Charlotte Gainsbourg: biography, career and personal life

Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg French-British singer and actress is known not only as the daughter of star couple Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin. Charlotte is called the muse of Lars von Trier, she was the face of brands such as Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, her photos adorned the covers of the most popular glossy magazines.

Childhood Charlotte Gainsbourg

Charlotte was born on July 21, 1971 in London, the capital of Great Britain, but spent her childhood in Paris. The Gainsbourg family at that time was the most famous and popular couple in France. Charlotte considers her grandmother as her closest person, a former chamber singer Olga Besman, an emigrant from Feodosia. The girl was educated at the elite Paris school École Jeannine Manuel, and after a stormy divorce of her parents in 1980, she continued her studies at the Beau Soleil closed Swiss boarding house. A rather reserved and shy child, Charlotte did not dream of a public profession, but wanted to become an art critic, but fame overtook her at a fairly early age.

Charlotte Gainsbourg Biography

“Words and Music” - a movie with Catherine Deneuve in the title role became the debut of Charlotte Gainsbourg on the big screen in 1984. Then Gainsbourg starred in her father’s scandalous video for the song "Lemon Incest" and attracted the attention of the general public. Charlotte received her first award - the Cézar film award when she was 14 years old for starring in Claude Miller’s film “The Impudent Girl”. In 1988, Miller starred Charlotte in another of his films "Little Thief" and again in the title role.

Further in the filmography of Charlotte appeared such well-known and recognized tapes as “And the light shines in the dark” (1990), “Thank you, life” (1991), “In plain sight” (1991), “In Love” (1992). After starring in the movie The Cement Garden, filmed by her maternal uncle Andrew Birken, who received a prize for directing at the Berlin Film Festival in 1992, Charlotte became world famous. Growing up, Gainsbourg begins acting in classic films, her heroines in Jane Air and Les Miserables were noted by film critics and ordinary spectators.

For a long time Charlotte was shot only in France, but in 2003 she appeared in the crazy drama "21 grams", directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu launched the Gainsbourg Hollywood career.

Lars von Trier Trilogy

For the shocking horror film Antichrist, Charlotte received 3 European film awards and seven award nominations. "Melancholy" - a mixture of science fiction and psychological drama - became the second part of the so-called depression trilogy of Lars von Trier. The brave Frenchwoman Charlotte Gainsbourg did not hesitate to appear naked in front of the cameras, which completely captivated and fascinated the audience. Frank sexual scenes in "Nymphomaniac" did not overshadow the acting talent of Gainsbourg, the film at the same time aroused admiration of critics and public outrage. Nevertheless, the picture was recognized as the best film of 2014, was nominated for 9 awards, and Charlotte received the Bodil prize for the main role.

Charlotte's first vocal experience was the album "Charlotte For Ever" recorded in a duet with her famous father, Serge Gainsbourg, in 1986. Charlotte's songs sound in some films with her participation.

And only 20 years later, the actress releases a solo disc "5:55", which became platinum in France and entered the world top magazine "Rolling Stone" in 78th place. Her next albums "IRM" (2009) and "Stage Whisper" (2011) were consistently in the top positions of the charts. Disc "Rest" (2017) consists entirely of songs by Charlotte, and Paul McCartney, the bands Arcade Fire and Daft Punk participated in its creation.