Julie Delpy
Actress and filmmaker Julie Delpy has worked on such films as Before Sunrise (1995), 2 Days in Paris (2007) and Before Midnight (2013).
Synopsis
Born in 1969 in Paris, actress and filmmaker Julie Delpy started out in French films as a teenager. She soon moved on to such American films as The Three Musketeers (1993). She and Ethan Hawke played two travelers in Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise (1995). Their characters and their relationship inspired two more films, Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013). Delpy has also directed and written several films, including 2 Days in Paris (2007).
Early Film Career
Actress and filmmaker Julie Delpy was born on December 21, 1969, in Paris, France. She is perhaps best known for her cinematic collaborations with Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke in the romantic trilogy of Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013). The daughter of theater actors, she started performing at a young age.
Delpy landed her first movie at the age of 14, appearing in Jean-Luc Godard's French drama Détective (1984). Two years later, she picked up one of France's top acting honors, the César Award, for her work in Mauvais Sang (1986). She continued to work in French cinema until she took on her first English language role in Voyager (1991). She co-stars with Sam Shepard in this historical romance.
Acclaimed Actress
Moving to the United States, Delpy found herself in such Hollywood films as The Three Musketeers (1993) as Chris O'Donnell's love interest. She attracted a lot of attention for her delicate, refined beauty. But rather than pursue more mainstream roles, Delpy took on a variety of film projects. She plays a prostitute in the thriller Killing Zoe (1994) with Eric Stoltz. She also starred in Krzysztof Kieslowski's White (1994), part of his acclaimed Three Colors trilogy.
In 1995, Delpy co-starred with Ethan Hawke in Richard Linklater's romantic tale Before Sunrise. Their characters, Celine and Jesse, are two travelers who meet by chance and form a special bond over the course of a single night in Vienna. This small independent film became a hit in the art-house movie world.
Fascinating Filmmaker
During the 1990s, Delpy committed herself to learning more about her art form. She attended New York University's film school. As a part of her studies, Delpy directed herself in the 1995 short Blah, Blah, Blah.
Delpy took on a recurring role on the hit television medical drama ER in 2001. Three years later, she reunited with Hawke and Linklater for Before Sunset (2004). The movie revisits Before Sunrise's Celine and Jesse years after the pair went their separate ways. She, along with Hawke and Linklater, received an Academy Award nomination for the film's screenplay.
After years of struggling, Delpy was finally able to bring one of her own individual works to the big screen. She and Adam Goldberg star as Marion and Jack, a couple who try to repair their fading relationship, in 2 Days in Paris (2007). This film marked her first feature as a director. For her next filmmaking effort, she explored the historical drama genre with The Countess (2009).
Recent Projects
Delpy returned to the silver screen as the character of Marion in 2011's 2 Days in New York. This time around, Marion is involved with Mingus, played by Chris Rock. The pair must cope with a visit from some of her family members.
Two years later, Delpy helped produce a third installment in the chronicles of Celine and Jesse. The pair have been married for a while in Before Midnight (2013). The script was again a group effort between Delpy, Hawke and Linklater. In an interview with The New York Times, she challenged the notion that the dialogue in the trilogy was largely improvised. "It's a compliment, but it's also a little frustrating. The more painless it looks, the more work there is." It seems that the trio's hard work is paying off in critical acclaim. In 2014, Delpy was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best actress in a comedy or musical in 2014, and for an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay, alongside Hawke and Linklater.
