Adèle Exarchopoulos

Adèle Exarchopoulos is a French actress whose career began with an uncredited role in the 2005 film "Martha." Born Nov. 22, 1993 in Paris to a Greek father and French mother, the role came just three years after her parents placed her in acting lessons as a means of overcoming her shyness at the age of nine. From there, Exarchopoulos enjoyed a steady stream of roles, including a television episode of the French police drama "R.I.

S, police scientifique" (2006); followed by feature films "Boxes" (2007); "Les enfants de Timpelbach" (2008); "La Rafle" (2010); "Tête de turc" (2010); "Chez Gino" (2011); "Carré blanc" (2011); "Pieces of Me" (2012) and "I Used to Be Darker" (2013).

Her second feature of that same year, however, proved to be her breakout, the Abdellatif Kechiche-directed "Blue is the Warmest Color" or "La vie d'Adèle." The film, based upon the 2010 French graphic novel Blue Angel, follows the romance of a teen girl and her older female lover, complete with several lengthy, sexually-graphic scenes. It went on to become the first film in history to be awarded the Palme d'Or in a joint accolade, presented to Exarchopoulos, co-star Lea Seydoux and Kechiche at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival due to the actresses' largely improvised dialogue. The film also brought controversy; both co-stars later spoke of an arduous filming environment involving multiple takes of harsh physicality and sexual realism. As a result, both stars were quoted as saying they would likely never work with the director again, although Exarchopoulos later backed away from the statement, stating diplomatically "It's only normal that there was some conflict."