The public discovered her in 2005 at the cinema. At that time, Déborah François was on the poster for L’Enfant by brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. A significant first role for the young Belgian actress, playing the character of Sonia in this famous film that won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Immersed in this incredible media whirlwind, Déborah François had however badly experienced the return to reality. “After shooting The Child, I almost suffered from depression. Not because of the shooting, but because I had discovered a wonderful world that I found incredible”, she admitted paradoxically in the columns of the Spanish version of Madame Figaro in 2020. Driven by this vocation, the young teenager at the César at the time did not wish to return to class.
“After this experience, it was impossible for me to return to school. I spent the last six months of the school year crying, because all I wanted was to escape and pursue in the world. cinema”, she assured our colleagues. By dint of ambition and perseverance, Déborah François broke into the seventh art in 2009, where she played in The first day of the rest of your life, directed by Rémi Bezançon. A role that will earn her the César for best female hope as well as the Romy-Schneider prize.
Chaining appearances in the cinema, Déborah François is illustrated in various registers as well on television. “I can tell stories in which I don’t feel very comfortable, but it’s impossible for me to tell a story whose message is uncomfortable for me. It has allowed me to address social issues such as abuse suffered by women, prostitution in the student world”, confided the actress seen in 2021 in the drama series Sauver Lisa (M6) and Les Héritières (Arte).
Popular with the public, Déborah François is also honored this May at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, as director for her film Mouton noir. During the fortnight of cinema, the sublime Belgian is also present on social networks and reveals her most beautiful photos to her 42,000 fans on Instagram. Here is an anthology in pictures through our slideshow.