Lou Doillon

Lou Doillon (born 4 September 1982) is a British and French singer, actress and model.

She is the daughter of French director Jacques Doillon and English actress and singer Jane Birkin.

Doillon started her career as a model during her teenage years and later transitioned into acting and music.

Doillon was born on 4 September 1982 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.

She is the daughter of French writer/director Jacques Doillon and English actress/singer Jane Birkin.

She has six brothers and sisters: Kate Barry and Charlotte Gainsbourg on her mother's side, and Lola Doillon, Lili Doillon, Lina Doillon and Lazare Doillon on her father's side.

Doillon spent her school years between France and Saint Barthélemy until the age of 15, when she dropped out to become a full-time actress.

Doillon started acting at age five, starring in Kung Fu Master directed by Agnès Varda.

She has since worked with directors including Jean Pierre Améris, Jacques Doillon, Guillaume Canet, Abel Ferrara and Maïwenn.

Doillon started modelling at the age of 16, becoming the ambassador of Givenchy.

She has since been the "face" of Vanessa Bruno, Eres, Mango, H&M, Miu Miu, JBrand, Barney's, Gap, Maje and Chloé.

She was featured alongside Sophia Loren and Penélope Cruz in the Pirelli Calendar.

Doillon has worked with photographers Inez and Vinoodh, Mario Sorrenti, Mario Testino, Terry Richardson, Bruce Webber, Paolo Reversi, Corinne Day, Mert and Marcus, Ryan McGinley and Glen Lunchford.

She has collaborated with Lee Cooper and La Redoute as a creative consultant and designer for six collections.

Doillon, alongside director Michel Didym, created a show based on letters written by French authors and singers (Louis-Ferdinand Celine, Marcel Proust and Édith Piaf), and monologues.

She toured French-speaking theatres throughout Europe by herself for over two years.

In the late 1990s and into the 2000s, she appeared in several French films for which she received recognition for her performances, credits that include Bad Company (1999) and Gigola (2010).

Doillon recorded with many musicians in New York and Paris during the 2000s before starting a solo career in 2010.

Her genre has been described as haunted folk, and her voice has been described as "equal parts Marianne Faithfull, Nina Simone, Anohni and Joanna Newsom."

She writes her songs on Canadian Guild guitars (D55) or the piano and performs on an Eko electric guitar.

In 2010, Doillon started working with director Arthur Nauzyciel on Samuel Beckett's one sentence monologue "L'Image" in the National Theatre of Orléans.

Alongside dancer Damien Jalet and conceptual musician Meelice, they performed throughout France and in New York for the Crossing the Line Festival.

In addition to her acting career, Doillon has pursued a successful music career, releasing her debut album Places in 2012 to critical acclaim and commercial success.

Her music blends elements of folk and indie rock.

In 2012, Doillon signed her first recording deal for three albums with Barclay (Universal Music France).

Her first EP I.C.U came out in June and was produced by Étienne Daho and mixed by Philippe Zdar from the band Cassius.

Doillon's first album was recorded in France over a 15 day period in the Studio La Seine with French musicians François Poggio, Marcello Guliani, Alexis Anérilles and Philippe Entressangle.

Her debut album Places reached number three on the French charts.

It also reached number one on Canadian iTunes, number two on French iTunes and was released through Verve in the US and decca in the UK.

The artwork for the cover was done by Inez and Vinoodh.

Doillon has been drawing since she was 10 and has often included her drawings in her other crafts (the vinyl edition of her album in 2016 and most of her merchandise on tour is drawn by her).

She has been keeping a drawn and written diary since the age of 12.

She works with an extra fine Sailor Pen on Sennelier paper or Moleskine diaries.

In 2017, for the National Theatre of Rennes, Doillon performed "L'Image" directed by Nauzyciel for a week.

Doillon has also collaborated on various performances (Paroles d'Exil/Musique Interdite with the French National Orchestra, Calamity Jane with singer/ musician John Mitchell and as a reader for many French-literature festivals).

In September 2017, Doillon released a book, including 80 ink and pencil drawings alongside diary drawings, with Astier de Villatte.

The release was followed by an exhibit of the original drawings at La maison Molière in Paris.

She has also, for the brand Astier de Villatte, collaborated on a project of 18 different types of hand-backed ceramic mugs and 15 unique pieces, presented and sold in Tokyo during the launch of the collaboration in November 2017 with creative duo Benoit Astier de Villatte and Ivan Pericoli.

Doillon's love for music was enkindled by her father: "When my parents split, I discovered with Jacques, his taste for eclectic and a strange form of radicalness in music. He would say: 'sit down, shut up and listen to the music' while playing records from Chet Baker, Billie Holiday, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Patti Smith and Nick Drake."

She often quotes Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, and mentions Lhasa, Lead Belly, Fiona Apple, Cat Power, Nina Simone, Tim Buckley and Bobbie Gentry as her influences.