Cécile de France: Before Settling Into a House Near Belgium, She Lived in Paris’s Ultra-Chic 16th Arrondissement, “I Was Grunge and Wore Red Hair”

Cécile de France is one of the most renowned actresses in France. Born Belgian, she lived in Paris during her youth. She later purchased a house in the north, not far from Belgium.

Cécile de France: a Belgian actress beloved in France

She has just celebrated her fiftieth birthday during the summer of 2025, and yet, Cécile de France continues to shine as brightly as ever. Despite her surname that could be confusing, Cécile de France was actually born in Belgium, and more precisely, in the city of Namur.

This actress had the chance to perform, as early as 15, with Jean-Michel Frère, before appearing officially in his shows in 2001. Between 1995 and 1998, Cécile de France took drama courses at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre, in the city of Lyon, before moving to Paris.

In the past, Cécile de France lived in Paris

When the young woman arrived in Paris, she was struck by such a city. Paris is a dense, dynamic, very lively and full of surprises city. And Cécile de France, rather used to the quiet small towns of the provinces, had to adapt in order to build her acting career.

During her early years, and before being revealed to the public thanks to her role in The Art (Delicate) of Seduction, with Patrick Timsit, Cécile de France lived in the very chic 16th arrondissement of Paris. With a punk style, as the magazine Elle notes, she stood out from her neighborhood. “I earned my living as a live-in nanny in the very chic 16th arrondissement, I who was grunge, dressed in trash and wore red hair.”

Today, Cécile de France lives in a house in the north of France

Even though the energy and ambiance of the French capital captivated Cécile de France at the start of her arrival in Paris, she later made the choice to leave the big city. In search of more peace and gentleness, she wished to settle in a Picardy town closer to her native Belgium.

“I am deeply rural, I live in the north, in the countryside of Picardy. I fell in love with this house and it happens to be right next to Belgium.” She visited properties in northern France, according to her confidences given to La Nouvelle République. Before deciding on a beautiful old house, simple and well decorated, in which she lives with her musician husband and their two children.