Skip to content
MovieCove
Catherine Jacob

Catherine Jacob

Actor · Born December 16, 1956 (69) · Paris, France

Catherine Jacob (born 16 December 1956) is a French film and theatrical actress who has won a César Award for her role in Life Is a Long Quiet River (1988), and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Tatie Danielle (1990), Merci la vie (1991) and Neuf mois (1994). She has been two-time president of the Lumières Award. She is known for her voice and her charisma. Born in Paris on 16 December 1956, Catherine Jacob spent part of her childhood and adolescence in Compiègne, where she was educated at primary school and then Pierre d'Ailly High School. Her father was a dental surgeon and her mother an orthodontist. She has a younger brother. After obtaining a diploma in architecture, Catherine Jacob moved to Paris. From 1978 to 1980, she studied acting at the Cours Florent, then located on Saint Louis Island. She started to act in the early 1980s as an extra in movies like Swann in Love by Volker Schlöndorff (1984), Les Nanas by Annick Lanoë (1985), State of Grace by Jacques Rouffio (1986) and Malady of Love by Jacques Deray (1987). She also appeared in TV movies and TV series like Dickie-roi by Guy Lefranc, Toutes griffes dehors by Michel Boisrond, Julien Fontanes, magistrat, Marie Pervenche, Sentiments and Qui c'est ce garçon? by Nadine Trintignant in minor roles. In 1985, she wrote and starred in her first one-woman show called Welcome to the Club, directed by Rémi Chenylle, drawing eleven portraits of characters. She appeared in several festivals with her show and toured with it the following year. In 1988 she played Marie-Thérèse in the cult film Life Is a Long Quiet River by Étienne Chatiliez. The movie was a huge success, and Jacob won the César Award for Most Promising Actress. She also played in the TV miniseries Le vent des moissons alongside Annie Girardot. That same year, she and Jacques Bonnaffé also had a huge success with the play Paris-Nord - Attractions pour noces et banquets. It was planned to be shown only for 10 nights, but due to the success, the play continued for three years. In 1989, she continued her tour with the play Paris-Nord - Attractions pour noces et banquets. She got a supporting role in Les Maris, les Femmes, les Amants by Pascal Thomas, with Jean-François Stévenin and Michel Robin. She starred in two TV movies: L'été de la révolution with Bruno Cremer and Brigitte Fossey and Le vagabond de la Bastille by Michel Andrieu. She also appeared in an episode of the TV series Imogène with Dominique Lavanant. In 1990, she ended her tour with the play Paris-Nord - Attractions pour noces et banquets after three years. She appeared in the second movie of the director Étienne Chatiliez, Tatie Danielle with Tsilla Chelton, Isabelle Nanty and Karin Viard. It was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie was again a big success at the box office, well received by the critics and became a cult movie. Jacob was nominated for the César Award for Best Supporting Actress. ... Source: Article "Catherine Jacob (actress)" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 16, 1956 (69)
From
Paris, France
Works as
Actor
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 99 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Up 66% in 30 days

What are Catherine Jacob's films like?

Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 20th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
29%
Self
23%
Society
15%
Morality
11%
Power
10%
Survival
7%
Ideas
5%
Family bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 10 · Serious 3 · Dark 4

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 13 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 6 · Charged 7 · Intense 4

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 12 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 12 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles
Hero
1 of 6
Ally
1 of 6
Shapeshifter
1 of 6
Mentor
1 of 6
Trickster
1 of 6
Shadow
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
8
Tense
7
Joyful
7
Absurd
5
Dread
4
Other
12

How their films linger

Feel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Catherine Jacob's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Catherine Jacob's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

99 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Josèphe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Actor

  • Rendez-vous chez Cyril Lignac (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The New Look(2024)

    Show 2 episodes · as The Baroness

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Un fil à la patte (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as la baronne Duverger

  • Rumba Therapy(2022)

    as Patronne

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Papy fait de la résistance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Madame Bourdelle

  • Hortense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as Sophie Delalande

  • Les Copains d'abord (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 6 episodes · as Annie

  • 100% Organic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as Hortensia

  • Murder on Reunion Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Juliette Gentil

  • Les Impatientes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 3 episodes · as La Baronne

  • To Each, Her Own(2018)

    as Noëlle Benloulou

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • L'art du crime(2017)

    Show 1 episode · as Michele Dompierre

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Baby Bump(s)(2017)

    as Irène

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • This is Our Land(2017)

    as Agnès Dorgelle

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Un jour mon prince (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as La Reine Titiana

  • Trois mariages et un coup de foudre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Annie

  • Josephine, Pregnant & Fabulous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Mère Château

  • Hidden Kisses(2016)

    as Catherine

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Cassandre(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Nicole

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • It's Never Too Late (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Valérie

  • Lili Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Pierrot's sister

  • Divorce French Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Daphné

  • Everything Goes Wild (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Sandra

  • La Famille Katz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 6 episodes · as Lisette Katz

  • Les Vieux Calibres (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Madame Le Bihan

  • Murders in... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Laurence Ravel

  • Je vous présente ma femme (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Viviane Martin

  • La baie d'Alger(2012)

    as Zoé

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • À dix minutes des naturistes(2012)

    as Solange Langlois

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Livid(2011)

    as Wilson

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Le Client (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Viviane Fondary

  • Gérald K. Gérald (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Samantha de Réglisse

  • Demain, je me marie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Karine

  • Roses on Credit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Mme Donzert

  • Notre Dame des Barjots (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Lieutenant Sanchez

  • Thelma, Louise et Chantal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Chantal

  • Scènes de ménages (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 985 episodes · as Caroline, la fille d'Huguette et Raymond

  • L'arbre à clous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as La Gate

  • 48 Hours a Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Laurent

  • Behind the Walls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Director

  • La Maison Tellier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Odile Tellier

  • La Méthode Bourchnikov (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Sylvette Martin (voice)

  • The Pink Soldier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as La Voix du Grand Magasin

  • Les Aristos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as La duchesse Marie-Claude Saumur-Chantilly de Fortemure

  • Dikkenek (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Sylvie

  • Mes parents chéris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Marie Amato

  • L'Enfant d'une autre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Maud Kert

  • Le Cri (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 4 episodes · as Renée Panaud

  • Landru(2005)

    as Mme Marchadier

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Quartier V.I.P. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Louisette

  • Louise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Joanne Guiberry

  • Qui mange quand ? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Rose Lantier

  • The First Time I Turned Twenty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Mme Goldman, la mère

  • Colette, une femme libre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mathilde de Morny dite « Missy »

  • Who Killed Bambi?(2003)

    as Véronique

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Corto Maltese: Under the Sign of Capricorn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Ambiguità di Poincy (FR)

  • Corto Maltese: The Guilded House of Samarkand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Marianne (FR)

  • Atlantic Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Chantal Seignelet

  • L'Adieu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 2 episodes · as Georgette

  • Qui mange quoi ? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Rose

  • La Torpille (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Dominique Dumas

  • J'ai faim !!! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Lily

  • God Is Great and I'm Not(2001)

    as Evelyne

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Le coeur à l'ouvrage(2000)

    as Françoise

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Evasions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Diane Lessing

  • Qui mange qui ? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Rose

  • Jeudi 12 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Actor

  • Let There Be Light! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Dieu Suzanne

  • Théo et Marie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Marcelle

  • XXL(1997)

    as Lorène Benguigui

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • La Vie à trois (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Charlotte

  • Gentlemen Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Yolande

  • La Ballade de Titus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Louise

  • Maintenant ou jamais (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Delphine

  • Oui (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Nathalie

  • The Orinoco Dam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Arlette Legrand

  • Sur un air de mambo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Arlette

  • The Grand Dukes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Carla Milo

  • Let's Hope It Lasts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Christine Ponty

  • A lovely summer afternoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Solange

  • Happiness Is in the Field(1995)

    as Madame André dit « Lolotte »

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Girls with Guns(1994)

    as Cécile

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Dieu que les femmes sont amoureuses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Anne

  • Neuf Mois (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Dominique

  • The Thirst for Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Fleurette, épouse d'Urbain

  • The Girl in the Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Rose

  • My Father the Hero(1991)

    as Christelle

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Merci La Vie(1991)

    as Evangeline Pelleveau, la mère jeune

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Auntie Danielle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Catherine Billard

  • Les Jupons de la révolution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Rose Bertin

  • L'Été de la Révolution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 2 episodes · as Madame Lecoeur

  • The Husbands, the Wives, the Lovers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Marie-Françoise Tocanier

  • Life Is a Long Quiet River(1988)

    as Marie-Thérèse

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Malady of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Nurse

  • State of Grace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as (uncredited)

  • The Chicks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Cliente gym-center

  • Julien Fontanes, magistrat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 25 episodes · as Dany

  • Génération plastique (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 99 titles, 98 of them dated from 1980 to 2026; peak year 2017.

Biggest box office

Rumba Therapy (2022)

$3.6M worldwide

Highest rated

Happiness Is in the Field (1995)

Midcredits 80th

Most popular right now

My Father the Hero (1991)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19802026

Peak 2017 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting99 of 99: 99 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score46th

By decade

1980s8 · acting1990s24 · acting2000s29 · acting2010s28 · acting2020s9 · acting

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 9% of 23 roles
889808

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Catherine Jacob's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 39th percentile, the median of all 18; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 38th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

41stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 21 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed7
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

Le coeur à l'ouvrage (2000)

67th percentile spread · 51% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Hidden Kisses (2016)

Midcredits 83rd · 75% liked

Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Catherine Jacob work with?

People who share at least 2 of Catherine Jacob's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Florence Quentin shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Producers