She grew up in an artistically inclined family, and began her career as a film actress in the mid 1990s. She rose to greater prominence in the late 1990s when she was cast in the Luc Besson production Taxi (1998) as Lilly Bertineau, a role that she reprised in two sequels.

Although still principally known in France, Cotillard has begun to build a broader international profile. In 2003, her reputation was considerably enhanced by her participation in two films. First, her role as the impetuous Sophie Kowalski in Yann Samuell's Jeux d'enfants (Love Me If You Dare) proved her ability as a complex yet appealing romantic lead. Secondly, Tim Burton cast her in his film Big Fish, thereby introducing her to English language audiences in a supporting role opposite Ewan McGregor. Cotillard further demonstrated the range of her abilities in her role as the murderous Tina Lombardi in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Un long dimanche de fiançailles (A Very Long Engagement) (2004).

Cotillard is known to be ecologically minded, and has served as a spokesperson for Greenpeace.

--Wikipedia