Born in Paris on 16 December 1956, Catherine Jacob spent part of her childhood and adolescence in Compiègne, where she was educated at primary school and then Pierre d'Ailly High School. Her father was a dental surgeon and her mother an orthodontist. She has a younger brother.
Career
1980–1987: Beginnings
After obtaining a diploma in architecture,[1] Catherine Jacob moved to Paris. From 1978 to 1980, she studied acting at the Cours Florent, then located on Saint Louis Island.
In 1985, she wrote and starred in her first one-woman show called Welcome to the Club, directed by Rémi Chenylle [fr], drawing eleven portraits of characters. She appeared in several festivals with her show and toured with it the following year.
1988–1997: César and success
In 1988, she played Marie-Thérèse in the cult film Life Is a Long Quiet River by Étienne Chatiliez. The movie was a huge success, and Jacob won the César Award for Most Promising Actress.[2] She also played in the TV miniseries Le vent des moissons alongside Annie Girardot. That same year, she and Jacques Bonnaffé also had a huge success with the play Paris-Nord - Attractions pour noces et banquets. It was planned to be shown only for 10 nights, but due to the success, the play continued for three years.
In 1990, she ended her tour with the play Paris-Nord - Attractions pour noces et banquets after three years. She appeared in the second movie of the director Étienne Chatiliez, Tatie Danielle with Tsilla Chelton, Isabelle Nanty and Karin Viard. It was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie was again a big success at the box office, well received by the critics and became a cult movie. Jacob was nominated for the César Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In 1994, she played Dominique in the cult film Neuf mois by Patrick Braoudé, with Daniel Russo. Jacob was again nominated for the César Award for Best Supporting Actress. She had the leading role in Les Braqueuses by Jean-Paul Salomé, with Clémentine Célarié and in Oh God, Women Are So Loving by Magali Clément, with Mathieu Carrière. She acted in the TV movie Le jardin des plantes by Philippe de Broca, with Claude Rich. She also starred in a new play written and directed by Victor Lanoux called Drame au Concert, with Roland Giraud. She and Lanoux didn't get along at all, and she called him a "filthy guy" and "a shithead", but was forced by her contract to do 130 performances. She recalled the experience as "a nightmare" and regretted having accepted the role, since she had to refuse the role of "La Pinthade" in Chantecler directed by Jérôme Savary with whom she would later work with.[3]
In 1999, she played in the TV movie Fleurs de sel with François Berléand and Frédéric Pierrot. She appeared in one episode of the TV series Marc Eliot, directed by Josée Dayan. She came back to the theater after 3 years, with The Miser by Molière, directed by Jérôme Savary at the Théâtre des Célestins. She was invited to present an award at the 13th Molière Awards.[4]
In 2009, she appeared in the short L'arbre à clous, directed by Fabrice Couchard, which was presented at the Brussels International Independent Film Festival. She was invited by the organisers of the 23rd Molière Awards ceremony to present the Best Supporting Actress with Michel Vuillermoz.[14] She was invited to give the Prix Cine Romen for the second time, alongside Patrice Leconte and Jean-Pierre Marielle.[15]
In 2015, she starred in two TV movies: Lettre à France directed by Stéphane Clavier, with Julie Ferrier and Merci pour tout, Charles with Charlotte de Turckheim and Claudia Tagbo for France 2. She also appeared in two episodes of the TV series Nos chers voisins for TF1. Catherine Jacob was also on stage with Madame in which she played a prostitute who tells her memoirs. She was alone on stage and her performance was hailed by critics.[27] She was also part of the show Elles se croient toutes Joly with other actresses paying tribute to the comedian Sylvie Joly. In April, she read on stage some letters written by deportees of the Royallieu-Compiègne internment camp.[28]
In 2016, she appeared in Joséphine s'arrondit, directed by Marilou Berry. She also starred in three TV movies: Murders at Avignon, with Lætitia Milot for France 3, Baisers cachés with Patrick Timsit, and 3 Mariages et 1 coup de foudre with Helena Noguerra and Mylène Demongeot for France 2. In the theater, she appeared in L'impresario delle Smirne written by Carlo Goldoni, with Nicolas Vaude. She also joined the TV show Conseil d'indiscipline, broadcast on Paris Première and hosted by Jean-Louis Debré, for which she was a columnist for a couple of shows. In April, she was the godmother of the 19th Dinard Comedy Festival.[29]
In 2017, she starred as Queen Titania in Un jour mon prince! with Hugo Becker and in the comedy Baby Bumps with Juliette Binoche. She also played Agnès Dorgelle in This Is Our Land, directed by Lucas Belvaux, with Émilie Dequenne, André Dussollier and Guillaume Gouix. The film was slated to be released two months before the first round of the presidential elections in France and directly targeted the National Front. The character portrayed by Catherine Jacob was said to strongly resemble Marine Le Pen, and members of the political party saw the film as an affront. Steeve Briois, the FN mayor of Hénin-Beaumont tweeted: "Poor Marine Le Pen, who is caricatured by this tobacco pot of Catherine Jacob. A damn turnip in perspective!"[30]Florian Philippot, another member of the FN declared: "According to the trailer that I saw [...], it looks like a nice turnip, but, beyond the quality of the film, I find it really scandalous that in the presidential election campaign, I believe precisely two months before the vote, a film is released in French cinemas that is clearly anti-National Front. [...] It disturbs me on behalf of Catherine Jacob. I was a fan of Catherine Jacob. There, I love her very much, but for me she is spoiled. Why? For some money, for a César Award, for a little chocolate medal that will be given, for service rendered to the system?"[31][32][33] Jacob said in response: "The stupid reaction of the National Front is a gift. It proves our point...".[34]
Later in 2017, she returned to the stage with the play Madame for a successful tour. That same year, she also starred in the leading role of the adaptation of Un fil à la patte, written by Georges Feydeau and directed by Christophe Lidon [fr], who directed her the year before, in L'impresario delle Smirne. This was a new success, and the play was back on stage with Jacob in May 2018 at the Théâtre Montparnasse.[35]
From October 7 to 14, she was one of the jury members of the festival Arte Mare [fr].[38][39] From December 7 to 10, she was a member of the jury at the 2nd Liège International Comedy Film Festival, alongside Gérard Darmon and Frédéric Diefenthal.[40]
In 2018, she was a spokesperson for IMAGYN during their campaign to encourage cervical cancer screening.[41] She appeared in an episode of the fourth season of Nina, and also in an episode of Hitchcock by Mocky directed by Jean-Pierre Mocky, for France 2 and France 3.[42] That same year she played "The Fairy Godmother" for 8 short films entitled "La Fabuleuse Histoire des Caisses d'Epargne" explaining the creation and the evolution of the Groupe Caisse d'Épargne.
On October 15, 2018, Christophe Barratier and Sam Bobino, co-presidents of the Festival du cinéma et de la musique de La Baule, revealed the composition of the jury that would be chaired by Catherine Jacob. Jacob was surrounded by the actresses Audrey Fleurot and Axelle Laffont, as well as the composers Mathieu Lamboley [fr], Philippe Kelly [fr] and Alex Jaffray [fr]. The festival ran from 6-11 November.[43]
In 2019, she co-wrote her first book called Hommes/Femmes, ce qu'elles en disent with Franck Leclerc.[44] In March, she received the title of Commander des Ordres des Arts et des Lettres by the French government for her significant contribution to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance.[45]
