Roxane Mesquida was born in Marseille, France, although her childhood was spent in the lesser-known nearby small village of Pradet. She was raised by her mother, a “May 1968 hippie,” and young Roxane had no great ambitions of becoming an actress, instead aspiring to be an English teacher. She looked to examples like Marilyn Monroe and Romy Schneider as what being an actress meant: alone, unhappy, and finally suicidal. It was only by chance she entered the business, when director Manuel Pradal, in the middle of casting the film “Marie Baie des Anges,” encountered Roxane in the street. He offered her a role in the film, and with her mother’s permission, she shot the film the next summer. It was a small role, but the experience was positive and convinced Roxane to further pursue cinema.

“Marie Baie des Anges” was released in 1997, and she had another small role the year after in Benoît Jacquot’s “L’École de la chair.” Although the film saw her act alongside the likes of Isabelle Huppert, her big break didn’t come until her photograph was passed onto controversial director Catherine Breillat, who was casting her next film “À ma soeur!”. After seeing Roxane, Breillat declared that if she knew how to act, she didn’t need to see any other actresses. Her reading went well, and it was the beginning of a working (and personal) relationship that would continue for years to come.

It was through Breillat that Roxane truly learned her craft, particularly while shooting a difficult 15-minute long scene during which her character Elena loses her virginity. Breillat said to Roxane “I know this is very hard”; Roxane’s response was “but no, I’ve just been born an actress.” The shooting of that scene in “À ma soeur!” would later become the basis for Breillat’s 2002 film “Sex Is Comedy”, a fictionalized making-of. Roxane reprised the equivalent of her old role, although in “Sex Is Comedy” it was simply billed as “The Actress.”

In addition to “Sex Is Comedy”, 2002 saw Roxane hold small parts in three other films: “Âges ingrats”, “Le Paradis de Laura”, and “Sexes très opposés”. It wasn’t until 2006, however, that Roxane finally landed a lead role in a higher-profile production. She was cast as Eve in Kim Chapiron’s horror film “Sheitan”, which also starred the film’s co-producer, Vincent Cassel. The film was well-received among fans of the genre abroad as well as at home and brought greater media attention to the young actress.

Later in 2006, Roxane took a sharp departure from her role as Eve to collaborate for the third time with Catherine Breillat, this time in period film “Une vieille maîtresse”. Roxane plays the young — and blonde — Hermangarde, who was 16 to Roxane’s 25. Breillat initially had doubts about casting Roxane in the role due to the age gap, but after the two screened “À ma soeur!” and “Sex Is Comedy” together, she told Roxane “Oh my God, you’re exactly the same! You haven’t changed!” The film competed at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and was Breillat’s first to be in competition at the festival.

In 2007, Roxane met young American actor Brady Corbet on the set of a photoshoot for magazine Teen Vogue, whom she was with until 2009. They were seen on screen together in 2009′s “La Dérive”.

Roxane shot 2 other films in the year 2009, the thriller “Début”, in which Roxane plays a young mother in difficult circumstances, and “Sennentuntschi”, a Swiss-German mystery-horror production in which Roxane plays a mysterious feral woman. “Début” never found sufficient funding for wide release, but “Sennentuntschi” was released after a long wait to warm reception by fans of the genre.

2010 also served as a re-break out year for the young actress, with two new films screening at the Cannes Film Festival and its sidebars: “Kaboom”, an American film by cult director Gregg Araki, and “Rubber”, an off-beat indie horror by Quentin Dupieux. With the eye of the press upon her, she finally received recognition due after over 10 years in the film industry. “Rubber” and “Kaboom” both became cult hits upon their wide release, and “Kaboom” was also rewarded with the Cannes Queer Palm. Roxane herself was the unlikely breakout star of the festival, and the rest of the year saw her gracing the covers and pages of various fashion magazines.

Her adventures in international cinema continued into the year 2011, with small, low budget indie films “The Most You Can Have Fun Dying” and “Homesick”. That isn’t to imply she faded into obscurity, however — a role as a vampire sister in Xan Cassavetes’ upcoming “Kiss of the Damned” is an exciting project that sees her alongside some other established thesps, such as Milo Ventimiglia and compatriot Anna Mouglalis. With what will perhaps gain her the most exposure in America to date, she also joined the cast of Gossip Girl’s fifth season with a recurring role as the scheming princess of Monaco. Though it might seem the odd one out in her filmography, it represents a new challenge for Roxane and has given her the opportunity to fulfill her dream of acting in a US TV series.

Roxane currently splits her time between living in Paris, France, and Los Angeles, USA and although now a veteran actress she is still a rising star worth keeping an eye on. She once declared she would rather babysit than take on a bad film for the sake of the money, and if one thing is for certain it is that her future in cinema will continue to involve brave, challenging roles that set her apart from the rest. Though the pay-off hasn’t been immediate, by sticking strictly to films that appeal to her artistically, Roxane has come to stardom on her own terms. Amidst a sea of bland young actresses with safe careers, Roxane is a unique character that refuses to be pinned down — not by convention, genre, nor geography.

Last Edited: July 26, 2011