Tonie Marshall

Tonie Marshall (November 29, 1951 – March 12, 2020) was a French American actress, screenwriter, and film director.

After acting in several of Jacques Demy’s films, including A Slightly Pregnant Man and La Naissance du Jour, Marshall cites to have taken influence from his direction in the sense of creating whimsical atmospheres and rooting the stories with more of a female-centric narrative.

In her most notable film, Venus Beauty Institute, Marshall touched on the theme of finding love from a female perspective, and how it can fundamentally be more difficult because of how it strays from the traditional dynamic of courtship. She explains how “in a practical sense, it’s complicated to have abandon [oneself] into a man’s arms and, at the same time, stay very tough because you have to work…”. 

This carefully expresses the vulnerabilities women endure when heavily committing to relationships, similar to much of Demy’s work, including The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort.

Life and career

Marshall was the daughter of American actor William Marshall and French actress Micheline Presle, the half-sister of actor Mike Marshall, and the aunt of model and actress Sarah Marshall.

In 1994, her film Pas très catholique was entered into the 44th Berlin International Film Festival.

Her 1999 film Venus Beauty Institute (Vénus beauté (institut)) won the 2000 César Award for Best Film and she won the César Award for Best Director and for Best Writing – Original or Adaptation.

In 2002 her film Au plus près du paradis was nominated for the Golden Lion Award as best film at the Venice Film Festival.

Marshall was a signatory of the "Free Roman Polanski" Petition.