Judith Chemla

French actress Judith Chemla has quickly built a storied career in theater and film, working in legendary venues and collaborating with some of France's biggest modern movie stars. In 2007, she began her career at the prestigious Comédie-Française theater, which was founded in 1680. There she traipsed the boards for three seasons before broadening her horizons by performing in and directing theatrical works of Hors Comédie-Française, all the while developing her film career. The ambitious and spirited ingénue also made her movie debut in 2007, having landed a supporting role in the twisted dark comedy "Hellphone." The following year she scored a noteworthy role in the bittersweet drama "Versailles," in which she played a single mother who decides to leave her five-year-old son in the care of a homeless man, played by Guillaume Depardieu. The daring film earned Depardieu a César nomination for Best Actor, but also drew notice to Chemla's dramatic prowess. This led to her being cast in the 2010 historical drama "The Princess of Montpensier," in which she played the spurned wife to César-nominated actor Gaspard Ulliel's besotted Henri de Guise. The sweeping tale of passion and temptation drew praise at the Cannes Film Festival, where it played in competition. Chemla followed this success with the cheeky romantic comedy "Beautiful Lies," in which she co-starred with France's favorite ingénue, Audrey Tautou.