The Artist's Berenice Bejo: 5 Things You Don't Know

USMagazine, Thursday, February 16, 2012, 5:04pm (PST)

During the 2012 awards season, Berenice Bejo has been amongst the newcomers who've been hitting the red carpet with veterans like Angelina Jolie and Meryl Streep. And although she has been acting since the age of 17, the 35-year-old actress is finally getting the large-scale recognition of an A-lister, in her role as Peppy Miller in The Artist.

In addition to nabbing Best Supporting Actress nods at the Golden Globes, SAG Awards and BAFTAs, here's what else you need to know about the gorgeous, big-eyed brunette star.

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She's Argentinian. Bejo's film director father Miguel Bejo moved her family  from Buenos Aires to Paris, France drying the Argentinian Dirty War. She was just three years old at the time.

She's spent almost half her acting career in French film and TV. While most of her roles were smaller, Bejo did receive a nomination for a Cesar Award for her 2000 role in Most Promising Young Actress.

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Her big break was in A Knight's Tale. Bejo made her American silver screen debut in the 2001 flick starring the late Heath Ledger (William Thatcher) and Rules of Attraction's Shannyn Sossamon (Jocelyn). Bejo played the role of Christiana, Jocelyn's maid.

She was the inspiration behind The Artist's Peppy Miller. Bejo, who is married to the film's director Michel Hazanavicius, explained that her role was literally a piece of her. "[Michael] said [Peppy] was the fantasy of me that he has in his head. Of course, I am not so perfect," the actress told The Telegraph.

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She's a mom. Bejo and Hazanavicius have a daughter, Gloria, who is 5 months, and a son Lucien, 3. She's also step-mom to Hazanavicius' two daughters from his previous marriage.

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