Micheline Lanctôt

A prolific French-Canadian actress, Micheline Lanctôt has also made her mark as a director and screenwriter. She jumped right into a notable acting career during her mid-twenties with her film debut in Gilles Carle's dark comedy "The True Nature of Bernadette" (1972), a starring role that led to accolades and considerable attention in her homeland. It wasn't long before Lanctôt appeared in her first Hollywood movie, "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz" (1974), but she opted to stay in the Quebec film and TV industry. In 1980, she made her feature directorial debut with the self-penned drama "L'homme à tout faire," which received significant critical acclaim. Preferring to work behind the camera, she only returned to acting 1996. In 2003, Lanctôt appeared in the bittersweet Oscar-winning comedy "The Barbarian Invasions" and remained active on the big and small screens, clearly comfortable as a revered figure in Montreal-based productions.