An enormously successful French singer-actress-model, Vanessa Paradis is perhaps best known for her hit single "Joe le Taxi" (1987), her stunning film debut in "Noce Blanche" (1990) and her controversial ads for Coco perfume (1991). Paradis launched her career as a pop singer with her first album "M & J" when she was just 16, following that up with the equally popular recording "Variations sur le meme t'aime" in 1990. Capitalizing on her popularity as a singer, the blonde beauty decided to take a crack at movie acting, accepting the pivotal role of a young woman whose teacher rejects her after a passionate love affair in "Noce Blanche". For her debut performance as a Lolita-like nymph Paradis was awarded the Cesar for Most Promising Newcomer-Female. Her gorgeous face and screen presence did not escape the notice of marketing executives at Chanel who quickly signed her to star in their new campaign for Coco perfume (1991). Critics balked at the ads which featured the glamorous Paradis dressed as a bird and swinging from a trapeze in a gilded cage while a fluffy, white cat looked on.
In addition to juggling her modeling responsibilities, Paradis also found time to record her third album, the self-titled "Vanessa Paradis" (1992), which had more of a 1970s pop and disco sound then her earlier, more contemporary works and featured tracks on which she collaborated with American rock star Lenny Kravitz. After the success of her third recording, Paradis launched a European tour, playing 70 concerts before returning to France to star in another film, the drama "Elisa" (1995), in which she played a girl placed in an orphanage after her mother committed suicide. Once again, Paradis' performance garnered raves from the critics and she was flooded with film offers. Instead of playing another brooding teen, however, Paradis opted to show audiences her playful side in the role of a witch in the romantic comedy "Un Amour de sorciere" (1997), following that up with a role in the action comedy "1 Chance sur 2" (1998). 1999 saw Paradis give a fine performance as a heartbroken woman on the edge--literally--in "La Fille du pont/Girl on the Bridge". In this uneven comedy drama, she played a woman who meets a knife thrower just as she is about to leap to her death from a bridge. The man asks her to join his touring act as his target and she accepts, sparking an odd, but close relationship. Paradis was next seen in Terry Gilliam's fable "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" (lensed 2000) with her off-screen companion Johnny Depp.