Hélène Vincent

Hélène Vincent (born Jocelyne Hélène Nain on 9 September 1943 in Paris, France) is a celebrated French actress and stage director whose career spans more than five decades. She began her professional journey in the mid‑1960s, appearing on stage before making her cinematic debut in René Allio’s Pierre et Paul in 1969, a performance that signaled her versatility and strong screen presence. Throughout the 1970s she built a reputation with supporting roles in notable films such as Let Joy Reign Supreme directed by Bertrand Tavernier and Fire's Share alongside Michel Piccoli, showcasing her ability to inhabit complex characters. The turning point of her film career arrived in 1988 when she portrayed Madame Marielle Le Quesnoy in Life Is a Long Quiet River, a role that earned her the César Award for Best Supporting Actress the following year and cemented her status as a leading talent in French cinema. Subsequent César nominations followed for I Don't Kiss (1992), A Few Hours of Spring (2013) and The Specials (2020), illustrating her consistent excellence in supporting roles across generations. In addition to her screen work, Vincent has maintained a vibrant theatre career, collaborating repeatedly with director Patrice Chéreau and directing productions that earned her two Molière Award nominations for Best Actress in 2010 and 2011. Her personal life is intertwined with the arts; she was married to acclaimed director Jean‑Pierre Vincent, and she is the mother of filmmaker Thomas Vincent, continuing a family legacy in the French artistic community. Her enduring commitment to both stage and screen, combined with a series of critically acclaimed performances, makes Hélène Vincent a pivotal figure in contemporary French cultural life.