to writing. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where it received mostly positive reviews with particular praise for Efira's performance. Variety stated that "Sibyl seals the arrival of Efira, once pegged as a likable but lightweight comedienne, as a first-class leading lady of consistently expanding range and elan — with the emotional honesty and deadpan pluck to pull off the more outrageous character turns in Triet and Arthur Harari’s limber original script."[11] while The Hollywood Reporter felt that "the actress plays several roles at the same time — the astute psychologist, the struggling author, the affectionate yet neglectful mom, the fervid lover in two very candid sex scenes — and she does each one extremely well, turning Sibyl’s altered states into a whole that reflects her drive to be many things at once."[12]

In 2020, she starred opposite Omar Sy in Anne Fontaine's drama Night Shift, in which she played one of three officers who are tasked with escorting an illegal immigrant to the airport, where he will be forced onto a plane and sent back to his homeland.[13] The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. While critical reviews were mixed, Screen International wrote that Efira, "clearly on the verge of an international breakthrough – continues to impress with a cool command, never giving away too much about her character, but evoking intense emotional turmoil behind the calm exterior".[14] That same year, Efira played a terminally-ill hairdresser on a mission to reunite with her long-lost child, with the help of a suicidal bureaucrat and a blind archivist, in the comedy drama Bye Bye Morons directed by Albert Dupontel.[15]

In 2021, Efira reunited with Paul Verhoeven to appear as Benedetta Carlini, a 17th-century nun who suffers from disturbing religious and erotic visions, in the historical drama Benedetta.[16] Impressed by her performance as the rapist's wife in his previous film Elle, Verhoeven offered her the lead role without even a screen test and did not give her any direction as to what to do, as the actress later explained, "That’s the ultimate sign of trust in your actress. It made me own the role, and I knew that, with what I came up with, Paul would film something interesting. To take the example of Benedetta’s ambiguity, is it up to me to act ambiguity? Or it up to him to film it? I played Benedetta on a quest, without defining the nature of that quest. I think it’s a multifaceted quest. It cannot be reduced to a specific aspect, such as absolute faith or the most duplicitous scheming. Both aspects feed off each other. Benedetta has a strong belief in Jesus, and she is also looking for power. She is not all sweetness and altruism."[17]

In 2023, Efira won her first César Award for Best Actress, for her performance in the film Paris Memories (2022),[18] in which she played a woman who is struggling with the lingering mental health effects of having survived a terrorist attack in Paris, a role originally intended for Nicole Kidman.[19]

Personal life

[edit]

In 2002, Efira married comedian and actor Patrick Ridremont. They separated in 2005[20] and filed for divorce in February 2009.[21] From 2012 to 2017, she dated director and actor Mabrouk El Mechri, with whom she has a daughter, born in Paris in 2013.[22] In 2016, Efira obtained French citizenship, becoming a dual citizen,[23][24] for which she would later cite her desire to vote in France as the reason.[25] Since 2017, Efira has been in a relationship with actor Niels Schneider—her co-star in the films An Impossible Love (2018) and Sibyl (2019)[26]—with whom she has a son, born in 2023.[27] The couple live in the 11th arrondissement of Paris.[28]

Filmography

[edit]

Feature films

[edit]
Year Title Role Director(s) Notes
2005 Africains poids-moyens Vickie Marie Daniel Cattier Short film
2009 The Barons The Artist Nabil Ben Yadir
2010 Le Siffleur Candice Philippe Lefebvre
L'amour c'est mieux à deux Angèle Dominique Farrugia & Arnaud Lemort
Kill Me Please Inspector Evrard Olias Barco
2011 La Chance de ma vie Joanna Sorini Nicolas Cuche
My Worst Nightmare Julie Anne Fontaine
2012 Hénaut Président Herself Michel Muller
Dead Man Talking Élisabeth Lacroix Patrick Ridremont
2013 Cookie Delphine Léa Fazer
It Boy Alice Lantins David Moreau
Les Invincibles Caroline Frédéric Berthe
Turning Tide Marie Drevil Christophe Offenstein
2015 Caprice Alicia Emmanuel Mouret
Une famille à louer Violette Jean-Pierre Améris
The Sense of Wonder Louise Éric Besnard
2016 Et ta sœur Marie Marion Vernoux
Up for Love Diane Laurent Tirard
Elle Rebecca Paul Verhoeven
In Bed with Victoria Victoria Justine Triet
2017 Pris de court Nathalie Emmanuelle Cuau
2018 Sink or Swim Delphine Gilles Lellouche
An Impossible Love Rachel Catherine Corsini
Keep Going Sybille Joachim Lafosse
2019 Sibyl Sibyl Justine Triet
2020 Night Shift Virginie Anne Fontaine
Bye Bye Morons Suze Trappet Albert Dupontel
2021 Benedetta Benedetta Carlini Paul Verhoeven
Madeleine Collins Judith Fauvet Antoine Canet
Waiting for Bojangles Camille Fouquet Régis Roinsar
2022 Paris Memories Mia Alice Winocour
Don Juan Julie Serge Bozon
Other People's Children Rachel Rebecca Zlotowski
2023 Just the Two of Us Blanche Valérie Donzelli
All to Play For Sylvie Paugam Delphine Deloget
Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Director Notes
2006–2009 Kaamelott Berlewen, Bohort's wife Alexandre Astier Television series, 2 episodes
2007 Un amour de fantôme Anna Daniel Cattier Television film
2007 Off Prime Herself Television series
2010 En chantier, monsieur Tanner The Banker Stefan Liberski Television film
2011 À la maison pour Noël Sarah Christian Merret-Palmair
2016 La Folle Soirée du Palmashow 3 Herself Television series
2017 Call My Agent! Laurent Tirard Television series, 1 episode

Dubbing

[edit]
Year Title Role Director(s) Notes
2004 Garfield: The Movie Dr. Liz Wilson Peter Hewitt French voice
2005 Robots Piper Chris Wedge & Carlos Saldanha
2006 Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties Dr. Liz Wilson Tim Hill
2008 Max & Co Cathy Samuel Guillaume & Frédéric Guillaume
2011 Puss in Boots Kitty Softpaws Chris Miller French voice
2012 Hotel Transylvania Mavis Genndy Tartakovsky
2015 Hotel Transylvania 2
2017 Tall Tales from the Magical Garden of Antoon Krings Huguette the wasp Arnaud Bouron & Antoon Krings

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2011 Magritte Awards Audience Awards Herself Won [29]
Best Supporting Actress Kill Me Please Nominated
2016 Elle Nominated [30]
Best Actress In Bed with Victoria Won
2017 Lumières Award Best Actress Nominated [31]
César Awards Best Actress Nominated [32]
Globes de Cristal Awards Best Actress Up for Love Nominated
2019 An Impossible Love Nominated
Lumières Award Best Actress Nominated [33]
César Awards Best Actress Nominated [34]
Best Supporting Actress Sink or Swim Nominated
2021 Lumières Award Best Actress Bye Bye Morons Nominated [35]
César Awards Best Actress Nominated [36]
Magritte Awards Best Actress Nominated [37]
2022 César Awards Best Actress Benedetta Nominated [38]
Lumières Award Best Actress Nominated [39]
2023 Other People's Children Won [40]
César Awards Best Actress Paris Memories Won [41]
2024 Lumières Award Best Actress All to Play For Nominated [42]
César Awards Best Actress Just the Two of Us Nominated [43]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Virginie Efira". Première (in French). 5 May 1977. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Virginie Efira dans le taxi de Jérôme Colin" (PDF). RTBF (in French). p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b Cuttat, Edmée (23 May 2016). "Virginie Efira, sur les traces de Mary Poppins" [Virginie Efira, in the footsteps of Mary Poppins]. Femina (in Swiss French). Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Magritte : Virginie Efira, la préférée du public" [Magritte: Virginie Efira, the public's favourite]. La Libre Belgique (in French). 5 February 2012. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  5. ^ van Hoeij, Boyd (30 April 2013). "Film Review: 'It Boy'". Variety. Los Angeles, California: Michelle Sobrino-Stearns. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  6. ^ Mintzer, Jordan (12 May 2016). "'In Bed With Victoria' ('Victoria'): Cannes Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California: Eldridge Industries. Archived from the original on 13 November 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  7. ^ Nesselson, Lisa (12 May 2016). "'In Bed With Victoria': Cannes Review". Screen International. London, England: Media Business Insight. Archived from the original on 13 November 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  8. ^ DeFore, John (13 March 2016). "'Up for Love' ('Un homme à la hauteur'): SIFF Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California: Eldridge Industries. Archived from the original on 13 November 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  9. ^ Romney, Jonathan (19 October 2018). "'An Impossible Love': London Review". Screen International. London, England: Media Business Insight. Archived from the original on 14 November 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  10. ^ Mintzer, Jordan (31 August 2018). "'Keep Going' ('Continuer'): Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California: Eldridge Industries. Archived from the original on 15 November 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  11. ^ Lodge, Guy (24 May 2019). "Cannes Film Review: 'Sibyl'". Variety. Los Angeles, California: Michelle Sobrino-Stearns. Archived from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  12. ^ Mintzer, Jordan (24 May 2019). "'Sibyl': Film Review : Cannes 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California: Eldridge Industries. Archived from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  13. ^ Mintzer, Jordan (28 February 2020). "'Night Shift' ('Police'): Film Review : Berlin 2020". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California: Eldridge Industries. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  14. ^ Romney, Jonathan (1 March 2020). "'Night Shift' ('Police'): Berlin Review". The Hollywood Reporter. London, England: Screen International. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  15. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (12 March 2021). "'Bye Bye Morons' Wins Best Film, 'Another Round' Wins Best Foreign Film at France's Cesar Awards". Variety. Los Angeles, California: Michelle Sobrino-Stearns. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  16. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (29 August 2018). "First image of Paul Verhoeven's newly titled nun drama 'Benedetta'". Screen International. London, England: Media Business Insight. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  17. ^ "Benedetta - Bilingual Press Kitt". Festival de Cannes. Paris, France: Pathé. July 2021. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  18. ^ "César et Nominations". Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  19. ^ Baronnet, Brigitte (8 September 2022). "Revoir Paris avec Virginie Efira : quelle star internationale aurait pu jouer dans le film ?". AlloCiné. Paris, France. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  20. ^ "La fin d'une belle histoire". La Dernière Heure (in French). 17 August 2005. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  21. ^ Bernard, Sophie (13 February 2009). "Virginie Efira divorce en direct" (in French). News-de-stars.com. Archived from the original on 14 February 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  22. ^ "Qui est le compagnon de Virginie Efira, Mabrouk El-Mechri ?". Gala (in French). 19 April 2017. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  23. ^ "Virginie Efira se confie sur sa double nationalité dans 69 minutes sans chichis" [Virginie Efira opens up about her dual nationality in 69 minutes without fuss]. RTBF (in French). 27 August 2021. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  24. ^ Vainqueur, Christine. "Virginie Efira, l'électron libre". Marie Claire (in French). Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  25. ^ "Virginie Efira raconte pourquoi et comment elle a obtenu la nationalité française" [Virginie Efira tells why and how she obtained French nationality]. Gala (in French). 28 March 2017. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  26. ^ "Virginie Efira, radieuse au bras de son compagnon Niels Schneider à Paris". Elle (in French). 13 January 2023. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  27. ^ Lucas, Louise (4 September 2023). "À 46 ans, Virginie Efira aurait accouché de son deuxième enfant". Madame Figaro (in French). Archived from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  28. ^ Lecoeuvre, Sarah (23 March 2023). ""On en a bien profité..." : pourquoi Virginie Efira et Niels Schneider sont en froid avec leurs voisins". TV Magazine (in French). Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  29. ^ Engelen, Aurore (10 January 2012). "Nominations announced for 2nd Magritte Awards". Cineuropa. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  30. ^ "Les Magritte du cinéma 2017: le palmarès". Cinevox (in French). 4 February 2017. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  31. ^ "Lumières 2017 : "Elle" et "Une vie" en tête des nominations". LCI. 16 December 2016. Archived from the original on 16 December 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  32. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (24 January 2017). "César Awards Nominations: Verhoeven's 'Elle', Ozon's 'Frantz' In The Lead". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 28 January 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  33. ^ "France's Lumière awards unveil mixed bag of nominations". Screen. Archived from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  34. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (23 January 2019). "'Sink or Swim,' 'Custody' Lead Race for France's Cesar Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  35. ^ "26th Lumières Awards Nominations" (PDF). The Académie des Lumières (in French). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  36. ^ "Emmanuel Mouret's 'Love Affairs' Leads France's Cesar Nominations". Variety. 10 February 2021. Archived from the original on 21 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  37. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (12 January 2022). "'Madly In Life', 'Playground' lead Belgium's Magritte nominations". Screen International. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  38. ^ Szalai, Georg; Roxborough, Scott (26 January 2022). "Lea Seydoux, Adam Driver Among Nominees for France's Cesar Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  39. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (10 December 2021). "'Lost Illusions', 'Happening' lead the nominations for France's Lumière awards". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  40. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (16 January 2023). "Dominik Moll's 'The Night Of The 12th' & Albert Serra's 'Pacification' Lead Prizes At French Lumière Awards". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  41. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (25 January 2023). "César Nominations: Louis Garrel's 'The Innocent' Takes Surprise Lead, Followed By 'Night Of The 12th' – Full List". Deadline. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  42. ^ Roxborough, Scott (14 December 2023). "'Anatomy of a Fall' Leads France's Lumiere Award Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  43. ^ Elsa Keslassy (24 January 2024). "Cesar Awards Nominations: Thomas Cailley's 'The Animal Kingdom,' Justine Triet's Oscar-Nominated 'Anatomy of a Fall' Lead the Way". Variety. Archived from the original on 6 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.


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