Karole Rocher

Karole Rocher, born on 4 July 1974 in Bezons, Val‑d'Oise, France, is a renowned French actress whose career spans over two decades. She grew up in Sartrouville, a suburb of Paris, spending summers with her mother in a Corsican village, experiences that later informed the depth of her performances. At the age of sixteen she worked nights as a waitress, a job that led to her discovery by the entourage of singer Princess Erika, and she debuted in a music video directed by Olivier Dahan for the song “Faut qu’j'travaille.” Two years later, after meeting director Sylvie Verheyde, Rocher made her film debut as Virgine in Un frère (1997) and quickly secured her first leading role in Rachid Bouchareb’s L'Honneur de ma famille (1998) opposite Roschdy Zem. Throughout the 2000s she continued a fruitful collaboration with Verheyde, appearing in Princesses (2000), Amour de Femme (2001), Scorpion (2007), Stella (2008) and Confession of a Child of the Century (2011). Her breakthrough television role came in 2009 as Lieutenant Roxane Delgado in the gritty police series Braquo, where her performance earned critical acclaim alongside co‑stars Jean‑Hugues Anglade, Nicolas Duvauchelle and Joseph Malerba. In 2011 she portrayed Chrys in Polisse, a role that garnered her a César nomination for Best Supporting Actress, cementing her status as one of France’s most versatile talents.

Beyond the screen, Rocher’s personal life reflects both compassion and resilience. At nineteen she took in a seven‑year‑old boy, Thierno, raising him as her own; he now works as a fashion stylist and photographer. She is mother to two daughters, Barbara (born 1996) and Gina (born 2002), and is married to actor Thomas Ngijol, a French‑Cameroonian performer with whom she shares her family. Close friendships with fellow actors Nicolas Duvauchelle and Joey Starr illustrate her deep connections within the French cinematic community. Her continued presence in film and television, coupled with her off‑screen advocacy and familial dedication, makes Karole Rocher a compelling figure in contemporary French culture.