Sylvie Testud

Born: January 17 1971
Where: Lyon, France

The actress landed the prestigious Cesar Award - French Oscar - for her performance as the Belgian interpreter, desperate to be accepted in Japan in Fear And Trembling.

She had earlier been nominted for most promising actress for Thomas Vincent's Karnaval and went on to win the award for Murderous Maids in 2000.

The daughter of Italian immigrants, Testud spent her childhood in Lyon before going on to study acting at the National Academy of Dramatic Art in Paris.

She made her feature debut in the German film Marie's Song: I Was I Know Not Where in 1994.