Audrey Justine Tautou ( ; born 9 August 1976 ) is a French actress . Signed by an agent at age 17 , she made her acting debut at 18 on television and her feature film debut the following year in '' Venus Beauty Institute '' ( 1999 ) , for which she received critical acclaim and won the César Award for Most Promising Actress . Tautou achieved international recognition for her lead role in the 2001 film '' Amélie '' , which met with critical acclaim and was a major box-office success . '' Amélie '' won Best Film at the European Film Awards , four César Awards ( including Best Film and Best Director ) , two BAFTA Awards ( including Best Original Screenplay ) , and was nominated for five Academy Awards
BAFTA Awards
55th British Academy Film Awards
Audrey Tautou