Isabelle Huppert studied Russian at the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations while enrolled in drama classes at the École nationale supérieure des arts et techniques du théâtre and the National Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she studied under Jean-Laurent Cochet and Antoine Vitez.

Huppert gained recognition early for her cinematic roles in Bertrand Blier’s Going Places, Liliane de Kermadec’s Aloïse, and Betrand Tavernier’s The Judge and the Assassin. For her performance in Claude Goretta’s The Lacemaker, she received the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer. Her rapport with Claude Chabrol gave her the opportunity to act in many different genres: comedy (The Swindle), drama (Story of Women), noir (Merci pour le chocolat), literary adaptations (Madame Bovary), and even political fiction (Comedy of Power). Her work with Chabrol would be fruitful: she would earn a Best Actress award at Cannes for Violette Nozière, at Venice for Story of Women, at Moscow for Madame Bovary, and at both the Venice Film Festival and the César Awards for La Cérémonie.

Huppert has worked with, among others, Jean-Luc Godard, André Téchiné, Maurice Pialat, Diane Kurys, Christine Pascal, Patrice Chéreau, Michaël Haneke, Raoul Ruiz, Benoit Jacquot, Jacques Doillon, Claire Denis, Christian Vincent, Laurence Ferreira Barbosa, Olivier Assayas, François Ozon, Anne Fontaine, Eva Ionesco, Joachim Lafosse, Serge Bozon, Catherine Breillat, Guillaume Nicloux, and Samuel Benchetrit. She has also worked with great international directors such as Michael Cimino, Mauro Bolognini, Joseph Losey, Otto Preminger, the Taviani Brothers, Marco Ferreri, Hal Hartley, David O’ Russell, Werner Schroeter, Curtis Hanson, Andrzej Wajda, Rithy Panh, Brillant Mendoza, Joachim Trier, and Hong Sang Soo, Marco Bellocchio.

Huppert was awarded a Special Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for Patrice Chéreau’s Gabrielle and for her overall work. In addition to having twice earned Best Actress at Cannes (also for Michael Haneke’s The Piano Teacher), Huppert has served as host, jury member, and also Jury President of the 62^nd edition of the prestigious festival.

More recently, she has chaired the International Film Festival of Tokyo and the Berlin Festival honored her with the Golden bear in recognition of her entire career.

Parallel to her screen career, Isabelle Huppert performs onstage in France and internationally. She has acted under the direction of Bob Wilson (Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, Heiner Muller’s Quartett), Peter Zadek (Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure), and Claude Régy (Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis, Paul Claudel’s Joan of Arc at the Stake); she also performed in Jacques Lassalle’s production of Euripides’ Medea, notably at the Avignon Festival; Eric Lacascade’s production of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler; and Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage. She has appeared in: Krzysztof Warlikowski’s production of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire both at the Odeon-Theatre de l’Europe (Paris) and on European and international tours; Benedict Andrews’ production of Jean Genet’s The Maids, alongside Cate Blanchett at the Sydney Theatre Company and at the Lincoln Center Festival in New York City; and Luc Bondy’s production of Marivaux’s Les Fausses Confidences at the Odeon and on a European tour. She performed in Krzysztof Warlikowski’s production of Phaedra(s) (written by Wajdi Mouawad, Sarah Kane, and J.M. Coetzee) at the Odeon and on European and international tours. She was on stage in New York in the American adaptation of Florian Zeller’s The Mother, and in Paris, back up with Bob Wilson, who directed her in Mary said what she said by Darryl Pinckney, which was followed by a European tour. She also played in Tenessee William’s The Glass Menagerie at the Odeon, directed by Ivo van Hove, a production that is currently on an international tour. The Cherry Orchard, directed by Tiago Rodrigues premiered in the Cour d’Honneur of The Festival d’Avignon, and was later staged at the Odeon Théâtre before continuing on an European and international tour.

The last creation of Romeo Castellucci, Bérénice, stages her in Paris at the Théâtre de la Ville followed by a tour in France and Europe.

She has received an Honorary Molière Award for lifetime achievements and the 16^th Europe Theatre Prize in Rome.

Huppert’s recent cinema roles include Mia Hansen Love’s Things To Come, Pascal Bonitzer’s Tout de suite maintenant, Paul Verhoeven’s Elle (which premiered in the Palme d’Or competition at Cannes and for which she won the César for Best Actress), and Bavo Defurne’s Souvenir. Her performance in Elle also earned her a Best Actress award for the US Gotham Awards, Golden Globes, and Spirit Awards, including an Oscar nomination in the same category.

Since then, she has starred in Michael Haneke’s Happy End, Benoit Jacquot’s Eva, Hong Sang Soo’s Claire’s Camera, and Serge Bozon’s Madame Hyde, for which she received the Best Actress Award at the Locarno Film Festival, Neil Jordan’s Greta, Eva Ionesco’s Golden Youth, Anne Fontaine’s Blanche-Neige (Snow White), Ira Sachs’ Frankie, Jean-Paul Salomé’s Mama weed. Laurent Larivière’s A propos de Joan, Michele Placido’s L’Ombra di Caravaggio, Anthony Fabian Mrs Harris goes to Paris, Thomas Kruithof’s Les promesses, François Ozon’s Mon Crime and Jean-Paul Salomé’s La Syndicaliste.

She then appeared in Hong Sang-soo’s A traveller’s need, showcased at the Berlin Film Festival, the same year as André Téchiné’s My New Friends.

She also starred in Elise Girard’s Sidonie au Japon, and presented Patricia Mazuy’s Visiting Hours at the Cannes Film Festival. Coming soon is her latest project ; Thierry Klifa’s La femme la plus riche du monde.

Isabelle Huppert chaired the jury of the 81^st Mostra de Venise.

In France, Isabelle Huppert is an Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honor, an Officer of the National Order of Merit, and a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters.