Isabelle Adjani

One of the most recognizable names in French cinema, Isabelle Adjani was born on June 27, 1955 in Paris, France. She got her start as a stage actress with the Comédie Française, but left in 1972 to pursue higher goals in the world of film. From her first big screen appearance (1974's La Gifle) it was apparent that hers was a talent that would go nearly unmatched in her home country for a long time. She won her first Oscar and César nominations for her next film, François Truffaut's 1975 film L'Histoire d'Adèle H., and then went to star in a number of films in both France and Hollywood — including Nosferatu (1979), Bronte Sisters (1979), Possession (1981), Ishtar (1987), Diabolique (1996), and Bon Voyage (2003), eventually winning four (a record) César awards. In 1983 Adjani also took the French pop world by surprise, releasing a million selling album, which contained the single "Pull Marine," which was written by the legendary Serge Gainsbourg.