This alluring French lead made her initial US impact with a touching portrayal of Manon Cadoret, the surviving daughter of Gerard Depardieu, in Claude Berri's film of love and revenge, "Manon des sources" (1986), which was adapted from Marcel Pagnol's original story. Beart's career began with a small turn in the French science-fiction film "Tomorrow's Children" (1976). At age 15, she moved to Canada where she worked as an au pair and learned English. Beart moved back to France and began working regularly in both films and TV, returning to features with "L'Enfant Trouve" (1983). Beart made her American film debut with the uneven romantic-comedy "Date With an Angel" (1987) and became the center of attention when she was cast as Marianne, the nude artist model, in Jacques Rivette's controversial, engrossing meditation, "La Belle Noiseuse" (1991). She followed up superbly with "Un Coeur en hiver" (1993), the Claude Sautet story of a love triangle set in the world of classical music and reteamed with the same director for 1995's "Nelly and M. Arnaud". Beart scored an international hit when she was cast opposite Tom Cruise in the female lead in Brian De Palma's big screen version of "Mission Impossible" (1996).
Family
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Daughter: Nelly Auteuil. Born c. 1993; father, Daniel Auteuil
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Father: Guy Beart. Born in 1930 in Cairo, Egypt; left Beart s mother when she was a child
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Mother: Genevieve Galea.
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Son: Johan Moreau. Born c. 1996; father, David Moreau
Significant Others
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Companion: David Moreau. together since c. 1995
Milestones
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1976 Feature acting debut, Demain les Momes
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1980 Moved to Montreal, Canada at age 15 to work as an au pair
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1983 French TV acting debut, Raison Perdu
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1984 Made film debut in a leading role in L Amour en douce
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1986 French theater debut, La Repetition
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1987 American film debut, Date with an Angel
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1995 Hired as spokesperson for Christian Dior
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1996 Co-starred opposite Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible
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1999 Cast as Gilberte in Raul Ruiz s superlative realization of Proust s Time Regained
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1999 Played the middle of three sisters in the comedy-drama La Buche
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2000 Had leading role in Les Destinees sentimentales
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2002 Was featured in Francois Ozon s 8 Femmes
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2003 Cast in Jacques Rivette s The Story of Marie and Julien
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2004 Starred as a prostitute in Nathalie also starring Gerard Depardieu
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2004 Starred as widowed mother of two trying to flee Paris, in the WWII drama Strayed
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2007 Co-starred in the André Téchiné directed, The Witnesses/Les Témoins
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Returned to France, enrolling in drama school