Audrey Tautou /

Audrey Justine Tautou (French pronunciation: [odʁɛ totu]; born 9 August either in 1976 or 1978) is a French film actress, best known for playing the title character in the award-winning 2001 film Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, Sophie Neveu in the 2006 thriller The Da Vinci Code, Irène in Priceless (2006) and Coco Chanel in Coco avant Chanel. She won the César Award for Most Promising Actress in Venus Beauty Institute (1999). Tautou was born in Beaumont, in the Puy-de-Dôme département of Auvergne, and was raised in Montluçon in nearby Allier. Her father is a dental surgeon and her mother is a teacher. Tautou showed an interest in acting at an early age and started her acting lessons at the Cours Florent. She is one of several famous actors to have attended Cours Florent (others including Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Auteuil and Guillaume Canet). In 1998, Tautou participated in a Star Search-like competition sponsored by Canal+ called "Jeunes Premiers" (The Young Debut) and won Best Young Actress at the 9th Béziers Festival of Young Actors. Tonie Marshall gave her a role in the César-winning Venus Beauty Institute (1999, aka Vénus beauté (institut).