Camille Cottin is a French actress born on December 1, 1978 in Boulogne-Billancourt, in the Hauts-de-Seine department. Revealed to the general public in 2013 with the series “Connasse” broadcast on Canal Plus, she reached notoriety in 2015 by playing the character of Andréa Martel in the series “Call my Agent” broadcast on France Television. At the same time, the actress confirms her talents as an actress in the cinema with the release of the film “Connasse, princesse des cœurs” directed by the tandem Noémie Saglio and Eloïse Lang. In 2021, Camille Cottin will also start a career as an actress in Hollywood by playing alongside the biggest American stars such as Matt Damon, Al Pacino, Jared Leto or Adam Driver. In this article, we will look at the atypical career of this world-famous French actress, while focusing on her greatest collaborations in film and television.
The beginnings of the actress
Camille Cottin spent most of her teenage years in England, at the French Lycée Charles de Gaulle, which allowed her to obtain a master’s degree in English and to teach Shakespeare’s language on her return from London. At the same time, the young actress took acting classes at the Jean Perimony drama school in Paris. For nearly 15 years, Camille played a series of small roles in the theater and the actress also appeared in film productions and television series. In 2009, she joined the troupe of comedian Pierre Palmade, a kind of café-theater where about thirty comedians write their sketches before performing them on stage. The same year, the young actress appeared in an advertisement for a cell phone, alongside the American actor Brad Pitt. In 2013, Camille Cottin joined the cast of PEP’S, a mini-series broadcast every night on TF1, but it is her performance in the series “Connasse” broadcast daily on Canal Plus that will definitely accelerate the fame and career of the young actress.
Camille Cottin and the series Connasse
The series Connasse, created by directors Noémie Saglio and Eloïse Lang, is broadcast every night during the cult Canal Plus show “le grand journal”, as well as on the YouTube channel dedicated to the series. Filmed in hidden camera in multiple universes where the characters are unaware that she is an actress, this series features a snobbish and unbearable Parisian woman played by Camille Cottin. The arrogant behavior of the French actress who multiplies the shocking and absurd remarks confirms her talent for comedy and the success of the series. Thus, 70 episodes of 2 minutes each will be broadcast on the encrypted channel between 2013 and 2015. The mini-series is then adapted to the cinema with the release of the film “Connasse, princess of hearts” which will seduce nearly 1.2 million spectators in theaters. This success allows the young actress to make a series of comedies and appear in several French films such as “Les Gazelles”, “Toute première fois”, “Nos futurs” or “Les Gorilles”, but unfortunately, these film productions do not meet the expected success. It is in 2015 and by playing the main character of the series produced by Cedric Klapisch “Call my Agent” that the actress returns to fame.
Call my Agent and the Netflix platform
This French series, initially broadcast on France Télévision, is composed of 24 episodes divided into 4 seasons. It tells the story of the life of a prestigious artistic agency of actors, in the aftermath of the death of its founder. The concept of the series lies in the fact that in each new episode, a celebrity plays his or her own role, with a certain amount of self-mockery. Actors such as Jean Dujardin or Line Renaud, as well as multiple personalities and French journalists (Muriel Robin, Michel Drucker, Thomas Sotto…) will participate in the series. Some episodes of “Call my Agent” are written without knowing the guest, which allows the writers to adapt the synopsis to the actor who has agreed to participate in the project. Camille Cottin plays the role of Andréa Martel, an agent and associate of the ASK art agency. When the series was launched, some personalities such as Sophie Marceau refused to play their own role and the title “Call my Agent” refers to the percentage of a star’s fee paid to his agent. Hailed by the international press, the fourth season of the series will land on Netflix in January 2021 and in the aftermath of a worldwide broadcast, a co-production with the American platform is being considered. As an award, the actress will receive the 2014 Crystal Globe for Best Drama Actress for her performance in the series.
Camille Cottin to conquer Hollywood
In 2020, Camille lands a role in the third season of the drama series “Killing Eve” created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. She plays Hélène, one of the members of the group that orders assassinations around the world. At the same time, the actress is announced to play the rival of the singer and actress Lady Gaga in the film “House of Gucci” by Ridley Scott. The latter has already collaborated with French actors such as Marion Cotillard in “Une grande année” or Gérard Depardieu in “Christophe Colomb”. In this Hollywood blockbuster, the French actress plays opposite Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Jared Leto and Salma Hayek. A few weeks later, the actress was also announced in the casting of the new film by Tom McCarthy entitled Stillwater with Matt Damon and Abigail Breslin. In this film, she plays the role of a stage actress who helps a man and his daughter who are unjustly accused of murder. In France, Stillwater will be screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021, in the “out of competition” category. The same year, Camille Cottin doubles the French version of the soul “22” alongside Omar Sy in the animated film “Soul”. At the end of 2020, Dominique Besnehard, creator of “Call my Agent” announced a fifth season of the series, as well as a film to be shot in New York. In 2021, the French actress will represent two films at the Cannes Film Festival: “Stillwater” (out of competition) and “My Legionnaire”, by director Rachel Lang.
New Nespresso ambassador
In 2022, following the success of the series “Call my Agent” on the Netflix platform, Camille Cottin joins the prestigious cast of the new Nespresso television campaign alongside Jean Dujardin and Georges Clooney. The commercial dedicated to the famous coffee brand and directed by Grant Heslov was shot in a beautiful Parisian building overlooking the Eiffel Tower. This new campaign, focused on ecology and the marketing of recyclable capsules, allows the young woman to become the muse of the brand alongside the historical ambassadors that are Jean Dujardin and Georges Clooney for 8 years.
The filmography of the French actress
Camille Cottin has appeared in some thirty feature films and ten television series. The main films interpreted by the actress remain however :
- Yamakasi (2001 ): this French film directed by Ariel Zeitounn marks the debut of the French actress in cinema.
- Il était une fois, une fois (2011): Camille plays Juliette’s mother alongside François-Xavier Demaison.
- Les Gazelles (2014 ): in this film by Mona Achache, the actress plays the role of Emilie.
- Connasse, princess of hearts (2015): this film adapted from the TV series offers the young woman her first major film role.
- Allies (2016 ): in this American blockbuster directed by Robert Zemeckis, Camille stars with Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard.
- Family Photo (2018): the actress plays the role of Elsa alongside Vanessa Paradis.
- Le Mystère Henri Pick (2019): the young woman interprets the role of Josephine Pick by giving the line to Fabrice Luchini.
- Soul (2020): in this animated film, the actress lends her French voice to the soul “22”.
- Stillwater (2021): Camille plays Virginie, alongside the American actor Matt Damon.
- House of Gucci (2021): this biopic about the assassination of Maurizio Gucci propels the French star to international fame. She plays Paola Franchi, the new partner of the fashion designer. Camille will even be invited on the set of Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show during the promotion.
- Mon Légionnaire (2021): she plays Céline alongside Louis Garrel.
In 2023, Camille Cottin will star in 4 new films:
- The Empire by Bruno Dumont
- Toni, in the family by Nathan Ambrosioni
- A Haunting in Venice by Kenneth Branagh
- Golda by Guy Nattiv
The complete filmography of the actress is available on the Unifrance website
