Tonie Marshall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tonie Marshall
Marshall in 2012
Born	(1951-11-29)29 November 1951 Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Died	12 March 2020(2020-03-12) (aged 68)
Occupation	Actress film director screenwriter
Years active	1971–2020
Parent(s)	William Marshall Micheline Presle
Relatives	Mike Marshall (half-brother) Sarah Marshall (niece)

Tonie Marshall (born November 29, 1951 – died March 12, 2020) was a talented French-American actress, screenwriter, and film director. She made history in 2000 by becoming the first female director to win a César award for her movie Venus Beauty Institute. The César Awards are like the Academy Awards (Oscars) in France.

About Tonie Marshall's Life and Career

Tonie Marshall was born into a family of artists. Her father was William Marshall, an American actor and director. Her mother was Micheline Presle, a famous French actress. Tonie was also the aunt of model and actress Sarah Marshall. Her half-brother, Mike Marshall, was also an actor.

Before she became a director, Tonie Marshall worked as an actress. She appeared in many plays, TV shows, and movies during the 1970s and 1980s. She once said that acting felt natural to her, but she was always very interested in writing and making films. She was a bit worried about becoming a director because she hadn't gone to a special film school.

Tonie Marshall learned a lot about movies by watching films at a special cinema in Paris when she was a child. She acted in a few films by the famous director Jacques Demy, such as A Slightly Pregnant Man (1973).

Her First Steps as a Director

Tonie Marshall directed her first film, Pentimento, in 1990. This movie gave the well-known radio and TV host Antoine de Caunes his first acting role in a film. In 1994, her movie Pas très Catholique was chosen to be shown at the 44th Berlin International Film Festival.

Winning Big with Venus Beauty Institute

Tonie Marshall's 1999 film, Venus Beauty Institute (Vénus beauté (Institut)), was a huge success. It won four César Awards in 2000. This included the award for Best Director, making her the first woman ever to win it! The movie also won Best Film and Best Writing. Plus, Audrey Tautou, who became a big star after this film, won Most Promising Actress.

The movie Venus Beauty Institute is a romantic comedy. It's about three women who work at a beauty salon in Paris: Angèle (Nathalie Baye), Marie (Audrey Tautou), and Samantha (Mathilde Seigner). Their boss is Nadine (Bulle Ogier). The story follows them as they search for love and happiness. Tonie Marshall's mother, Micheline Presle, also had a small role in the film.

Tonie Marshall shared that she got the idea for the film from a real beauty salon she saw. She was inspired by how a beautician was closing the shop, moving very slowly, almost like dancing. She visited the salon as a customer and heard many interesting stories there, which helped her create the movie.

Tonie Marshall was greatly influenced by the films of Jacques Demy, especially his famous musicals like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964). Another movie that inspired her was Belle de Jour (1964), directed by Luis Bunuel.

In 2002, her film Au plus près du Paradis was nominated for the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, which is a very important award.

Her Last Film and Legacy

In 2017, Tonie Marshall released Number One (also known as Woman Up! in some countries). This was her last major film. It was inspired by her talks with many female business leaders. The movie tells the story of Emmanuelle Blachey (Emmanuelle Devos), an engineer who tries to become a manager in a company. She faces challenges because of the unfair treatment of women in the workplace, but she gets help from other women.

Tonie Marshall passed away on March 12, 2020, at the age of 68, due to lung cancer.

Tonie Marshall's Activism for Equality

Even though Tonie Marshall didn't always call herself a feminist, many of her films, especially her later ones like Number One, showed her strong belief in fighting against sexism. She openly supported gender equality in professional settings.

Protest for gender equality in the film industry during the 2018 Cannes Festival

Outside of her film work, Tonie Marshall was a member of the French 50/50 Collective. This group was started in 2018 to promote gender diversity and equality in the film industry. In the same year, she also joined the Fondation des femmes, which raises money for organizations that support women's rights.

At the 2018 César Awards Ceremony, Tonie Marshall took part in the #MaintenantOnAgit movement. She encouraged famous people to wear a white ribbon to show their support against violence against women.

In an interview in 2017, Tonie Marshall had a message for young women. She said that for the world to truly move forward, about half of all important decision-making jobs should be held by women. This would help create a different and better way of working and doing business. She hoped her films would inspire people to want this change.

Tonie Marshall's Work

Filmography (Films and TV)

Tonie Marshall worked on many films and TV shows throughout her career. Here are some of them:

Drama (Plays)

Tonie Marshall also acted in several plays:

Tonie Marshall's Recognition and Awards

Tonie Marshall played a very important role in the French film industry. This industry was mostly led by men. In her most famous film, Venus Beauty Institute, she explored the idea of women finding love. She showed how this can be harder for women because it often goes against traditional ideas of relationships. She explained that it's "complicated to give yourself to a man's arms and, at the same time, stay very tough because you have to work." This shows the challenges women face when they commit to relationships while also having careers. Her work often had similar themes to Jacques Demy's films.

Tonie Marshall, Alain Delon and Georges Cravenne at the 2000 Césars ceremony

Honors for Venus Beauty Institute

For her 1999 film Venus Beauty Institute, Tonie Marshall received many important awards:

• 2000 César for Best Film
• 2000 César for Best Director
• 2000 César for Best Writing - Original or Adaptation
• 2000 César for Most Promising Actress - Audrey Tautou

Nominations for Venus Beauty Institute

Her film also received several nominations:

• 2000 César for Best Actress - Nathalie Baye
• 2000 César for Best Supporting Actress - Bulle Ogier
• 2000 César for Best Supporting Actress - Mathilde Seigner

Images for kids

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  Marshall in 2012

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  Protest for gender equality in the film industry during the 2018 Cannes Festival

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  Tonie Marshall, Alain Delon and Georges Cravenne at the 2000 Césars ceremony

See also

In Spanish: Tonie Marshall para niños