Sylvie Testud was born on January 17, 1971 in Lyon. Her parents separated when she was two years old. She spent her youth in the Lyon district of Croix-Rousse, raised by her mother, an accountant. In high school, she learned Chinese. Very early fascinated by the cinema, the young girl identifies in particular with the complexed teenager character embodied by Charlotte Gainsbourg in L'Effrontée. Having moved to Paris to study history, she soon embarked on acting by joining the free class at Cours Florent and then the Conservatory, where her teachers were Jacques Lassalle and Catherine Hiegel. She made her first screen appearance in 1994 in Couples et amants.
Sylvie Testud was born on January 17, 1971 in Lyon. Her parents separated when she was two years old. She spent her youth in the Lyon district of Croix-Rousse, raised by her mother, an accountant. In high school, she learned Chinese. Very early fascinated by the cinema, the young girl identifies in particular with the complexed teenager character embodied by Charlotte Gainsbourg in L'Effrontée. Having moved to Paris to study history, she soon embarked on acting by joining the free class at Cours Florent and then the Conservatory, where her teachers were Jacques Lassalle and Catherine Hiegel. She made her first screen appearance in 1994 in Couples et amants.
She decided to become an actress during her youth, after having admired actresses in films. She then took acting lessons in Lyon with the actor and director Christian Taponard. In 1989, she moved to Paris to study history, as well as drama lessons in free classes at Cours Florent, then at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art for three years, with Jacques Lassalle and Catherine Hiegel for teachers.
In the early 1990s, she obtained her first small roles in the cinema, then in feature films such as The Story of the Boy Who Wanted to Be Kissed by Philippe Harel (1994), Le Plus Bel Age..., by Didier Haudepin (1995) or even Love, etc. by Marion Vernoux (1996).
In 1997, Sylvie Testud experienced her first great success at the cinema in Germany with the film Beyond Silence by Caroline Link, for which she learned German, the clarinet and sign language. She is rewarded as best actress by the German Film Prize (the equivalent of the César for best actress). In 1998, she played her first major role in French cinema and enjoyed great success in France with the role of Béa in Karnaval, the first feature film by Thomas Vincent, for which she was nominated for the César for best female hope and received the Michael Simon Prize. She then began an important acting career with a preference for auteur cinema.
In 2000, her performance in La Captive by Chantal Akerman (adaptation of the novel La Prisonnière by Marcel Proust) earned her a nomination as best actress at the European Film Prize. In 2001, she obtained, for her second nomination, the César for best female hope for the remarkable interpretation of Christine Papin, one of the Papin sisters, in Les Blessures assassines by Jean-Pierre Denis, based on a news item from 1933.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0856500
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q242526
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Filmography (Movies)
Cocorico 2
Character:Nicole Martin
Release Date:08/04/2026
Where Souls Go
Character:Stéphanie
Release Date:14/11/2025
Proust and Signs: On Chantal Akerman's "La Captive"
Character:archive image
Release Date:09/10/2025
Elles deux
Character:Sandrine
Release Date:12/10/2024
Jíkuri. Journey to the Land of the Tarahumara
Character:Mathilde
Release Date:14/06/2024
Cocorico
Character:Nicole Martin
Release Date:07/02/2024
Marinette
Character:Régine Pierre, Saint-Memmie coach
Release Date:07/06/2023
Des mains en or
Character:Rose
Release Date:07/06/2023
The Grand Restaurant IV
Character:
Release Date:15/12/2022
Maman, ne me laisse pas m'endormir
Character:Sophie
Release Date:18/10/2022
Simone: Woman of the Century
Character:Marceline Rozenberg (1968 - 1979)
Release Date:12/10/2022
Tout le monde savait
Character:Valérie Bacot
Release Date:04/10/2022
Champagne !
Character:Joanna
Release Date:08/06/2022
Flashback
Character:Olympe de Gouges
Release Date:11/11/2021
L'Heureux Stratagème
Character:La Comtesse
Release Date:15/10/2021
The Grand Restaurant III
Character:The nymphomaniac's friend
Release Date:03/02/2021
I Love You Coiffure
Character:Geneviève (segment "L'Addition")
Release Date:21/12/2020
Meet the Malawas
Character:Nathalie Dulac
Release Date:25/12/2019
Disclaimer
Character:Maïté
Release Date:27/11/2019
Quand sort la recluse
Character:le lieutenant Froissy
Release Date:10/04/2019
Wide Load
Character:Jennifer
Release Date:13/03/2019
Defiant Souls
Character:Enriqueta Faber / Enrique Faber
Release Date:07/03/2019
Suspiria
Character:Miss Griffith
Release Date:26/10/2018
Deux gouttes d'eau
Character:Valérie Laforge
Release Date:19/10/2018
Fan Club
Character:Anna
Release Date:19/09/2018
A New Girl in Paris!
Character:Amandine
Release Date:04/07/2018
Kings for a Day
Character:Val
Release Date:02/05/2018
Final Portrait
Character:Annette Giacometti
Release Date:03/08/2017
Wedding Unplanned
Character:Clarisse
Release Date:26/04/2017
Mörderische Stille
Character:Elena
Release Date:09/01/2017
Tamara
Character:Amandine
Release Date:26/10/2016
The Exchange Student
Character:Eloïse
Release Date:24/08/2016
The Visitors: Bastille Day
Character:Charlotte de Robespierre
Release Date:23/03/2016
Arrête ton cinéma !
Character:Sybille
Release Date:13/01/2016
Too Close to the Sun
Character:Sophie Picard
Release Date:09/09/2015
Thanks to my Friends
Character:Stéphane Brunge
Release Date:06/05/2015
Spiderwebhouse
Character:Sabine
Release Date:08/02/2015
Gad Elmaleh - Le Big Show
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2015
Two Women
Character:Elisaveta Bogdanovna
Release Date:23/11/2014
Ceux qui dansent sur la tête
Character:Catherine
Release Date:24/10/2014
Papa Was Not a Rolling Stone
Character:Nadiège
Release Date:08/10/2014
French Women
Character:Sam
Release Date:04/06/2014
24 Days
Character:Brigitte Farell
Release Date:30/04/2014
96 heures
Character:Marion Reynaud
Release Date:23/04/2014
À votre bon cœur, mesdames
Character:Lolita
Release Date:04/12/2013
My Name Is Hmmm...
Character:La mère de Céline
Release Date:07/10/2013
Les Déferlantes
Character:Louise
Release Date:12/09/2013
For a Woman
Character:Anne
Release Date:03/07/2013
A Song For Mama
Character:Sylvie
Release Date:27/03/2013
Roxana's Hands
Character:Roxana Orlac
Release Date:20/03/2013
Max
Character:Nina
Release Date:18/01/2013
Rebellion
Character:Chantal Legorjus
Release Date:16/11/2011
The Night Clerk
Character:Sylvie Poncet
Release Date:01/03/2011
L'Amour, la Mort, les Fringues
Character:
Release Date:26/02/2011
The Rebel, Louise Michel
Character:Louise Michel
Release Date:07/04/2010
Mumu
Character:Mumu
Release Date:24/03/2010
The Round Up
Character:Bella Zygler
Release Date:10/03/2010
Sentiments provisoires
Character:Hélène
Release Date:01/01/2010
Sisters
Character:Sybille adulte
Release Date:16/12/2009
Lucky Luke
Character:Calamity Jane
Release Date:21/10/2009
Lourdes
Character:Christine
Release Date:11/09/2009
Can't Say No
Character:Adèle
Release Date:15/07/2009
Vengeance
Character:Irene Costello
Release Date:20/05/2009
A Happy Man
Character:Catherine
Release Date:27/02/2009
The Idiot
Character:Darya Alexeyevna
Release Date:07/08/2008
Sagan
Character:Françoise Quoirez dite Sagan
Release Date:11/06/2008
The Vanishing Point
Character:Lucie Audibert
Release Date:28/11/2007
Arthur Honegger - Jeanne D'Arc Au Bucher
Character:Jeanne d'Arc
Release Date:30/10/2007
La France
Character:Camille
Release Date:21/09/2007
Eat, for This Is My Body
Character:Madame
Release Date:10/09/2007
La Vie en Rose
Character:Simone 'Mômone' Berteaut
Release Date:14/02/2007
Legacy
Character:Patricia
Release Date:20/09/2006
La vie est à nous !
Character:Louise Delhomme
Release Date:07/12/2005
Words in Blue
Character:Clara
Release Date:22/03/2005
Victoire
Character:Victoire
Release Date:22/12/2004
Cause toujours !
Character:Léa
Release Date:28/07/2004
Tout pour l'oseille
Character:Prune
Release Date:12/05/2004
Tomorrow We Move
Character:Charlotte
Release Date:03/03/2004
Making of Tomorrow We Move
Character:Self / Charlotte
Release Date:01/01/2004
Labyrinth
Character:Claude
Release Date:09/09/2003
Dead Man's Memories
Character:Das Mädchen
Release Date:06/07/2003
Only Girls
Character:Tina
Release Date:11/06/2003
Fear and Trembling
Character:Amélie
Release Date:12/03/2003
A Loving Father
Character:Virginia
Release Date:13/11/2002
Life Kills Me
Character:Myriam
Release Date:26/05/2002
A Day in the Life of French Cinema
Character:Self
Release Date:20/05/2002
Stolen Tangos
Character:Alice / Paula
Release Date:18/04/2002
Women or Children First
Character:Virginie
Release Date:20/03/2002
A Moment of Happiness
Character:L'institutrice
Release Date:06/03/2002
Everyman's Feast
Character:Sophie
Release Date:25/01/2002
Les acteurs anonymes
Character:Self (uncredited)
Release Date:10/10/2001
I’m Going Home
Character:Ariel
Release Date:13/05/2001
The Château
Character:Isabelle
Release Date:16/01/2001
Julies Geist
Character:Julia
Release Date:01/01/2001
The Dark Room
Character:Azalaïs
Release Date:29/11/2000
Murderous Maids
Character:Christine Papin
Release Date:22/11/2000
The Captive
Character:Ariane
Release Date:27/09/2000
Scénarios sur la drogue
Character:Segment "Lucie"
Release Date:16/05/2000
Bad Connection
Character:Laurence
Release Date:12/05/2000
In Heaven
Character:Valeska
Release Date:16/09/1999
Annaluise & Anton
Character:Laurence
Release Date:11/03/1999
Karnaval
Character:Béa
Release Date:03/03/1999
Marée haute
Character:
Release Date:30/01/1999
The Misadventures of Margaret
Character:Young Nun
Release Date:23/12/1998
Sentimental Education
Character:Julia
Release Date:01/01/1998
Fire in Paradise
Character:Esther
Release Date:10/12/1997
Beyond Silence
Character:Lara
Release Date:18/12/1996
Those Were the Days
Character:Sylvie
Release Date:13/09/1995
Éternelles
Character:Nathalie
Release Date:01/05/1994
The Story of a Boy Who Wanted to Be Kissed
Character:Girl at party offering food
Release Date:23/03/1994
Marie's Song
Character:Marie
Release Date:08/01/1994
Television Appearances
Sur la dalle
Character:Froissy
Knok
Character:Blanche
A Case for Kin
Character:Capitaine Caroline Flament
The Unexpected Getaway
Character:Self
Club Première
Character:Self - Guest
What Pauline Is Not Telling You
Character:major de gendarmerie Marie Hermann
Runaway
Character:Isabelle
Fear by the Lake
Character:Alice Wagner
Kemps
Character:Self
Eden
Character:Hélène
Deutsch-Les-Landes
Character:Odile
Maximilian and Marie De Bourgogne
Character:Charlotte de Savoye
Capitaine Marleau
Character:Salomé Revel
The Unexpected Getaway
Character:Self
28 minutes
Character:Self
C à vous
Character:Self
C à vous
Character:Self - Guest
Panique dans l'oreillette
Character:Self
On n'est pas couché
Character:Self - Guest
Rendez-vous in an Unknown Land
Character:Self
German Film Award
Character:Self
Images
