Isabelle Huppert, one of the world’s most feted living actresses, walked down the red carpet at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Wednesday night to receive the Montecito Award at the Arlington Theatre.

Donned in a Gucci-designed full-length light-blue and apricot-colored sequined gown, the petite French actress conveyed a professional and competent aura that reflected her experience in appearing in mostly leading roles in more than 100 films and television productions since her debut in 1971. 

Most recently, Huppert was acclaimed for her work in the films Elle and Things to Come, winning Best Actress awards from the National Society of Film Critics, New York Film Critics Circle and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association for both.

Her performance in Elle earned her a 2017 Golden Globe Award and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress—pitting her against Emma Stone, Natalie Portman, Meryl Streep, and Ruth Negga for the coveted Oscar.

The tribute was moderated by seasoned film critic Anne Thompson, who did a good job of querying Huppert on the film milestones in her four decades of acting.

Huppert was born in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, the daughter of an English teacher mother and a safe manufacturer father.

Her father was born Jewish and hid his background during World War II. She was raised in her mother's Catholic faith.

Her mother encouraged her act at a young age, and she became a teen star in Paris.

She is an alumna of the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art of Paris, and has performed in 131 films and television productions and has also acted on stage.

Her acting awards from around the globe number at least 50.

“We are honored to have an actor of the caliber of Isabelle Huppert here tonight,” said Film Festival Executive Director Roger Durling.

Thompson deftly asked questions of Huppert after screenings of her film clips during the tribute.

Huppert commented on the 1975 film Rosebud, directed by Otto Preminger and also starring Peter O’Toole, Richard Attenborough, and Peter Lawford.

“The director never said a word to me,” Huppert said. “He let me play my character as I interpreted it. He let me do what I needed to do.” 

Clips were shown of two 2016 films that received widespread critical acclaim: Mia Hansen-Løve's Things to Come and Paul Verhoeven's Elle, which premiered at Cannes.

Among other awards and nominations, she won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress, New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress for both films. 

Although not well known in the United States, Huppert is the most nominated actresses for the César Award, the national film award of France, with 16 nominations.

Huppert was made Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite in 1994, and was promoted to Officier in 2005. She was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1999, and was promoted to Officer in 2009.

Among international film's most prolific actresses, Huppert has worked in Italy, Russia, Central Europe, and on the Asian continent.

Her English-language films include: Heaven's Gate (1980), I Heart Huckabees (2004), The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (2013), and Louder Than Bombs (2015).

The evening ended with the formal presentation of the Montecito Award by veteran actor John Hurt.

“I am very happy and very grateful to receive this award,” Huppert said. “Each role that I receive is a little miracle. When a director wants you, it’s like love. Somehow you were meant to be together.”

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