Marie-José Nat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marie-José Nat
Nat at the 55th Cannes Film Festival in May 2002
Born	Marie-José Benhalassa (1940-04-22)22 April 1940 Bonifacio, Corsica, France
Died	10 October 2019(2019-10-10) (aged 79) Paris, France
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1956–2019
Spouse(s)	Roger Dumas ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1961)​ Michel Drach ​ ​ (m. 1964; div. 1981)​ Serge Rezvani ​ (m. 2005)​
Children	3 sons

Marie-José Nat (born Marie-José Benhalassa; April 22, 1940 – October 10, 2019) was a famous French actress. She was known for her roles in many films. Some of her important movies include Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Jean-Marc and Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Françoise from 1963. In 1974, she won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for her role in the film Violins at the Ball.

Her Early Life

Marie-José Benhalassa was born in Bonifacio, a town in Corsica, France. Her father, Abdelkader Benhalassa, was from the Kabyle Berber group. Her mother, Vincentine Biancarelli, was from Corsica.

Marie-José Nat had three sons named David, Julien, and Aurélien. She passed away in Paris from cancer when she was 79 years old.

Becoming an Actress

After finishing high school, Marie-José studied acting in Paris at a famous school called the Cours Simon.

Her Acting Career

Marie-José started her career as a model. She appeared on the covers of magazines and modeled for fashion designers. In 1955, she won a contest that helped her become an actress. She appeared in a photo story called L'amour est un songe.

Becoming Marie-José Nat

In 1959, director Denys de La Patellière gave her a big role in the movie Rue des prairies. She acted alongside the famous Jean Gabin and played his daughter. The next year, she was in a short comedy film by René Clair. She also had an important role in La Vérité (1960) by Henri-Georges Clouzot, where she acted opposite Brigitte Bardot.

Marie-José Nat starred in several films directed by Michel Drach, who was her husband for a time. These movies included Amelie or The Time to Love (1961), Elise, or Real Life (1970), and Les violons du bal (1974). The last film was inspired by Drach's childhood during World War II. She also acted with other well-known actors like Jean Sorel, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Victor Lanoux, and Bernadette Lafont.

In 2001 and 2010, Marie-José Nat was a member of the jury at film festivals. This means she helped decide which films and actors should win awards. She was also the very first person to be on the front cover of the magazine Télé 7 Jours when it got its current name in 1960.

Awards and Special Honours

Marie-José Nat won the Best Actress award at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival. This was for her amazing performance in the movie Violins at the Ball. This film was also nominated for the top award at the festival, the Golden Palm.

She received several important honours from France. She was made a chevalier (knight) of the Légion d'honneur in 2004. She also became an officer of the Ordre national du Mérite in 2011 and a commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. These awards are given to people who have done great things for France, especially in arts and culture.

Her Roles

Theatre

Marie-José Nat also performed in many plays. Here are some of them:

• 1958: Virage dangereux
• 1959: Blaise
• 1966: Médor
• 1984: Désiré
• 1985: Voisin voisine
• 1990: Avec ou sans arbres

Film

She acted in many films throughout her career. Here is a list of some of her movies:

Marie-José Nat also appeared in many television series and dramas.

See also

In Spanish: Marie-José Nat para niños