Charlotte Gainsbourg Biography: Kids, Movies, Age, Songs, Net Worth, Parents, Husband, Height

Biography

Charlotte Gainsbourg is a creative French-British actress and singer-songwriter, born Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg on July 21, 1971, in London, England.

She is the daughter of iconic English actress and singer Jane Birkin and legendary French musician Serge Gainsbourg. Raised in Paris, she began her career early, making her film debut at age 12 and earning a César Award for Most Promising Actress in 1986 for L’Effrontée.

She also released her debut album Charlotte for Ever that year, collaborating with her father. Her music career includes acclaimed albums such as 5:55 (2006), IRM (2009), and Rest (2017), blending indie pop, electronic, and introspective elements.

In acting, Gainsbourg has starred in films directed by Lars von Trier (including Antichrist, for which she won Best Actress at Cannes in 2009), 21 Grams, Jane Eyre, and many French productions.

Known for her understated intensity and versatility, she has received multiple César Awards and international recognition. She has been in a long-term relationship with actor/director Yvan Attal since the early 1990s, with whom she has three children.

French-British actress and singer
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Wiki Facts & About Data
Real Name:	Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg
Stage Name:	Charlotte Gainsbourg
Born:	21 July 1971 (age 54 years old)
Place of Birth:	London, United Kingdom
Nationality:	French, British
Education:	École Active Bilingue Jeannine Manuel, Beau Soleil College Alpin International
Height:	1.73 m
Parents:	Jane Birkin, Serge Gainsbourg
Siblings:	Kate Barry, Lou Doillon, Lucien Gainsbourg, Natacha Gainsbourg, Paul Gainsbourg
Spouse:	Not Married
Boyfriend • Partner:	Yvan Attal (1991–)
Children:	Alice Attal, Ben Attal, Joe Attal
Occupation:	Actress • Singer
Net Worth:	$8 million (USD)

Early Life & Education

Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg was born on July 21, 1971, in Marylebone, London, England, although she was raised primarily in Paris, France, where French became her first language (she is also fluent in English). She holds dual French-British citizenship.

Her parents were the legendary French singer-songwriter and musician Serge Gainsbourg (born Lucien Ginsburg, 1928–1991), of Russian-Jewish descent, and the renowned English actress and singer Jane Birkin (1946–2023), from a British theatrical family.

The couple’s intense and highly publicized relationship ended in separation in 1980, and Serge‘s death from a heart attack in 1991 deeply affected Charlotte when she was 19. She has described her parents’ artistic and bohemian lifestyles as somewhat neglectful during her upbringing.

Charlotte has several half-siblings from her parents’ other relationships. On her mother’s side, she has an older half-sister, Kate Barry (1967–2013), a photographer from Jane Birkin‘s first marriage to composer John Barry, with whom Charlotte was raised in Paris and with whom she shared a close bond.

She also has a younger half-sister, Lou Doillon (born 1982), an actress and singer, from Jane Birkin‘s relationship with director Jacques Doillon.

On her father’s side, she has two older half-siblings from Serge Gainsbourg‘s second marriage to Françoise-Antoinette “Béatrice” Pancrazzi: Natacha Gainsbourg (born 1964) and Paul Gainsbourg (born 1968), who have largely stayed out of the public eye.

Additionally, she has a younger half-brother, Lucien “Lulu” Gainsbourg (born 1986), a musician, from Serge‘s relationship with model Caroline “Bambou” Paulus.

Her ethnicity is mixed Anglo-French, incorporating Ashkenazi Jewish heritage through her father’s Russian-Jewish roots and an English/Protestant background on her mother’s side. She identifies as Jewish and celebrates Jewish holidays, often with her partner’s family, though her childhood was largely secular.

For education, Gainsbourg attended the bilingual École Active Bilingue Jeannine Manuel in Paris during her early years. She later boarded at the prestigious international school Collège Alpin Beau Soleil (now Beau Soleil College Alpin International) in Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland.

Growing up immersed in her parents’ artistic world in Paris exposed her to music, film, and celebrity culture early, shaping her path into acting and singing without formal training in either field.

Career

Charlotte Gainsbourg has enjoyed a successful career as both an actress and a singer-songwriter for over forty years, starting in the mid-1980s. She was born into a creative family and entered the public eye early thanks to her parents, but she has developed her own unique style.

Her work is known for its emotional depth, versatility, and her choice of challenging roles and thoughtful music. Gainsbourg began acting at age 12 in Paroles et Musique (1984) with Catherine Deneuve.

She quickly gained recognition for her role in L’Effrontée (An Impudent Girl, 1985), winning the César Award for Most Promising Actress in 1986 at just 15. That same year, she starred in Charlotte for Ever, a film written and directed by her father, Serge Gainsbourg.

In the late 1980s and 1990s, she appeared in French films such as Kung Fu Master (1988), The Little Thief (1988), and Jane Eyre (1996), directed by Franco Zeffirelli, as well as her English-language debut in The Cement Garden (1993), directed by her uncle Andrew Birkin. In the 2000s and later, Gainsbourg became better known through collaborations with prominent directors.

She acted in Alejandro González Iñárritu‘s 21 Grams (2003) with Sean Penn, Michel Gondry‘s The Science of Sleep (2006), Todd Haynes‘ I’m Not There (2007), and Julie Bertuccelli‘s The Tree (2010). She is especially known for her collaborations with Lars von Trier, including her award-winning performance in Antichrist (2009), and roles in Melancholia (2011) and Nymphomaniac (2013).

More recent films include The Passengers of the Night (2022), The Pale Blue Eye (2022), Sundown (2021), and Jane by Charlotte (2021), a documentary she made about her mother, Jane Birkin. In 2025 and 2026, she appeared in projects like Étoile (2025), The Phoenician Scheme (2025), Meet the Leroys (2024), and Life for Real (2023), continuing her work in both French and international films.

Alongside acting, Gainsbourg has also made music, though she has been more selective in this area. She first appeared musically at age 12 on her father’s 1984 track “Lemon Incest,” and released her debut album Charlotte for Ever (1986), produced by Serge Gainsbourg.

After a long break, she returned with the album 5:55 (2006), which was well received and included collaborations with AIR and Jarvis Cocker. The album went platinum in France. She later released IRM (2009, produced by Beck), Stage Whisper (2011), and Rest (2017), an album exploring grief and featuring artists such as SebastiAn and Paul McCartney.

Her music is known for its mix of melancholic lyrics, electronic sounds, and personal themes, and has been praised for its honesty and sophistication. Gainsbourg has won several awards, including two César Awards (Most Promising Actress in 1986 and Best Supporting Actress for La Bûche in 2000), the Cannes Best Actress prize in 2009, and many other nominations.

She is recognized for her quiet intensity and her ability to balance bold roles with more subtle performances, while her music has grown from early controversy to mature artistry.

Social Media

• IMDb: Charlotte Gainsbourg
• Wikipedia: Charlotte Gainsbourg
• Facebook: Charlotte Gainsbourg
• Instagram: Charlotte Gainsbourg (@charlottegainsbourg)
• YouTube: Charlotte Gainsbourg

Personal Life

Charlotte Gainsbourg, born July 21, 1971, is currently 54 years old.

She has never been married and has no husband. Since 1991, she has been in a long-term relationship with French-Israeli actor and director Yvan Attal, whom she met on the set of the film Aux yeux du monde.

The couple has consciously chosen not to marry; Gainsbourg has repeatedly stated in interviews that she does not believe in the institution of marriage and sees no need for it, a view influenced in part by her parents’ own unmarried but iconic partnership.

Gainsbourg and Attal have three children together: son Ben Attal (born June 12, 1997), daughter Alice Attal (born November 8, 2002), and daughter Joe Attal (born July 16, 2011). All three children carry their father’s surname. She stands 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) tall.

Net Worth

Charlotte Gainsbourg‘s net worth is most commonly estimated at $8 million. This figure reflects her earnings from a long career in acting, music, and related ventures.

Her wealth stems primarily from decades of work in French and international cinema (including high-profile roles in films by Lars von Trier and others), album sales and royalties from her music releases (such as 5:55, IRM, and Rest), and occasional producing or directing credits, like the documentary Jane by Charlotte.

While some less consistent online estimates range higher (up to $16 million in isolated reports) or lower, the $8 million valuation is the most widely cited and aligns with her selective, artistically driven career rather than blockbuster commercial pursuits.

Note that net worth figures for public figures are approximate, based on public records, earnings reports, and industry analysis, and do not account for private assets, investments, or potential inheritances (such as properties tied to her family legacy).

She also owns and has managed cultural projects, such as the Maison Gainsbourg museum in Paris, dedicated to her father, Serge Gainsbourg, though a recent financial restructuring of that venture has been reported without a direct impact on her publicly detailed personal fortune.

Filmography

Gainsbourg has appeared in over 70 films, blending French arthouse cinema with international productions, often collaborating with directors like Lars von Trier, Agnès Varda, and others. Notable highlights include:

• Early breakthrough: An Impudent Girl (L’Effrontée, 1985) – César Award for Most Promising Actress
• Charlotte for Ever (1986)
• The Little Thief (1988)
• The Cement Garden (1993) – English-language debut
• Jane Eyre (1996)
• 21 Grams (2003)
• I’m Not There (2007)
• Antichrist (2009) – Cannes Best Actress Award
• Melancholia (2011)
• Nymphomaniac (2013, Volumes I & II)
• The Snowman (2017)
• Sundown (2021)
• The Pale Blue Eye (2022)
• The Passengers of the Night (2022)
• Jane by Charlotte (2021) – Documentary she directed, wrote, and produced about her mother Jane Birkin
• Recent: Life for Real (2023), Meet the Leroys (2024), The Phoenician Scheme (2025), and others like Étoile (2025)

Her filmography showcases versatility in dramatic, provocative, and introspective roles.

Discography

Gainsbourg has released music selectively, starting young and returning as a mature artist with indie/electronic-influenced work:

• Charlotte for Ever (1986) – Debut album, produced by her father Serge Gainsbourg
• 5:55 (2006) – Critically acclaimed comeback, platinum in France
• IRM (2009) – Produced by Beck
• Stage Whisper (2011) – Live/compilation album
• Rest (2017) – Introspective and grief-themed, featuring collaborations with Paul McCartney and others

She has also released singles/EPs like “Hey Joe” (2013), “Such a Remarkable Day” (2018), and more recent ones including “Blurry Moon” (2025). Her music often features melancholic, sophisticated lyrics and electronic elements.

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