Maïwenn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maïwenn
Maïwenn in 2011
Born	Maïwenn Le Besco (1976-04-17) 17 April 1976 (age 49) Les Lilas, France
Other names	Ouin-Ouin
Citizenship	France Algeria
Occupation	Actress writer director
Years active	1981–present
Spouse(s)	Luc Besson ​ ​ (m. 1992; div. 1997)​ Jean-Yves Le Fur ​ ​ (m. 2002; div. 2004)​
Children	2; including Shanna Besson
Parent(s)	Catherine Belkhodja (mother)
Relatives	Isild Le Besco (sister) Jowan Le Besco (brother)

Maïwenn (born Maïwenn Aurélia Nedjma Le Besco on April 17, 1976) is a talented French actress and filmmaker. She is known for both acting in and directing movies.

About Maïwenn's Early Life

Maïwenn Le Besco was born in Les Lilas, France. Her mother, Catherine Belkhodja, is an artist, and her father, Patrick Le Besco, is a linguist. Maïwenn has a mixed background, with family roots from Brittany, Vietnam, France, and Algeria. She also holds Algerian citizenship. She shared that she gained Algerian nationality to honor her grandparents and remember her family's heritage.

Maïwenn's mother encouraged her to start acting at a very young age. Maïwenn later shared stories about this experience in her one-woman shows, like Le Pois Chiche (The Chickpea) and I'm an Actress.

Maïwenn's Acting Career

Maïwenn started acting when she was a child. One of her early roles was in the 1983 film L'été meurtrier (One Deadly Summer), where she played the main character as a child.

After marrying director Luc Besson and having their daughter in 1993, Maïwenn took a break from acting. During this time, she had a small role in Besson's film Léon (1994). She was even credited as 'Ouin-Ouin' in that movie. She also helped make the "making-of" video for the film.

One of Maïwenn's most famous international roles was as the alien Diva Plavalaguna in Besson's science fiction movie The Fifth Element (1997).

After her marriage ended, Maïwenn returned to France. She performed as a stand-up comedian, sharing personal stories. Filmmakers saw her comedy shows and she started acting in movies again. She appeared in films like the horror movie Haute Tension (High Tension) in 2003. Around this time, she decided she wanted to try directing films herself.

Maïwenn as a Director

In 2006, Maïwenn wrote and directed her first full-length movie, Pardonnez-moi. This film was a drama about a family. She also starred in the movie. For her work on Pardonnez-moi, she was nominated for two important French film awards, the César Award for Best First Feature Film and César Award for Most Promising Actress.

Her second film was Le bal des actrices (2009), also known as All About Actresses. In this movie, she played herself making a documentary.

Maïwenn gained international attention with her third film, Polisse (2011). This social drama won the Jury Prize at the famous 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

Her 2015 film Mon roi was chosen to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. The Palme d'Or is one of the highest awards a film can win at Cannes.

In 2020, she co-wrote, directed, and starred in the film DNA. This movie was an Official Selection for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, but the festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her 2023 film, Jeanne du Barry, was a historical movie about the life of Madame du Barry. Maïwenn co-wrote, directed, and starred in it, playing the main character. Johnny Depp played King Louis XV in the film. Jeanne du Barry opened the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and was very popular in France.

Maïwenn's Family Life

Maïwenn has two children. Her daughter, Shanna, was born in 1993. Shanna's father is director Luc Besson.

Maïwenn was also married to Jean-Yves Le Fur from 2002 to 2004. They had a son named Diego in July 2003. Diego later appeared in Maïwenn's film Jeanne du Barry, playing a young King Louis XVI. Maïwenn shared the sad news of Jean-Yves Le Fur's passing in April 2024.

Filmography

Maïwenn in 2009 at the Deauville American Film Festival.

Actress

Director, Screenwriter, and Producer

Theatrical Writer

• 2003 : Café de la Gare : Le pois chiche

See also

In Spanish: Maïwenn para niños