Education
Born in Namur, she left Belgium at the age of 17 to go to Paris where she studied theatre for two years with actor Jean Paul Denizon, assistant to British director Peter Brook.
Born in Namur, she left Belgium at the age of 17 to go to Paris where she studied theatre for two years with actor Jean Paul Denizon, assistant to British director Peter Brook.
She then spent three years (1995-1998) at the acting academy ENSATT (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre) in the Département Comédie first at the Rue Blanche in Paris, then in Lyon. She was discovered by the agent Dominique Besnehard and appeared in French hit films such as L"Art (délicat) de la séduction (2001) and Irène (2002). Her international breakthrough came with the horror film Haute Tension (2003, United Kingdom title: Switchblade Romance, United States title: High Tension), which was a worldwide success.
She caught the eye of Hollywood producers and soon landed her first major role in a United States feature, Around the World in 80 Days (2004), in which she starred alongside Jackie Chan.
In 2014, she hosted the 39th César Awards ceremony. She was selected to be on the jury for the Cinéfondation and short films sections of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.
She has two children, Lino and Joy, with musician Guillaume Siron. 2000: Acting Award at Festival du Court Métrage de Bruxelles.