Name	Melanie Laurent
Height	5' 5"
Naionality	French
Date of Birth	21 February 1983
Place of Birth	Paris, France
Famous for

Melanie Laurent was born in 1983 in Paris, France. Her mother, a ballet teacher, and father, an actor (whose credits include the voice of Ned Flanders on the French dubbed version of the "The Simpsons") welcomed the green eyed, beautiful baby on February 21st.
Even though Melanie was born into an artistic environment, it wasn`t until much later into her life that she began acting - and only by a chance encounter. In 1998, whilst visiting the set of "Asterix et Obelix contre Cesar" with a friend (whose father was a member of the crew), she caught the attention of Gerard Depardieu (La Vie En Rose, Paris, Je T`aime, Last Holiday). Reportedly, he was so impressed by her, that he offered her a role in his next film role "Un Pont Entre deux Rives" (English Name: "A Bridge Between Two Rivers"). Though she only played the small role of "Lisbeth", it was enough to further Melanie`s interest in acting.
In 1999, she got in front of the camera once again, for the TV movie "Route de Nuit". She portrayed the young Francesca.
2000, at just 17 years old, Melanie was cast as Clara in Rodolphe Marconi`s "Ceci est mon Corps". Co-starring along Melanie was Louis Garrel (The Dreamers) and Jane Birkin. The film received much praise, after later being presented in May of 2001 at the "Festival du Cannes". The film earned a total of 10 Cesar nominations. That very same year, Melanie obtained her baccalauréat, which gave her the option to pursue a career in Cinema.
Thanks to Michel Blanc`s comedy "Embrassez qui Vous Voudrez", Melanie started to gain recognition as an actress. She portrayed the young Carole, girlfriend to Gaspard Ulliel`s character Loic. The pair would later work together again in Le Dernier Jour, in what would be both of their break out roles.
Melanie went on to play several supporting roles in box office hits, such as the father-son based relationship drama "De battre Mon Coeur s`est Arrete". The film received much praise from audiences, earning and winning serveral awards.
Director Phillipe Lioret, who had the opportunity to watch Melanie`s performance in "De battre Mon Coeur s`est Arrete". He was suitably impressed by her acting, and offered her the lead role of Elise `Lili` Tellier in "Je Vais Bien, Ne T`en Fais Pas" without an audition. Melanie was awarded the prestigious Prix Romy Schneider in October 2006 for her compelling performance Lili in "Je Vais Bien, Ne T`en Fais Pas". She also received the Cesar for `Most Promising Actress` at the 2007 Cesar Awards, which is the equivalent to the American Oscars to the residents of France. Melanie gained so much attention for her portrayal of Lili, that the movie offers came pouring in.
2007 would mark the year of leading lady roles. Melanie was cast in several films, showcasing her talent in many different type of characters. In "La Chambre des Morts", Melanie starred in her first thriller as Lucie Hennebelle. Unfortunately, reviews were mixed as audiences and critics could not find a common ground on whether or not they enjoyed the film. However, it was extremely apparent that Melanie made an outstanding performance.
2008 holds many a film to look forward to. Fans were overjoyed to hear the casting of Melanie as Cinderella in the French remake of the classic Disney film "Cinderella" (French Name: Cendrillon). Melanie was also cast in "Shoe at Your FootÓ, where she will once again speak English as the lead female (previously preformed in English tongue in Rice Rhapsody 20.