# Nora Arnezeder
**Nora Arnezeder** (born 1989) is a French actress and singer who came to prominence as the young singer Douce in Christophe Barratier's musical drama *Faubourg 36* (*[Paris 36](https://www.edgepedia.org/paris-36)*, 2008) and later built an international career in American film and television, including *Safe House*, *Zoo*, *[Mozart in the Jungle](https://www.edgepedia.org/mozart-in-the-jungle)*, and [Zack Snyder](https://www.edgepedia.org/zack-snyder)'s *Army of the Dead*.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1989, Paris, France, to an Austrian father and an Egyptian mother[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2482391/) |
| Breakthrough | Douce in *Faubourg 36* (2008), chosen from hundreds of candidates while still under eighteen[2](https://medias.unifrance.org/medias/62/144/36926/presse/faubourg-36-dossier-de-presse-anglais.pdf) |
| Awards for the role | Lumières Award and Étoile d'Or as best female revelation[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2482391/) |
| Oscar connection | Performed "Loin de Paname" in the film, nominated for Best Original Song at the 82nd Academy Awards[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2482391/) |
| Hollywood entry | *Safe House* (2012) with Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington; *The Words* (Sundance) and *Maniac* the same year[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2482391/) |
| Television | Chloe Tousignant in CBS's *Zoo* (2015–2016); Anna Maria in Amazon's *Mozart in the Jungle*[3](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-177921/filmographie/) |
| Recent work | Gloria in *American Star* (2024), Jacqueline de Saint-Phalle in *Niki* (2024), Nina in *Hell in Paradise* (2025)[3](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-177921/filmographie/) |
## Early life and training
Arnezeder was born in Paris to an Austrian father and an Egyptian mother[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2482391/). Her mother, Piera Schinasi, was of Egyptian Jewish origin, descended from an Italian family that had immigrated to [Alexandria](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexandria) before the First World War; her father is named Wolfgang[4](https://areq.net/lang/fr/Nora_Arnezeder.html). She left Paris with her parents at age two for [Aix-en-Provence](https://www.edgepedia.org/aix-en-provence), and at fourteen spent a year on the Indonesian island of Bali[4](https://areq.net/lang/fr/Nora_Arnezeder.html).
Back in Paris, she decided to become an actress and trained at the Cours Florent, the Paris drama school, studying acting, dancing, and singing while still in high school[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2482391/) • [5](https://usa.tv5monde.com/en/blog/nora-arnezeder-890170). Her first screen appearances were in French television crime series, *Commissaire Valence* and *R.I.S Police scientifique*, followed by a role in the 2007 fantasy comedy *Les Deux Mondes*[4](https://areq.net/lang/fr/Nora_Arnezeder.html) • [5](https://usa.tv5monde.com/en/blog/nora-arnezeder-890170).
## Faubourg 36
**Breakthrough.** For the role of Douce in *Faubourg 36*, director Christophe Barratier auditioned actresses who could sing and singers who could act, famous and unknown alike. Among hundreds of candidates, Arnezeder, then not yet eighteen, was cast; Barratier wrote that she passed every test and that her singing and acting auditions were equally strong[2](https://medias.unifrance.org/medias/62/144/36926/presse/faubourg-36-dossier-de-presse-anglais.pdf). The film, set in a working-class Paris music hall between December 1935 and July 1936, was Barratier's follow-up to *Les Choristes* (*The Chorus*)[2](https://medias.unifrance.org/medias/62/144/36926/presse/faubourg-36-dossier-de-presse-anglais.pdf).
The role brought her the Lumières Award and the Étoile d'Or as best female revelation[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2482391/) • [4](https://areq.net/lang/fr/Nora_Arnezeder.html). Her performance of the song "Loin de Paname" from the film was nominated for Best Original Song at the 82nd Academy Awards[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2482391/). According to a TV5MONDE profile, the Oscar nomination drew American producers and casting agencies to her[5](https://usa.tv5monde.com/en/blog/nora-arnezeder-890170).
## Career in France and the United States
At age 22 Arnezeder moved to Los Angeles, saying she was tired of Parisian life and already had an agent there[5](https://usa.tv5monde.com/en/blog/nora-arnezeder-890170). Her first Hollywood role came in the 2012 action film *Safe House*, alongside [Ryan Reynolds](https://www.edgepedia.org/ryan-reynolds) and [Denzel Washington](https://www.edgepedia.org/denzel-washington), in which she played Ana Moreau[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2482391/). The same year she played Celia in *The Words*, opposite [Bradley Cooper](https://www.edgepedia.org/bradley-cooper) and Ben Barnes, a film presented at the Sundance Film Festival, and one of the main roles in the horror film *Maniac* with Elijah Wood[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2482391/).
She continued working in both countries. In 2013 she was the leading actress in the costume drama *Angélique*, directed by Ariel Zeitoun[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2482391/), and in 2012 she played Émilie in Alexandre Arcady's *Ce que le jour doit à la nuit*[3](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-177921/filmographie/). On television she played Chloe Tousignant, a French intelligence agent, in the CBS series *Zoo* (2015–2016), based on the novel by [James Patterson](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-patterson) and Michael Ledwidge, and Anna Maria, wife of [Gael García Bernal](https://www.edgepedia.org/gael-garcia-bernal)'s character Rodrigo, in Amazon's *Mozart in the Jungle*, a series that won two Golden Globes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2482391/) • [3](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-177921/filmographie/). She also appeared in the series *Riviera* (2017–2020) and the science-fiction series *[Origin](https://www.edgepedia.org/origin-tv-series)* (2018)[3](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-177921/filmographie/).
Her later film work includes Lilly ("The Coyote") in Zack Snyder's *Army of the Dead* (2021) and Blake in Tim Fehlbaum's *The Colony* (2021)[6](https://www.metacritic.com/person/nora-arnezeder/). In 2024 she played Gloria, a bartender in [Fuerteventura](https://www.edgepedia.org/fuerteventura) who becomes entangled with [Ian McShane](https://www.edgepedia.org/ian-mcshane)'s character, in Gonzalo López-Gallego's thriller *American Star*, and Jacqueline de Saint-Phalle in *Niki*[7](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/american-star-film-review-2024) • [3](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-177921/filmographie/). In 2025 she appeared as Evoli Carmichael in *Tin Soldier* and as Nina in *Hell in Paradise*, a thriller directed by Leïla Sy[3](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-177921/filmographie/) • [8](https://cdn.financialreports.eu/financialreports/media/filings/1310/2024/ISS/1310_iss_2024-05-29_008788aa-c518-4ee6-98cd-a843a66fa73a.pdf).
## Writing and directing
Arnezeder has also worked behind the camera. Her agency credits list the short films *The Interesting Life of Paul Chanoui* (2017) and *Agnès* (2020) under the heading author-director[9](https://www.vma.fr/fiche.cfm/748200_nora-arnezeder).
## References
1. [Nora Arnezeder, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2482391/)
2. [Faubourg 36 press kit (English), UniFrance](https://medias.unifrance.org/medias/62/144/36926/presse/faubourg-36-dossier-de-presse-anglais.pdf)
3. [Nora Arnezeder : Filmographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-177921/filmographie/)
4. [Nora Arnezeder, AREQ](https://areq.net/lang/fr/Nora_Arnezeder.html)
5. [Nora Arnezeder, TV5MONDE USA](https://usa.tv5monde.com/en/blog/nora-arnezeder-890170)
6. [Nora Arnezeder, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/nora-arnezeder/)
7. [American Star movie review, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/american-star-film-review-2024)
8. [ISS 2023–24 revenues report](https://cdn.financialreports.eu/financialreports/media/filings/1310/2024/ISS/1310_iss_2024-05-29_008788aa-c518-4ee6-98cd-a843a66fa73a.pdf)
9. [Nora Arnezeder, VMA agency](https://www.vma.fr/fiche.cfm/748200_nora-arnezeder)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › French actors › Surnames A to D*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license