Thanks to "Swimming Pool" (co-starring Charlotte Rampling), Americans have just met France?s fastest rising star, Ludivine Sagnier (Tinker Bell in "Peter Pan"). They loved the scintillating young blonde so much that director Fran篩s Ozon?s film has become one of the year?s biggest-grossing foreign movies in the U.S.

The welcome followed a staggering success at this year?s Cannes Film Festival, where Sagnier earned the rare privilege of a double exposure. She plays the title role in Claude Miller?s new release, "La Petite Lili" (based on Chekhov?s "Seagull"), which was in the Festival alongside "Swimming Pool."

"Peter Pan" reveals yet another facet of this multi-talented actress as she plays the mischievous fairy, Tink. The film, which marks her first starring role in a major studio coproduction, showcases her inspired originality and impish sense of humor.

The talented Parisian has worked with French filmmaker Fran篩s Ozon more often than any other actress and starred in his features "Water Drops on Burning Rocks" and "8 Women." Her performance in the star-studded "8 Women" earned her the Romy Schneider Award (given annually to a promising young French actress) plus a Cesar Award nomination (France?s equivalent of the Oscar?). Sagnier shared the European Film Academy Award for Best Actress and the Silver Bear Award at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival along with the film?s cast (which includes Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle B顲t and Fanny Ardant).

Sagnier?s feature film career also includes Diane Kurys? "The Children of the Century" (with Juliette Binoche and BenoMagimel), Charles Matton?s "Rembrandt" (with Klaus Maria Brandauer), Laurent Tuel?s "Jeu d?enfants," Yvan Attal?s "My Wife is an Actress" (with Charlotte Gainsbourg and Terence Stamp) and Pascal Bonitzer?s "Petites Coupures" (with Daniel Auteuil and Kristin Scott Thomas). She played her first role in English in Ian Simpson?s "Toothache."

Among her additional movie credits are several short films, including Guillaume Br页d?s "Acide Anim鬢 which won her the Best Actress award at the Lutin Festival of Short Films. The 2001 Berlin International Film Festival named her a ?Shooting Star? for France.

Sagnier also appeared onstage in the Paris productions of Marivaux? "Game of Love and Chance" and Oscar Wilde?s "The Importance of Being Earnest." Her television credits include the title role in the French telefilm "Marie Marmaille" (directed by Jean-Louis Bertucelli) and a co-starring role in "Napoleon," Yves Simoneau?s mini-series (starring John Malkovich, Isabella Rossellini and G鲡rd Depardieu), which recently aired on the A&E network.