Maiwenn French actress, director and screenwriter Date of Birth: 17.04.1976 Country: France

1. Biography of Maïwenn
2. Early Career
3. Relationship with Luc Besson
4. Success as a Director
5. Recognition and Personal Life

Biography of Maïwenn

Maïwenn is a French actress, director, and screenwriter, best known by her stage name. She was born to a Vietnamese father who grew up in Brittany and an Algerian actress mother, Catherine Belkhodja. Maïwenn's siblings are also actors, with her brother and sister pursuing careers in the entertainment industry.

Early Career

From a young age, Maïwenn was involved in the theater. At the age of six, she landed a role in Robert Garnier's tragedy "Hippolytus" at the Théâtre Chaillot under the direction of Antoine Vitez in 1982. She also made her film debut in Jean Becker's "One Deadly Summer" in 1983.

Relationship with Luc Besson

At the age of 16, Maïwenn moved to the United States and entered into a civil partnership with filmmaker Luc Besson. During their relationship, she gave birth to their daughter Shanna and appeared in Besson's films "Léon" and "The Fifth Element" as Diva Plavalaguna. After they parted ways and she returned to France, Maïwenn explored her talents as a comedian and director.

Success as a Director

Maïwenn found success as a director with her film "I'm Sorry" in 2006, which received two nominations for the César Awards. Her next film, "Actresses' Ball" in 2009, won the Henri Langlois Award. Her third directorial work, "Polisse," was nominated for the Palme d'Or and won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011, among other accolades.

Recognition and Personal Life

In 2015, actress Emmanuelle Bercot won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in Maïwenn's film "Mon Roi." In terms of her personal life, Maïwenn was married to Luc Besson from 1992 to 1997 and later had a relationship with real estate entrepreneur Jean-Yves Le Fur from 2002 to 2004. She has a daughter named Shanna from her marriage to Besson and a son named Diego from her relationship with Le Fur. Maïwenn's extended family also includes her siblings Jowan Le Besco, Isild Le Besco, Leonor Graser, and Kolia Litscher, who are all involved in the entertainment industry.