French actress and singer (born 1982)
Lou Doillon
(born 4 September 1982) is a British and French singer, actress and model. She is the daughter of French director
Jacques Doillon
and English actress and singer
Jane Birkin
.
Doillon started her career as a model during her teenage years and later transitioned into acting and music. In the late 1990s and into the 2000s, she appeared in several French films for which she received recognition for her performances, credits that include
Bad Company
(1999) and
Gigola
(2010).
In addition to her acting career, Doillon has pursued a successful music career, releasing her debut album
Places
in 2012 to critical acclaim and commercial success. Her music blends elements of folk and indie rock.
Early life and education
[
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]
Doillon was born on 4 September 1982 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. She is the daughter of French writer/director Jacques Doillon and English actress/singer Jane Birkin.
[1]
She has six brothers and sisters:
Kate Barry
and
Charlotte Gainsbourg
on her mother's side, and
Lola Doillon
, Lili Doillon, Lina Doillon and Lazare Doillon on her father's side. Doillon spent her school years between France and
Saint Barthelemy
until the age of 15, when she dropped out to become a full-time actress.
Career
[
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]
Film and TV
[
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]
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Doillon started acting at age five, starring in
Kung Fu Master
directed by
Agnes Varda
. She has since worked with directors including
Jean Pierre Ameris
,
Jacques Doillon
,
Guillaume Canet
,
Abel Ferrara
and
Maiwenn
.
Modelling
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Doillon started modelling at the age of 16, becoming the ambassador of
Givenchy
. She has since been the "face" of
Vanessa Bruno
, Eres,
Mango
,
H&M
,
Miu Miu
,
JBrand
,
Barney's
,
Gap
, Maje and
Chloe
. She was featured alongside
Sophia Loren
and
Penelope Cruz
in the
Pirelli Calendar
. Doillon has worked with photographers
Inez and Vinoodh
,
Mario Sorrenti
,
Mario Testino
,
Terry Richardson
,
Bruce Webber
,
Paolo Reversi
,
Corinne Day
,
Mert and Marcus
,
Ryan McGinley
and
Glen Lunchford
. She has collaborated with
Lee Cooper
and
La Redoute
as a creative consultant and designer for six collections.
Theatre
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Doillon, alongside director Michel Didym, created a show based on letters written by French authors and singers (
Louis-Ferdinand Celine
,
Marcel Proust
and
Edith Piaf
), and monologues. She toured French-speaking theatres throughout Europe by herself for over two years.
In 2010, Doillon started working with director
Arthur Nauzyciel
[
fr
;
ru
]
on
Samuel Beckett
's one sentence monologue "L'Image" in the National Theatre of Orleans. Alongside dancer
Damien Jalet
and conceptual musician Meelice, they performed throughout France and in New York for the Crossing the Line Festival. In 2017, for the National Theatre of Rennes, Doillon performed "L'Image" directed by Nauzyciel for a week.
Doillon has also collaborated on various performances (Paroles d'Exil/Musique Interdite with the
French National Orchestra
, Calamity Jane with singer/ musician
John Mitchell
and as a reader for many French-literature festivals).
Doillon in 2013
Doillon has been drawing since she was 10 and has often included her drawings in her other crafts (the vinyl edition of her album in 2016 and most of her merchandise on tour is drawn by her). She has been keeping a drawn and written diary since the age of 12. She works with an extra fine Sailor Pen on
Sennelier
paper or
Moleskine
diaries.
In September 2017, Doillon released a book, including 80 ink and pencil drawings alongside diary drawings, with Astier de Villatte. The release was followed by an exhibit of the original drawings at La maison Moliere in Paris. She has also, for the brand Astier de Villatte, collaborated on a project of 18 different types of hand-backed ceramic mugs and 15 unique pieces, presented and sold in Tokyo during the launch of the collaboration in November 2017 with creative duo Benoit Astier de Villatte and Ivan Pericoli.
Music
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Doillon's love for music was enkindled by her father: "When my parents split, I discovered with Jacques, his taste for eclectic and a strange form of radicalness in music. He would say: 'sit down, shut up and listen to the music' while playing records from
Chet Baker
,
Billie Holiday
,
Siouxsie and the Banshees
,
Patti Smith
and
Nick Drake
."
[2]
She often quotes
Bob Dylan
and
Leonard Cohen
,
[3]
and mentions
Lhasa
,
[3]
Lead Belly
,
Fiona Apple
,
Cat Power
,
Nina Simone
,
Tim Buckley
and
Bobbie Gentry
as her influences.
Doillon recorded with many musicians in New York and Paris during the 2000s before starting a solo career in 2010. Her genre has been described as haunted folk, and her voice has been described as "equal parts
Marianne Faithfull
, Nina Simone,
Anohni
and
Joanna Newsom
." She writes her songs on Canadian Guild guitars (D55) or the piano and performs on an
Eko
electric guitar.
Places
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In 2012, Doillon signed her first recording deal for three albums with Barclay (Universal Music France). Her first EP
I.C.U
came out in June and was produced by
Etienne Daho
and mixed by
Philippe Zdar
from the band
Cassius
.
Doillon's first album was recorded in France over a 15 day period in the Studio La Seine with French musicians Francois Poggio, Marcello Guliani, Alexis Anerilles and Philippe Entressangle. Her debut album
Places
reached number three on the French charts. It also reached number one on Canadian iTunes, number two on French iTunes and was released through
Verve
in the US and
decca
in the UK. The artwork for the cover was done by
Inez and Vinoodh
. Doillon was on the cover of influential magazines
Magic
,
Telerama
and
Les Inrockuptibles
. The first single, "I.C.U", was followed by a video directed by
Antoine Carlier
, reconstituting her wanderings through Paris. Then came "Questions and Answers" directed by Gaetan Chataigner while Doillon was on tour and "Devil or Angel" directed by Christophe Acker in Scotland.
In October 2012, Doillon started her first tour at French rock club La Fleche d'Or and played France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and England. This tour also played at Paris's
Le Trianon
venue. On 8 February 2013, during the
Victoires de la musique
ceremony (French equivalent of the Grammy's) at the Zenith of Paris, she was awarded Best Female Performer of the Year, competing alongside prestigious artists such as
Francoise Hardy
and
Celine Dion
. It was the first time a newcomer English-speaking performer won in that category. Doillon toured for the rest of 2013, including many festivals (
Eurockeennes de Belfort
,
Francofolies de la Rochelle
and
Osheaga
festival).
Lay Low
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In January 2015, Doillon started recording and co-producing, alongside
Timber Timbre
frontman
Taylor Kirk
, her second album in Canada. She recorded in the Montreal mythical studio
Hotel2Tango
, over a period of a month, with fellow band members of Timber Timbre. She completed the recording between Studio la Seine in Paris and
RAK Studios
in London.
Lay Low
was mixed by
Nick Launey
and Adam Greenspan in Los Angeles in April. The album came out on 9 October, preceded by the first single "Where to Start", which was featured in
Jean-Marc Vallee
's' movie
Demolition
(starring
Naomi Watts
and
Jake Gyllenhaal
) soundtrack. Doillon was nominated for best rock album of the year at
Les Victoires de la musique
. The album received critical acclaim in France, Belgium, England, Canada and the US and was released through
Verve
in the US and
decca
in the UK. The front cover for the album is a
selfie
shot by Doillon in bed, and inner pictures were shot during the recording in Canada by French photographer Zelie Noreda.
In 2016, Doillon started a world tour, performing in the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, Korea, Germany, Poland, England and France. She performed on
Jools Holland
, alongside
Iggy Pop
and
Graham Nash
. As a final touch to her world tour, she performed two sold out concerts in La Fleche D'or, named Kitchen Acoustic and Lou Doillon and Friends (performed with fellow musicians
Woodkid
and
Keren Ann
).
Live
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Doillon's band includes Francois Poggio on the guitar, Nicolas Subrechicot on keys, Pierre Lavandon on bass and Franck M'Boueke on the drums.
In May 2016, Doillon was chosen by
John Cale
to perform "
Femme Fatale
" during his tribute show to the
Velvet Underground
at the
Philharmonie de Paris
, alongside
Mark Lanegan
,
Saul Williams
,
Animal Collective
,
Etienne Daho
and
The Libertines
.
In 2017, Doillon participated in the homage to
Leonard Cohen
at the MAC, alongside
Jarvis Cocker
,
Chilly Gonzales
and
Half Moon Run
, producing a cover of "
Famous Blue Raincoat
".
On 3 October 2017, for the 3 Ring Circus with
John Grant
and
Richard Hawley
, Doillon performed three acoustic sets by herself at three different venues. On 6 October 2017, she repeated this performance in Sheffield, with Hawley and
James Dean Bradfield
.
Other media
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In "Pigalle", Doillon serves as the narrator of an audio walking tour of the Paris neighborhood,
Quartier Pigalle
, a work created by
Soundwalk
.
[4]
Personal life
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In 2002, at the age of 19, she gave birth to Marlowe Mitchell, her son with musician Thomas-John Mitchell. Marlowe is named after
Christopher Marlowe
.
[1]
She gave birth to another boy on July 26, 2022, named Laszlo Keats Miller Manel, and whose father is the illustrator Stephane Manel.
[5]
Partial filmography
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Doillon on the cover of 2010's
Gigola
Films
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Television
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Discography
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Albums
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Singles
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Year
|
Album
|
Peak positions
|
Certification
|
Album
|
FR
[7]
|
2012
|
"I.C.U"
|
57
|
|
Places
|
"Defiant"
|
125
|
|
"Devil or Angel"
|
69
|
|
2015
|
"Where to Start"
|
40
|
|
Lay Low
|
Further reading
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References
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External links
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International
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National
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Artists
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Other
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