Joseph Gordon-Levitt speaks fluent French, making him the ideal Hollywood name to play Philippe Petit in Robert Zemeckis' newest film, The Walk. The film follows Phillipe, a real-life wire walker, as he arrives in New York as a young man, his heart set on crossing between the two Twin Towers on a tightrope. Along for the ride is his French girlfriend, Annie Allix, also inspired by a real person, who sacrifices everything to support Philippe and help him chase his extraordinary dream. She may not walk the walk in the film, but Annie plays a crucial role, and the actress who plays Annie in The Walk has a pretty big challenge. She is, in a way, Philippe's closest ally, supporting him from the very beginning, when he first learns about the World Trade Center. If you've seen the trailer for The Walk , you know Annie — she's literally the only woman featured in the ads — and, if you're anything like me, you might have assumed the actress was Winona Ryder. I regret to inform you that Ryder is not, in fact, in the film, but that the actress who plays Annie is actually a newcomer to the American screen.
Unlike Gordon-Levitt, Charlotte Le Bon, The Walk's Annie is not well known to U.S. audiences. In fact, the 29-year-old star only recently started her career as an actress. Le Bon has yet to become a household name, but no doubt The Walk will give her star a much-deserved boost. Here are a five things to know about her while she hits screens across the country:
She's Worked With Helen Mirren
French audiences might recognize Le Bon from her roles in French films Yves Saint Laurent and Astérix and Obélix: God Save Britannia, but Le Bon only recently crossed over into Hollywood, with a role in 2014's The Hundred-Foot Journey opposite Helen Mirren.
She Got Her Start As A Model
Born and raised in Canada, Le Bon worked there as a model for eight years before crossing over to acting. Once she made the decision to throw herself into the film industry, she moved across the world to Paris to follow jobs. "I didn't choose Paris. I like to think that the city chose me," she told Variety.
She Was 'Miss Météo'
As Miss Météo for the French talk show Le Grand Journal de Canal+ from 2010-2011, Le Bon participated in various skits, acted for the French talk show, and got to help with celebrity interviews.
She's An Artist
Whens he's not acting, Le Bon spends her time drawing illustrations and creating art pieces. A lot of her work revolves around a heart theme, and she even sells prints on her website, lebonlebon.com.
She Started The Heart-Headed Project
Over one year ago, Le Bon launched The Heart-Headed Project, an interactive photo project featuring a character with a heart for a head. Le Bon regularly features photos of the Heart-Headed character on her Instagram page.
She's Working With Christian Bale And Oscar Isaac
After The Walk, Le Bon will appear in The Promise, in which her character is caught in a love triangle with none other than Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac. The film, from writer-director of Hotel Rwanda Terry George, is set for release sometime in 2016.
Needless to say, you're going to want to remember the name Charlotte Le Bon.Images: TriStar Pictures; Charlotte Le Bon/Instagram (4)
