Emmanuelle Béart was born on August 14, 1963, in Gassin, France, to a family that avoided the glamour of Paris. Her father, singer and poet Guy Béart, wanted his children to maintain a more down-to-earth lifestyle, so they lived on a farm near Saint-Tropez in Provence, southern France.
Growing up, Emmanuelle was deeply inspired by Romy Schneider's performance in the movie Mado (1976),which sparked her desire to become an actress. At the age of thirteen, she began to pursue her dream.
Emmanuelle's parents later sent her to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, for four years to learn English. During this time, she was engaged to star in a Robert Altman movie that unfortunately never came to fruition.
Upon returning to France, Emmanuelle took drama classes and landed her first television role in Raison perdue (1984). Her striking beauty caught the attention of director David Hamilton, who cast her in First Desires (1983).
While filming Love on the Quiet (1985),Emmanuelle met her future spouse, Daniel Auteuil. Her breakout role in France was in Manon of the Spring (1986),where she played a blonde shepherd dancing nude in the fields.
Director Tom McLoughlin selected Emmanuelle from a pool of 5,000 candidates for her Hollywood debut, Date with an Angel (1987). Known for her sensitivity and perfectionism, Emmanuelle prepared extensively for her role as Camille in A Heart in Winter (1992),even taking violin lessons for a year.
Her biggest success came as a nude model in the art film La belle noiseuse (1991),starring Michel Piccoli and directed by Jacques Rivette.
