Marie Trintignant

The daughter of screen legend Jean-Louis Trintignant, Marie Trintignant made her film debut in mother Nadine's Mon Amour, Mon Amour at the tender age of four, she would essay a series of diverse film and television roles while growing to become a household name in her native France. Though her parents would divorce in 1976, young Trintignant went on to appear in the films of her mother's new beau, Alain Corneau. Her closeness to her father helped in convincing him to appear in director Krzysztof Kieslowski's Red (1994), and the father/daughter team would later appear on-stage together to read the poetry of Guillaume Apollinaire. Equally adept at drama and comedy, the husky-voiced actress would distinguish herself with roles in such films as Corneau's Série Noire (1978) and as the troubled titular character in Claude Chabrol's 1992 drama Betty (1992). Trintignant had a son (actor Roman Kolinka) with musician Richard Kolinka and another with actor François Cluzet. Later married to director Samuel Benchetrit, the couple produced two more sons. Unfortunately, tragedy would strike as the result of Trintignant's relationship with Noir Desir frontman Bertrand Cantat in late July of 2003. A call from husband Benchetrit threw Cantat into a jealous rage, during which he struck the actress in the head, sending her into a deep coma. At the time Trintignant had been in Lithuania essaying the title role in mother Nadine's made-for-television feature Colette, and though doctors would subsequently transport the actress to Vilnuis for emergency surgery, the damage had been done, and Trintignant died four days later. She was 41.

~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide