Laura Smet

Laura Huguette Smet, born on 15 November 1983 in Neuilly‑sur‑Seine, France, is the daughter of legendary rock singer Johnny Hallyday and celebrated actress Nathalie Baye. From an early age she was surrounded by artistic influences, most notably the song “Laura” recorded by her father in 1986 and written by Jean‑Jacques Goldman to honour her. Though initially fascinated by the behind‑the‑scenes world and aspiring to become a theatrical agent like her godfather Dominique Besnehard, she abandoned formal schooling in 1999 to pursue formal theatre training under Raymond Acquaviva. Her transition from student to professional was swift; in 2002 director Xavier Giannoli cast her as the fragile cancer patient Charlotte in Les Corps impatients, a role that earned her a César nomination for Most Promising Actress. The following year she worked with Claude Chabrol on La Demoiselle d’honneur, further cementing her reputation as a serious young talent. In 2004 she was awarded the prestigious Prix Romy Schneider, a testament to her growing stature in French cinema. Over the next decade she displayed remarkable versatility, appearing in a range of genres from the psychological thriller UV (2007) to the historical drama Yves Saint Laurent (2014) directed by Jalil Lespert. She also ventured into television, most memorably guest‑starring in a 2015 episode of the hit series Call My Agent! where her mother, Nathalie Baye, also appeared. Smet’s career continued to evolve with noteworthy performances in Xavier Beauvois’s The Guardians (2017) and the internationally‑distributed series Fauda (Season 4, 2022). Known for her understated elegance and ability to convey deep emotional currents, she remains a respected figure in French film, consistently choosing projects that challenge her and expand her artistic range. Her body of work reflects both the legacy of her celebrated parents and her own distinct voice within contemporary cinema.