May 24, 1960

Redruth, Cornwall, England, UK

Kristin Scott Thomas OBE (born 24 May 1960) is an Academy Award-nominated English actress.<br/><br/>


Kristin Scott Thomas attended drama college. But on being told she would never be a good enough actor, she left at the age of 19 to work as an au pair in Paris.<br/><br/>

Speaking French fluently, she studied acting at the École nationale supérieure des arts et techniques du théâtre (ENSATT) in Paris, and on graduation was cast opposite pop star Prince as the French girl in the film Under the... ... (read more...) Cherry Moon.<br/><br/>

Kristin Scott Thomas was given an OBE in the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours list, and was also awarded the Légion d'honneur by the French government in 2005. She has also played in many TV movies, and as an actress in the theatre.<br/><br/>

Scott Thomas starred in the 2003 Book Clubbin episode of Absolutely Fabulous; her character was called Plum Berkeley.<br/><br/>

In the British motoring programme Top Gear, she was used as a standard of reference for "good taste." During the "Cool Wall" segment of the programme, presenter Jeremy Clarkson would rate a car's coolness based mostly on what he thinks Kristin Scott Thomas's level of distaste for it would be.<br/><br/>

She made her long-awaited appearance as the "Star In A Reasonably Priced Car" on the episode broadcast on February 25, 2007. On this episode, amid excessive kow-towing from Clarkson and joking from Richard Hammond and James May because Clarkson has shown much affection for Kristin in the past, she proceeded to rubbish most of the decisions Clarkson had made over the past years of the Cool Wall. She also ridiculed the car that Jeremy Clarkson had just ordered, a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder.<br/><br/>

She completed her lap in a time of 1.54, placing her just above Phillip Glenister although still near the bottom of the leaderboard.<br/><br/>

She is married but separated from French gynaecologist Dr François Olivennes, and has three children: Hannah (1988), Joseph (1991), and Georges (2000). She continues to live in Paris in a 19th century country house with her two youngest children.<br/><br/>

Living in Paris, she counts Charlotte Rampling, Gérard Depardieu, Jane Birkin and Juliette Binoche among her social circle.