Charlotte Gainsbourg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charlotte Gainsbourg
Gainsbourg at the 2022 Berlinale
Born	Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (1971-07-21) 21 July 1971 (age 53) Marylebone, London, England
Citizenship	France United Kingdom
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1984–present
Partner(s)	Yvan Attal (c. 1991–present)
Children	3
Parents	Serge Gainsbourg (father) Jane Birkin (mother)
Relatives	Kate Barry (half-sister) Lou Doillon (half-sister) Judy Campbell (grandmother) Andrew Birkin (uncle) David Birkin (cousin) Anno Birkin (cousin)
Musical career
Genres	Alternative rock indie pop dream pop French pop (early)
Labels	Phonogram Because Atlantic Vice Elektra
Associated acts	Beck Nigel Godrich Sebastian

Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (born 21 July 1971) is a talented British-French actress and singer. She is the daughter of two very famous artists: English actress and singer Jane Birkin and French singer Serge Gainsbourg.

Charlotte started her career at a young age. She released an album with her father when she was 15. Later, as an adult, she released several popular albums like 5:55 and Rest. She has also starred in many movies, winning important awards like two César Awards and the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in the movie Antichrist.

About Charlotte's Early Life

Gainsbourg with her mother Jane Birkin in 2010

Charlotte Gainsbourg was born on 21 July 1971 in London, England. Her parents were the famous English actress and singer Jane Birkin and the French musician Serge Gainsbourg. At the time of her birth, her parents were very well-known. Their lives and Charlotte's childhood were often talked about in the news.

When she was born, she took her father's stage name, Gainsbourg. Later, at age 18, she officially changed her last name to Ginsburg, which was her father's real family name. However, she still uses Gainsbourg for her work as an actress and singer.

Charlotte comes from a family of artists. Her grandmother, Judy Campbell, was an actress. Her uncle, Andrew Birkin, is a screenwriter who even directed her in a movie called The Cement Garden. Her father was from a Jewish background.

Charlotte went to school in Paris, France, at École Active Bilingue Jeannine Manuel. She also studied in Switzerland at Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil. French is her first language, but she speaks English very well too.

Charlotte grew up in Paris with her half-sister, Kate Barry. Kate was her mother's daughter from an earlier marriage. Sadly, Kate Barry passed away in 2013. Charlotte also has a younger half-brother, Lucien "Lulu" Gainsbourg. He was born in 1986 from her father's later relationship.

In 1980, Charlotte's parents separated. Her mother then started a relationship with director Jacques Doillon. Charlotte's half-sister, Lou Doillon, was born in 1982. Charlotte later worked with her stepfather in films like The Temptation of Isabelle and Amoureuse. Her future partner, Yvan Attal, also starred in Amoureuse.

Charlotte's father passed away in 1991 from a heart attack. Charlotte wanted to keep his memory alive. She hoped to turn his home into a museum. Later, she decided to keep the house as a private family home instead.

Charlotte's Career

Acting Roles

Gainsbourg at the 25th César Awards in 2000

Charlotte grew up around movie sets because both her parents worked in films. Her mother encouraged her to try acting. Charlotte made her first movie appearance in Paroles et Musique (1984). She played the daughter of a character played by famous actress Catherine Deneuve.

In 1986, Charlotte won a César Award for "Most Promising Actress" for her role in An Impudent Girl. This was a big award for a young actress in France.

She acted alongside her mother in two films in 1988: Kung Fu Master and Jane B. by Agnes V.. In 1993, she acted in her first English-speaking film, The Cement Garden. Her uncle, Andrew Birkin, wrote and directed this movie.

Charlotte also performed on stage in 1994 in a play called Oleanna. In 1996, she played the main character in Jane Eyre, which was based on a famous novel. In 2000, she won another César Award, this time for "Best Supporting Actress" for the film La Bûche.

She continued to act in many international films. In 2003, she was in 21 Grams with actors like Naomi Watts and Sean Penn. In 2006, she appeared in The Science of Sleep. In 2009, Charlotte won the "Best Actress" award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival for her role in Antichrist.

Gainsbourg in 2014

She also starred in The Tree (2010) and Melancholia (2011). In 2012, she was part of the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival. In 2014, she starred in Three Hearts and Samba. She was nominated for an award for these roles. She also appeared in the science fiction movie Independence Day: Resurgence in 2016. In 2017, she was in the crime thriller The Snowman.

Music Career

Gainsbourg at Webster Hall, New York City, April 2010

In 1986, Charlotte released her first album, Charlotte for Ever. Her father produced this album. Later, in 2000, her voice was featured on Madonna's album Music. She spoke the introduction on the song "What It Feels Like for a Girl". This part was taken from her film The Cement Garden.

In 2006, Charlotte released her second album, 5:55. This album was very popular and reached the top of the music charts in France. Charlotte explained that she waited twenty years between her first and second albums because she felt unsure about making music without her father.

In 2009, she released her third album, IRM. This album was produced by the musician Beck. The title "IRM" comes from the French word for MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). Charlotte had a head injury in 2007 and had to get an MRI scan. While in the machine, she started thinking about music and its rhythms.

Her song "Heaven Can Wait" was chosen as a special song by Starbucks and iTunes in 2010. Another song, "Trick Pony," has been used in TV shows like Grey's Anatomy and in the video game FIFA 11.

In 2011, Charlotte released Stage Whisper, which included unreleased songs and live recordings. She also recorded a cover of the song "Hey Joe" with Beck in 2013.

Since 2014, Charlotte has been a supporter of the Hear the World Foundation. She works as an ambassador to help people with hearing loss have better opportunities and lives.

Charlotte spent four years working on her fifth studio album, Rest. She worked with producer Sebastian Akchoté in New York. Rest is a very personal album. It expresses her feelings after the deaths of her father, Serge Gainsbourg, and her half-sister, Kate Barry. She said she wanted to show her grief not just with sadness, but also with anger. The album has songs in both English and French. In 2017, she directed music videos for her songs "Rest" and "Deadly Valentine," which featured her children. The album was released in November 2017.

In 2021, Charlotte was featured on musician Sega Bodega's album Romeo.

Personal Life

Charlotte Gainsbourg has been with her partner, French-Israeli actor and director Yvan Attal, for a long time. They met while working on the film Aux yeux du monde in 1991. Charlotte and Yvan are not married. Charlotte has said that her parents never married, which influenced her choice. Yvan publicly proposed to her in 2013, but they have decided to remain unmarried. They have three children together, born in 1996, 2002, and 2011. Charlotte identifies as Jewish and celebrates Jewish holidays with Yvan's family.

Charlotte was born in London but lived most of her life in Paris. After her sister Kate Barry passed away in 2013, Charlotte and her family moved to New York City. They returned to Paris in 2020. Charlotte is proud of both her British and French nationalities.

Selected Films

Gainsbourg at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival

Music Albums

Awards and Honors

• Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (2016) - This is a special honor from the French government for people who have contributed to arts and literature.

See also

In Spanish: Charlotte Gainsbourg para niños