But the privileges that one has enjoyed and exploited can sometimes turn against you: nobody thinks of you as a director, you are always an actress.

Marceau had photos taken at the agency but did not think anything would come of it. In 1988 Sophie Marceau starred in L'Étudiante (The Student) and the historical adventure film Chouans!.

Marceau became an international film star with her performances in Braveheart (1995) Firelight (1997) and the James Bond thriller The World Is Not Enough (1999). As a teenager Marceau achieved popularity with her debut films La Boum (1980) and La Boum 2 (1982) receiving a César Award for Most Promising Actress.