Line Renaud

A French national treasure, Line Renaud is most widely known as a pop vocalist, but she has also appeared extensively in film and television productions. Inspired by her father, who moonlighted as a musician, Renaud began singing as a child and decided to pursue her passion in Paris while in her teens. In 1945, she met renowned composer Loulou Gasté, and he took her under his wing, helping to transform her into high-profile singer. Though he was decades her senior, Gasté and Renaud married in 1950, and their artistic pairing yielded numerous hits. During the late '40s and into the next decade, Renaud's vocal talent and charisma led to appearances in a number of films, with the performer even taking the lead for 1952's lighthearted "Ils sont dans les vignes." She went on to work with writer/director Jean Boyer on multiple movies, including the fantastical '59 film "L'increvable," but chose to focus on her singing career during the following decades. In the late 1980s, Renaud returned to acting, this time occasionally gravitating towards more unconventional fare, most notably the '94 art-house crime film "I Can't Sleep" by auteur Claire Denis. In addition to numerous TV movies, she also appeared in the comedy "Belle maman" with Catherine Deneuve, and later formed a close working relationship with actor/writer/director Dany Boon, turning up in his comedies "La maison du bonheur" and "Welcome to the Sticks," the latter proving to be a massive success that introduced Renaud to a younger audience.