Eva Gaëlle Green (French: [eva ɡa.ɛl ɡʁeːn]; Swedish: [ˈêːva ˈɡreːn]; born (1980-07-06)6 July 1980) is a French actress, known for starring in both major studio and independent productions, in which she often portrays eccentric, villainous, and complex characters. The daughter of actress Marlène Jobert, she began her career in theatre before making her film debut in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers (2003). She portrayed Sibylla, Queen of Jerusalem in Kingdom of Heaven (2005). The following year, she played Bond girl Vesper Lynd in the James Bond film Casino Royale (2006), for which she received the BAFTA Rising Star Award.
Green has since starred in numerous independent films, including Cracks (2009), Womb (2010), and Perfect Sense (2011). In 2014, she played Artemisia in the 300 sequel 300: Rise of an Empire and Ava Lord in Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez's Sin City sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. Green is also known for her collaborations with director Tim Burton, starring as Angelique Bouchard in the horror comedy film Dark Shadows (2012), the title character of the fantasy film Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016), Colette Marchant in the fantasy film Dumbo (2019) and as Ophelia Frump for the upcoming third season of Wednesday (2027). For her role as an astronaut mother in the drama film Proxima (2019), she earned a nomination for the César Award for Best Actress.
On television, Green has starred as Morgan Pendragon in the Starz historical fantasy series Camelot (2011). She also starred as Vanessa Ives in the Showtime horror drama series Penny Dreadful (2014–2016), earning critical acclaim and a nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards.
Outside acting, she has collaborated with various luxury brands and been an ambassador for Bulgari and Roger Vivier.
Green was born on 6 July 1980, two minutes earlier than her fraternal twin sister Joy. She is the daughter of French actress and author Marlène Jobert and Walter Green, a Swedish dental surgeon and occasional actor in his youth (Au hasard Balthazar directed by Robert Bresson).
Green is of Jewish descent through her Algerian-born mother. She is the great-granddaughter of French composer Paul Le Flem and of Swedish photographer Mia Green, the niece of actress Marika Green and the maternal first cousin of singer Elsa Lunghini and actress Joséphine Jobert. The surname "Green" [ˈɡɾeːn] has nothing to do with the color green; instead being derived from the Swedish word gren, which means 'tree branch'.
Green was raised in France and attended the American University of Paris, an English-speaking institution. She developed an interest in Egyptology when she visited the Louvre at age seven. At age 14, after seeing Isabelle Adjani in The Story of Adele H., Green decided to become an actress. She has also stated that watching Jack Nicholson's performance in the 1980 movie The Shining laid the groundwork for her future profession. Her mother initially feared that an acting career would be too much for her sensitive daughter, but later came to support her ambitions. Green continued her studies at Cours Eva Saint Paul in Paris and took an acting course at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. After that, Green returned to Paris, where she performed in several plays. Green stated that when she was in drama school, she "always picked the really evil roles" because "it's a great way to deal with your everyday emotions".
2001–2005: Career beginnings and early breakthrough
In 2001, Green began her professional acting debut on stage in Esther Villar’s Jalousie en trois fax, directed by Didier Long at the Théâtre de Paris, for which she was nominated for a Molière Award. She also appeared in Turcaret (2002).
In 2003, Green made her film debut and breakthrough in Bernardo Bertolucci's controversial erotic drama film The Dreamers (2003), which involved her in extensive full frontal nude scenes, as well as graphic sex scenes. Green told The Guardian that her agent and her parents begged her not to take the role, concerned that the film would cause her career to "have the same destiny as Maria Schneider", because of Schneider's traumatic experience during the filming of Bertolucci's Last Tango in Paris. Green said that with Bertolucci's guidance she felt comfortable during the filming of the nude and sex scenes but was embarrassed when her family saw the film. Green expressed surprise when a minute was cut from the film for the American market, stating, "[T]here is so much violence, both on the streets and on the screen. They think nothing of it. Yet I think they are frightened by sex." Her performance was highly praised, with critics describing her role as sensual and daring; David Rooney of Variety commented, "Eva Green delivers a striking debut, bringing a mix of fragility and sensuality to Isabelle. She is the film’s revelation, and her presence elevates the material." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times also highlighted Green as "a discovery. She has a gift for combining innocence with eroticism, and she makes Isabelle both vulnerable and dangerous.” Some compared her to Liv Tyler.
Her next film was Arsène Lupin (2004), in which she portrayed Lupin's love interest. She enjoyed the light-hearted role, although she has stated that she generally prefers more complex characters.
Her performance in The Dreamers led Ridley Scott to cast Green in Kingdom of Heaven (2005), a film about the Crusades where she played Sibylla, Princess of Jerusalem. Green performed six screen tests and was hired only a week before principal photography began. Green found the atmosphere of coming onto a film so late tense and exciting, and she liked the film's ambiguity in approaching its subject matter. To her disappointment, much of her screen time was cut. Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com praised her performance: "She doesn't quite know what to do with her character's stilted dialogue, but she carries herself so regally that you barely notice." Nev Pierce of the BBC, however, called her character "limp". Green was satisfied when her character's complex subplot was restored in the director's cut. Total Film said the new scenes completed her performance: "In the theatrical cut, Princess Sibylla sleeps with Balian and then, more or less, loses her mind. Now we understand why. Not only does Sibylla have a young son, but when she realizes he's afflicted with leprosy just like her brother Baldwin, she decides to take his life shortly after he's been crowned king."
2006–2011: Casino Royale and further roles
Green was cast at the last minute for the role of Vesper Lynd in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale. Green was approached in mid-2005 but turned it down. Principal photography was already underway, and director Martin Campbell said casting the role was difficult because "we didn't have the final script and a Bond girl always had the connotation of tits 'n' ass." Campbell saw Green's performance in the director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven, and approached Green again. She read the script, and found the character of Vesper far deeper than most Bond girls. Green's performance was critically praised, Entertainment Weekly called her the fourth-best Bond girl of all time; IGN named her the best femme fatale, stating, "This is the girl that broke – and therefore made – James Bond"; and she won the BAFTA Rising Star Award and an Empire award for her performance. Both awards were voted for by the British public.
Green was considered for roles in The Constant Gardener (a role that went to Rachel Weisz) and The Black Dahlia.
Green portrayed the witch Serafina Pekkala in the 2007 film adaptation of The Golden Compass. Green hoped the religious themes of the book would be preserved, but references to Catholicism were removed from the film.
In February 2008, Green appeared in the sci-fi thriller film Franklyn as the tormented artist Emilia, (who Green compared to real-life figures Sophie Calle and Tracey Emin) and the mysterious Sally, who she described as "full of life, very witty, big sense of humor".